San Francisco County
Biographies
JAMES H. WIDBER
JAMES H. WIDBER, a
highly respected business man and one of the oldest druggists in the city of San
Francisco, was born in Portland,
Maine, February 1, 1828.
His father, Jacob S. Widber, was also born in Portland,
and was of German extraction, while his mother, nee Sarah Hill, was a native of Biddeford
and was of English ancestry.
James H. graduated
at the high school in his native city, and spent four years at the drug
business there. The California
gold excitement of 1849 brought him to the Pacific coast. Leaving home on March 15, he came overland,
via Fort Smith, Arkansas,
and arrived at “Hangtown” on September 18, 1849. He mined till the fall of 1850, at times with
success. His last mining operation, the
working of a bar on the Yuba river, however, proved a
failure. With his partners he worked a
claim at Nevada city that paid from $15 to $100 per day. In a single day they took out fourteen
ounces. After a year or two of
prospecting, Mr. Widber came to San
Francisco, arriving here in February, 1852. He then engaged in the furniture and bedding
business, and continued in it successfully till 1854. At this time he made a six months’ visit to
his Eastern home, and after his return to San Francisco
he purchased the Veranda drug-store of Henry Julian & Co. This business was established in 1851 by Dr. Gantier, and was located on the corner of Washington
and Kearny streets. Mr. Widber
conducted it there till 1860, when he removed to Kearny
street, near Market. Three or four years later a new building was
erecte4d where the Chronicle building now stands, and Mr. Widber
moved into it. In February, 1868, he
took possession of his present quarters, No. 701
Market street. During his long business career in this city
he has met with signal success, his establishment keeping pace with the rapid
development all around him. He has been
identified with the growth and prosperity of this great metropolis for
thirty-nine years, and has passed through all its time of excitement; was a
member of the vigilance Committee, and did his share in restoring the reign of
law and order.
Mr. Widber has been a Republican since the organization of that
party, and has taken an active part in political affairs. He was three times elected a member of the
Board of Education, in 1859, 1861 and in 1863, during the last term being
chairman of the committee on classification, and also chairman of the committee
on school-houses and sites. During that
term many school-houses were built, notably among them the Lincoln
school-house, which, excepting in Boston,
had not its equal in the United States. In the furthering of these great improvements
he worked assiduously. In 1871 he was
elected Superintendent of City Schools, receiving a large majority of the votes
cast. He served most acceptably in this
capacity for three years and made numerous improvements in the various
departments of school work. In 1881 he
was elected City Treasurer, receiving a majority of about 3,500 votes, which
was considerably ahead of his ticket.
Owing to a change in the codes, his term only lasted one year. In 1890 he was again elected to that
important trust, the custody of the city’s funds.
Mr. Widber was married in 1859 to Miss Phebe
M. Thompson, a native of New York. They have two sons, Frank H. and Augustus C.,
both born in San Francisco. The latter is now a deputy in his father’s
office. Frank H. has been with the firm
of Newstader Bros. for fourteen years.
For many years Mr. Widber has been a member of the Society of California
Pioneers, having served four terms as one of its directors. He is a man thoroughly informed on all
general topics, and in a business, political and social way, occupies a
prominent and honored position in this city.
Transcribed
by Cathi Skyles.
Source: "The Bay of San Francisco," Vol. 2,
page 319-320, Lewis Publishing Co, 1892.
© 2005 Cathi Skyles.
California Biography Project
San Francisco County
California Statewide
Golden Nugget Library