San
Joaquin County
Biographies
JOHN BECHTHOLD
An enterprising and successful
vineyardist who thoroughly understands what he is about, is John Bechthold, who
was born in Russia on October 13, 1871, the son of Henry and Charlotte
Bechthold, the former a farmer who came to America when John Bechthold was four
years old, and settled near Menno, Hutchinson County, South Dakota, where he
proved up on three quarter sections of government land—pre-emption, homestead
and tree claim. This farm was sixteen
miles from Menno, and there the father built a home, and as it was decidedly
out on the frontier, his children had small chance for an education, though
they received the best possible home training and comforts. Mr. Bechthold was one of twelve children: Henry, George (now deceased), Caroline,
Lottie, Elizabeth, John, David (also deceased), Abraham, Mary, Katherine,
Louisa and Christian, a half-brother.
Mr. Bechthold stayed with his
parents until twenty-one years of age, and then worked out on farms for wages,
for a year. On February 7, 1893, near
Menno, he was married to Elizabeth Baumbach, who was born near Krom, Russia, in the vicinity of Mr. Bechthold’s
birthplace. Her parents were George and
Charlotte (Delck) Baumbach,
and her father was a farmer. She was
brought to America when she was one and one-half years old, and grew up in
South Dakota, three and one-half miles from the Bechthold’s, in Hutchinson
County. Her father also took up a
homestead and pre-emption claim. There
were eight children in his family:
Conrad and Elizabeth were born in Russia; and Lena, George, Jack, Lydia,
Katherine and David were born in the United States.
After their marriage, Mr. and Mrs.
Bechthold rented a quarter-section and later a half-section of grain land for
farming; and they lived and farmed in South Dakota for about twelve years. During this time, Mr. Bechthold also bought
eighty acres of land. During the second
year of his residence in California, he sold these eighty acres in South
Dakota. In 1904 he came to California
and settled in San Joaquin County, near the junction of the traction line, one
mile east of the junction station; and he bought ten acres of vineyard, where
he built a home and lived for thirteen years.
In 1917 he sold this and bought eighty acres of open farm land, where he
now has a small acreage in alfalfa, and a small dairy. This farm is about five miles north and one
mile east of Lodi; and there he has set out some forty-five acres to vineyard,
making a specialty of Tokay, Zinfandel and Cornichon grapes. He has already sunk two wells, and will soon
sink a third, and he has four inch pumps, with gas power, for irrigation. All the farm buildings, as well as his own
home, are the result of his own efforts.
He has nine children living, all at home: George, Henry, Eli, Bertha, Otto, Esther,
Bernice, Alvin and John, Jr.
Transcribed by Gerald Iaquinta.
Source: Tinkham, George
H., History of San Joaquin County, California , Page
1115. Los Angeles, Calif.: Historic
Record Co., 1923.
© 2011 Gerald Iaquinta.
Golden Nugget Library's San Joaquin County Biographies
Golden Nugget Library's San Joaquin County Genealogy
Databases