San
Joaquin County
Biographies
RUDOLPH GNEKOW
Few residents of the changing,
growing cities of California have the distinction of having lived on one corner
for more than sixty years, but such was the record of one of Stockton’s pioneer
citizens, Rudolph Gnekow, who maintained his home on Main Street for that long
period, during which he saw such a transformation in his locality as would have
been unbelievable to anyone not gifted with a prophetic mind who came here in
the early days of California’s statehood.
Born near Breslau, Germany, in 1835
of Russian and Polish parents, Rudolph Gnekow ran away from the parental home
when he was nineteen and on arriving in America crossed the plains to
California in an ox-team train. He had
learned the trade of a locksmith in his native land. Landing in New York, he started for
California, and on arriving here stopped in San Francisco for a short time and
then came on to Stockton, in 1856, and entered the employ of John Hart,
blacksmith, and Bill Derrick, the stage builder. Here he bought the property on Main and
Stanislaus Street, having a frontage of 104 feet on Main Street; and on this
corner he built a blacksmith shop, where in the early days he shod the oxen
used to transporting supplies to the southern mines, and also made wagons and
carriages. He later erected a residence
here, which was the family home for over sixty years, all of his children being
born and reared there. In 1893 he bought
the property now occupied by the Sutter Hotel, which was erected by a syndicate
that had purchased the ground from Mr. Gnekow, the block which he had built
being torn down to make room for the hotel.
In 1872, Mr. Gnekow gave up
blacksmithing and carriage building to engage in the real estate business. In early days he owned the half block now a
part of the Holt Manufacturing Company’s grounds on South Aurora Street, paying
$300 for it and selling it for $350. He
bought a part of the Walker tract and offered it to the Odd Fellows for a
building site, but the lodge decided to build elsewhere and so did not take
advantage of his generous offer. He
became extensively interested in realty operations and was very successful,
amassing a competence during the years of his activity.
Always a Republican, Mr. Gnekow was
very active in politics and served as city councilman of Stockton and as
supervisor of San Joaquin County. He was
a member of the old volunteer fire department, whose roster included the
leading businessmen of the early days, and he was prominent in the ranks of the
Exempt Firemen in later years. A devout
member of the German Methodist Church, he taught a Bible class there for many
years. He was a great student of the Bible;
having read it through many times, and could quote any familiar passage. His aid was always freely given to any of the
church’s benefactions. He joined the Odd
Fellows Lodge in 1861, becoming a member of all its branches, and at the time
of his death was one of its two oldest living members. A gold medal was presented to him by his
fellow members in celebration of the fifty-fifth anniversary of his membership
in that order. He was a Past Noble Grand
of Stockton Lodge No. 11, and for many years held the office of treasurer. He was made a citizen of this country in
1855, and entered heartily into the spirit of his adopted land, never
regretting the step that led him to cast in his lot on these shores. Among his other interests he was a director
of the Stockton Savings & Loan Association.
His passing away on January 13, 1920, depleted the fast-thinning ranks
of those pioneers to whom full recognition is due for the labors they performed
in the early days, making possible the comfort and progress of today.
At Stockton in 1860, Mr. Gnekow was
married to Christiana Bollinger, who was born at Wurttemberg, Germany, and came
to California by way of the Isthmus in the late fifties. Her brother, Gottlieb Bollinger, was a
pioneer minister, building the German Methodist Church on South Sutter Street,
Stockton, where he was pastor. Mrs.
Gnekow passed away March 15, 1915, the mother of eleven children, nine of whom
are living: Edward L., Frank W., Charles
D., William H., C. Cordelia, Dr. Emilie L., Nettie C. (wife of Thomas Bonney),
Rudolph J. K., and Mrs. Rose E. Heeb. Dr. Emilie L. Gnekow, prominent among the
medical fraternity of Stockton, attended the public schools of Stockton, took a
course of training at Lane Hospital, San Francisco, graduated from Northwestern
University, Chicago, in 1901, and has been engaged in the successful practice
of her profession ever since. She is a
member of the Greek Medical Fraternity, a member and Past Grand of the
Rebekahs, and a member of the Native Daughters of the Golden West and of the
Women of Woodcraft, being examining physician of the latter two, and belongs to
the San Joaquin Medical Society.
Transcribed by Gerald Iaquinta.
Source: Tinkham, George
H., History of San Joaquin County, California , Pages
563-564. Los Angeles, Calif.: Historic
Record Co., 1923.
© 2011 Gerald Iaquinta.
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