San Francisco County
Biographies
CAPTAIN CHRISTIAN KIRKETERP
CAPTAIN CHRISTIAN KIRKETERP, one of California’s successful
Pioneers came to San Francisco December 28, 1849, having sailed from Boston on
the sailing schooner, Roanoke, and consuming 150 days on the passage. He is a
native of Copenhagen, Denmark, Born April 23, 1817. He was educated in his own
country, and was Graduated from Professor Nielson`s
Collage; he had studied navigation, and at the age of sixteen years he went to
sea. Two years later he arrived in the port of Boston, but he did not leave the
sea until eighteen years had passed and he had become master of the vessel.
With nineteen companions he purchased the schooner on which he came to San
Francisco, and stored it with supplies which were sold with the schooner for
$10,000; the money was divided and each man went his way. Captain Kirketerp formed a partnership and for six months freighted
provisions from San Francisco to Sacramento and Marysville, but the advent of
the river steamers ended this industry. He then went to the mines and began
operations on the west bank of the Feather River; it was discouraging work and
the Captain had almost determined to go back to sea, when one day as he sat
digging in the sand with his heels, he discovered something glitter; he scraped
a pan of the sand, washed it, and had two dollars and a half for his pains; he
washed a second pan with like success, and then went for his Partner; they
slept on the claim in a brush tent, and in fourteen days took out $15,000. When
the claim became exhausted they mined at Bidwell`s,
where they took out five and six ounces of gold per day. Then the Captain came
to San Francisco and engaged in business. In the meantime his partner had died,
and in San Francisco he met one of the men who came out on the same vessel;
they formed a partnership and engaged in the coal and wood business, the firm
name being Haste & Kirk. The name “Kirketerp “was
too long for those busy days, so the miners abridged it to Kirk. This firm had
a Prosperous existence from 1854 to 1882, when both members retired from
business. They are now (1891) seventy-five and seventy-eight years of age. In
after years, when the rush and hurry of getting gold had somewhat subsided, the
Captain applied to the courts for the restoration of his full name. Thirty-two
years ago he built his residence on Bush street, which
is now in the heart of the city.
In 1861 Captain Kirketerp was
married to a lady whose maiden name was Eliza Taylor, a native of
Massachusetts; she was the widow of Herman Haste, brother of the Captain’s
partner. She had two children by her first marriage, whom the Captain adopted;
three children have been born of the latter union. Our worthy subject is a
member of the Society of Pioneers, and many years ago he joined the church of the
Rev. Starr King, which membership has since continued. Politically he has
adhered to the principles of the Republican party, and
belonged to the Vigilance Committee in the days when it became necessary for
the citizens to take into their own hands the preservation of law and order. He
has borne his share of the burden of developing this wonderful State, and is
entitled to all the honor due the worthy Pioneer.
Transcribed by Kim Buck.
Source: "The Bay of San
Francisco," Vol. 2, Pages 514-515,
Lewis Publishing Co, 1892.
© 2006 Kim Buck.