San
Joaquin County
Biographies
GUSTAV AUGUST DANIEL BUSCHKE
A pioneer of California since 1876,
Gustav August Daniel Buschke has been a resident of Tracy since 1878, and has
aided in the progress and development of the city and county. He was born in Posen, Germany, on September
4, 1857. Finishing his schooling in
1871, he took up the trade of harnessmaker at Zirke, Germany, where he served his apprenticeship and
became master of the trade of harness making.
In 1874 his uncle, Daniel Buschke, had settled on a farm near Stockton,
California, and our subject had decided to leave his native land and come to
America, and on July 3, 1876 he arrived in Stockton. Here he found employment at his trade; then
removed to Livermore and worked for two years in the shop owned by Theodore Gorner. In 1878 he
settled in Ellis, San Joaquin County, and he was put in charge of the Ellis
Harness Shop, which he purchased during the fall of that year. In 1878 there were less than ten buildings in
the town of Ellis, there being no school house or church building; late in
1878, the citizens decided to move this village and the buildings were put on
wheels and drawn by mules and horses the two miles to the town of Tracy. Mr. Buschke made his first purchase of real
estate that same year, a corner lot at Central Avenue and Eighth Street, the
purchase price being $100; later he built a small shop and opened a harness
making business, the first of its kind in Tracy. He remained in this location until 1912, when
he disposed of the property to J. Schmidt.
In the early ‘80s Mr. Buschke acquired a corner lot on the opposite side
of the street, and in 1920 let the contract for a $50,000 office and bank
building which is occupied by the Pioneer Bank of Tracy; there are also four
stores included. In 1878 and in 1909 Mr.
Buschke suffered severe losses by fire, but his spirit of determination and
enterprise overruled discouragement and success has come to him to a great
degree.
In 1908 his father made an extensive
visit to his sons and daughters in San Joaquin County, returning to Germany in
1909, where a few weeks later, he passed away at the age of seventy-eight. His wife, who was Louisa Meitzner,
passed away when only forty-one years of age.
The marriage of Mr. Buschke occurred
in Oakland, California, and united him with Miss Caroline Service, a native of
Indiana, who came to California with her parents in 1871. Her mother is still living on a ranch near
Tracy, but her father has passed away.
Mr. and Mrs. Buschke are the parents of eight children, six living: G. Arthur D. passed away when seven; Louisa
M. is the wife of C. Ward, residing in Los Angeles, and has three children;
Emilie C. is the wife of Thomas R. Evans, residing in Los Angeles, and has two
children; Esther M. is the wife of Leo J. Schmidtz,
residing at Burlingame, and they have two children; Jessie I., Mrs. James C.
Lane, resides at Whittier and has two children; N. Irene died in infancy;
Clinton A. served in the U. S. Army overseas with the First Division, and was
with the army of occupation fourteen months at Coblenz, Germany, and upon his
return to America marched in parade in New York City and Washington, D. C.,
with General Pershing; he is now employed with the Union Oil Company at
Fullerton, California; and Grace Rosemond is at
home. During 1881 Mr. Buschke received
his U. S. citizenship papers while residing in Stockton. In politics he is a Republican. He belongs to the Lutheran Church of
Tracy. He has been active in promoting
enterprises for the good of the community, and his contributions to charities,
public buildings and churches have been extensive. For a number of years he has been the sole
survivor of the merchants who removed to Tracy from the village of Ellis in
1878.
Transcribed by V. Gerald Iaquinta.
Source: Tinkham, George
H., History of San Joaquin County, California , Page
1352. Los Angeles, Calif.: Historic
Record Co., 1923.
© 2011 V. Gerald Iaquinta.
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