San
Joaquin County
Biographies
AUGUST HANSEN
A very industrious, progressive and
successful orchardist is August Hansen, who was born at Stepping, Holstein,
Denmark, on June 6, 1869, the son of John and Magdalena (Sorensen) Hansen,
highly esteemed citizens of that prosperous country. His father was a farmer, but he was also for
many years postmaster at Stepping. Mr.
and Mrs. Hansen had seven children, among whom August was the eldest; the
others being John, Anna, Magdalena, Doris and two deceased.
August attended the excellent public
schools of Denmark, and when sixteen started to learn the creamery trade. A year later, he came out to America. He first went to Nevada and for five years
worked for one man at Carson City; and then, moving farther west to California,
he settled at Santa Rosa and took out his final citizenship papers in Sonoma
County. He purchased forty acres near
Santa Rosa, devoted to grapes and prunes, and some apples and peaches, and
after five years in Sonoma County he sold out and came to San Joaquin County
where he bought fifteen acres of open land in the Elliott section, about one
mile to the south and one mile to the east of the old Elliott schoolhouse. There he set six acres out to almonds, and
built a comfortable, attractive home, and also all the necessary farm
outbuildings. Two years ago he added ten
acres to his holdings, making twenty-five acres in his fine ranch tract, not a
bad showing, surely, for one who came to San Joaquin County only seven years
ago.
At Santa Rosa on May 1, 1892, Mr.
Hansen was married to Miss Christina Jepsen, who came
from the vicinity of his Danish birthplace, and was the daughter of Mathias and
Gertrude Jepsen.
She attended the adjoining school to which Mr. Hansen in his boyhood had
been sent, and she came to California three years prior to the date of her
marriage. Three children were born from
their fortunate union. Dorothy is
married to Harry Graham at Port Costa; Pauline also lives at Port Costa; and
Mabel is attending the University of Iowa.
Mrs. Hansen passed away at Reno, Nevada, in 1902 beloved and mourned by
all who knew her.
At the present time Mr. Hansen is
foreman of the famous Henderson Ranch on Dry Creek, north of Elliott, a fine
estate belonging to J. E. Finnell of Sacramento; a
tract of 436 acres, being set out to vineyard and orchard, and at present
operated very successfully under Mr. Hansen’s experienced guidance as a dairy
ranch. Mr. Hansen spent two years
farming in Nevada near Reno, just after he moved from Santa Rosa, so that he
came from Nevada to San Joaquin County.
While living at Reno, he served as a school trustee and belonged to the
I. O. O. F. He is a Republican.
Transcribed by V. Gerald Iaquinta.
Source: Tinkham, George
H., History of San Joaquin County, California , Page
1531. Los Angeles, Calif.: Historic
Record Co., 1923.
© 2012 V. Gerald Iaquinta.
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