San Francisco County
Biographies
WILLIAM THOMPSON GARRATT
WILLIAM THOMPSON GARRATT one of the most conspicuous
characters in the manufacturing history of the Pacific coast, and a
representative California Pioneer, was the son of Joseph Garrett and Catharine
nee Thompson, both of English birth, but at the time of their marriage, and a
number of years previous, residents of the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Joseph Garrett’s brother William established the first brass foundry in the Quaker
City, in which Joseph learned the trade
and was employed for years. After his Marriage to Miss. Thompson they went to Waterbury,
Connecticut, where he was engaged in
constructing a brass foundry, and there, October 4, 1829, William T. Garrett,
the subject of this memoir, was born. Soon after completing this foundry, his
parents moved to Baltimore, where
his father erected another brass foundry
Believing
the “Great West“ offered superior advantages for business, Mr. Garrett removed
with his family in 1834 to Cincinnati Ohio, and built still another brass
foundry, in which William T. learned his trade of foundry man. At twenty years
of age he left the parental roof to seek his fortune in the newly discovered
Gold fields of California, expecting to return after he had acquired it. Going down the
river by steamboat to New Orleans, he sailed thence for
the Isthmus of Panama. Crossing the isthmus partly by
boat, on the Chares River,
and partly on mule-back, he took passage on the Pacific side for California
on board the whale ship Norman, and landed in San
Francisco, July 20, 1850. Having traveled thousands of
miles to wrest from nature her hidden treasures, Mr. Garrett proceeded to
the ruins, where near Nevada City now stands, and spent about two weeks placer
mining with the long tom and rocker, when ill health compelled him to abandon
that occupation, which necessitated constant exposure and contact with the cold
mountain water. Returning to Sacramento,
he accepted employment with Messrs. Wamer & Fettell, brick manufacturers, and old friends of his
family.
Judge
J, W, Schultz, who had knowledge of Mr. Garrett’s capabilities, learned of his
arrival in California, and sent for him to come and join
him in the foundry business in San Francisco.
Mr. Garrett came, and in October, 1850, was established the foundation of the
present extensive manufactory which bears his name. Under the
firm style of Schultz & Co. In addition to general mechanical work
the firm made most of the coin dies which at the time were used quite
extensively by private individuals and banks. They also made the machinery for
coining $5 and $10 pieces, and did coining for Burgoyne & Co. and other
banks. This department of the business was under the control of Judge Schultz;
and upon the dissolution of their partnership he took that interest. It was
soon after extinguished, however, by the passage of an act by the Legislature
Prohibiting private coinage.
Mr.
Garrett’s first foundry was located on Clay Street,
opposite the Plaza, from which he moved to Leidesdorff Street, near Sacramento
Street, where he did a prosperous business until
his property was swept away by the great fire of May 4, 1851. He started again
on Halleck Street,
but soon removed to the corner of Market and First streets. In 1866 the Alta
Flouring Mills in the rear of his foundry took fire, and again his
establishment was wiped out. He next located on the corner of Mission
and Fremont streets, where in 1870; the same calamity befell him, caused by the
burning of the Mechanics’ Mill on the opposite side of the street. His loss by
this fire was estimated at $130,000. These successive disasters would have dishearted most men, but Mr. Garrett’s indomitable will and
energy were not to be conquered by misfortune, and he at once prepared to
re-establish his business on the corner of Fremont and Natoma streets, where he built and thoroughly equipped the
largest brass and bell foundry west of the Mississippi river. Here he carried
on a very successful business until 1885, when in view of its great and
constantly increasing magnitude, he deemed it advisable to incorporate and thus
distribute the responsibilities of its management among several competent
assistants. The corporation took the name W. T. Garrett & Co., and the
stock was mostly taken by members of his family, who still own it. Mr. Garrett
continued as the directing head until his death, January 14, 1890, from heart
disease.
The
life of William T. Garrett was so interwoven with the material and social
progress of San Francisco and the
Pacific coast that it forms an essential and important part of the history of
the city and state. Being a strong Union man during the war of the Rebellion,
and a zealous supporter and a liberal contributor to the sanitary fund, he was
naturally a Republican in his political affiliations; and his intellectual
qualifications and great force of character made him one that party’s ablest
local leaders. While he was an active worker in all that pertained to the
public weal, he had no ambition for office; and the only political position he
ever filled was that of the State Senatorship of his
district, from 1870 to 1874. He also served on the city Board of Education for
some years. Mr. Garrett was a member and one of the leading promoters of the
Mechanics’ Institute during its struggling days He was a prominent Mason and
Odd Fellow, and a member of the organization of Territorial Pioneers, of which
he was at one time president. In his efforts to develop and foster productive
industries on this coast, Mr. Garrett expended a large sum of money and much
labor to establish beet-sugar cultivation and manufacture in California;
and though his experiment was not a financial success, it demonstrated that
under more favorable conditions beet sugar could be profitably produced here.
The repairing of broken castings by the burning-metal process, now universally
employed throughout the world, is Mr. Garrett’s invention. He was prominently
connected with steam boating, railroading and mining enterprises in this State,
and was a potent force in these lines of activity. Socially he was highly
esteemed for his kind, generous nature, his scrupulous honesty and his sterling
character. It is said of him by those who knew him best, that he was never
heard to speak an unkind word to or of a human being. While he, by persistent
effort and fine business capabilities--and despite repeated heavy losses
accumulated an ample fortune, it was solely the result of legitimate industry
and enterprise; and no dollar of his estate was ever stained by the tears of
the oppressed.
Mr.
Garrett was twice married. May 3, 1854, he was wedded to Miss Mary Donahue, who
bore him ten children, of whom seven are living, namely William T. and Milton,
Mrs. James E. Bond, Mrs. Henry D. Norton, Mrs. W. A. Allen, and Julia and Mary
Garrett. His second wife was Miss Gibbons, daughter of the late Dr. Henry
Gibbons, who survives him.
THE MANUFACTORY
This institution, which is one of the largest of its class
in the United States,
still continues under the name of W. T. Garrett & Co. A number of years ago
another department was added, for making all kinds of Iron castings and general
machinery. The plant for this branch is situated on Fifth and Brannan streets,
consists of extensive and commodious buildings furnished with the latest
improved machinery and appliances for doing heavy work of this line. The
company manufacture all kinds of brass goods for steam, gas and water purposes;
also bells, windmill pumps, and general machinery supplies. Two hundred hands
are employed in the different departments of the manufactory, and the company
has representatives in all the principal cities of the Pacific slope.
Transcribed by Kim Buck.
Source: "The Bay of San
Francisco," Vol. 2, Pages 535-537,
Lewis Publishing Co, 1892.
© 2006 Kim Buck.
California
Biography Project
San
Francisco County
California
Statewide
Golden
Nugget Library