Martin Petersen

 

Martin Petersen, proprietor of the Marin Soda Works at San Rafael.—This popular establishment was started by Mr. Petersen in 1886 in a small way, but since has become one of the most popular on the coast, and now gives steady employment to nine men, principally in the bottling department and supplies the counties of Marin, Sonoma and Mendocino, and has a very large wholesale trade in San Francisco.  The soda is manufactured by a new process, which is used alone by Mr. Petersen, the use of marble dust being abandoned and pure bicarbonate of soda substituted.  He uses Mt. Tamalpais water, the best in the State.  This soda-water is recommended by the leading physicians as absolutely pure, and is refreshing, pleasant and wholesome.  In these works are manufactured no less than seventeen different qualities of temperance drinks.  Also Mr. Petersen has the agency of Jackson’s famous Napa soda and the Geyser and Aetna soda-water.  All of Mr. Petersen’s syrups are manufactured under his own personal supervision, and a specialty is made of iron and orange phosphates; also fruit champagne, of which he is the originator and sole proprietor.  Lately he has registered in the United States Patent Office a new drink, named “Hoarhound, Honey and Lime-juice.”  The sales of Mr. Petersen’s products are not confined to the surrounding counties, but find their way also to all the interior counties, and go even beyond the confines of the State, through the wholesale dealers.

 

Mr. Petersen is a native of Schleswig, Germany, born February 27, 1847, the youngest of a family of five, and emigrated to America when a young man, locating at Chicago in 1870.  After a business success of two years in that city he came to San Rafael, California, and engaged in mercantile pursuits until 1886, at which time he embarked in his present business. 

 

On the 9^th of April, 1877, at San Francisco, he was joined in marriage with Miss Mary J. Kelly.  They have an interesting family of five children, namely:  William, Minnie, Thomas, Benjamin H. and Martin.  Politically Mr. Petersen is allied with the Republican party, and socially with the A. O. U. W. of San Rafael.