San Joaquin County
Biographies
JOHN KOHLMOOS
JOHN KOHLMOOS, proprietor of
the Independent Restaurant, Stockton, is a native of Germany, born near Verden,
Hanover, April 8, 1830, his parents being John and Matta Adeline (Clausen)
Kohlmoos, the latter a sister of the great New York brewer, H. Clausen. John
Kohlmoos, the subject of this sketch, was reared at his native place, and
between the ages of six and fourteen received his education. After that he
followed wheelwrighting two years, but
in 1849 he left his native country and emigrated to America, sailing from Bremen
to New York on the barque Caroline. He engaged as clerk with his
uncle on the corner of Broome and Forsythe streets. Six months later he was
stricken with the cholera and was soon so low with the disease that the doctor
gave up hope of saving him. He engaged another physician who pulled him through
all right. He remained in New
York city until October 5,
1852, when he started for California, taking the steamer Georgia to Aspinwall, thence by
rail to Georgia, and from there to Panama by mule-back. He resumed his sea-voyage a couple of
days later on the steamer Winfield Scott, landing at San Francisco, November 9, 1852. After about two days he proceeded
to Stockton on the steamer Golden Eagle. He had a friend in Stockton, and together they proceeded on Mexican mustangs to
Mokelumne Hill. When Mr. Kohlmoos commenced mining there he had two
twenty-dollar gold pieces, and when they were gone he quit. He had been working
on Chili Gulch, between Mokelumne Hill and San Andreas, and when he found the
work there so unprofitable, he went on foot to Mokelumne Hill. The proprietor
of a grocery store took him part of the way in a wagon. When within ten miles
of this city he stopped to see a man who had come out with him and who had a
ranch of 160 acres there. He offered Mr. Kohlmoos work at $40 per month and the
latter accepted it. He had been working there about two months when he received
a call from the grocer who had transported him from Mokelumne Hill and was
given a situation as clerk in the latter’s store at Middle Bar. He remained
there a year and then went to San Francisco, having saved up $600 in gold dust from his earnings.
He got a situation in an establishment on the corner of Sacramento and Kearny streets, but after a few months was offered a better
situation on the corner of Sansom and Pine streets. He accepted the offer and
remained at his new place about seven months. His employer then stocked a store
on the corner of Pacific and Taylor streets and put Mr. Kohlmoos in as manager
and partner. That was in 1854. About six months after starting in business, he
removed to the corner of Broadway and Dupont streets, where he carried on
business successfully until 1860. He then embarked in the commission business
at 505
Washington street, near Sansome, there being only a thin wooden partition between his
place and the Auction Lunch, kept by Flood & O’Brien, the future bonanza
kings. He did a successful business there until 1868, when he was stricken with
typhoid fever. During his illness he made up his mind that if he recovered he
would go back to Europe and see his old home once more, and informed his wife
of his intentions. He recovered after six weeks and then made ready for the
trip. April 1, 1868, Mr. Kohlmoos and wife with their three children,
accompanied by Mr. Kohlmoos’ youngest brother, left San Francisco on the
steamer Golden Age. They arrived at New York in safety,
and after a couple of weeks proceeded on their ocean voyage to Bremen, where they arrived May 14, 1868. Mr. Kohlmoos had
been gone twenty years and his meeting with the folks at home, including his
father and mother (both of whom were then living) was most affecting. Mr.
Kohlmoos has had a large oil painting made, commemorating the event, which
hangs in his residence in San Francisco. It represents him approaching the door of his old home and
birthplace, where stands his parents, relatives and friends to receive him. It
is an interesting and artistically made picture. He traveled throughout Europe
for pleasure and recreation, and his stay was prolonged to two years and a half
on account of the Franco-Prussian war. His visit home, however, was marred by
one sad event, the death of his mother, which occurred while he was there. Mr.
Kohlmoos and family left Bremen for the return trip to America in 1870, proceeding to New York, where they remained two weeks. They then came to San Francisco by rail, the great Pacific railroad having been
completed during their absence. They arrived at the metropolis of the Pacific
coast in November, 1870, and two weeks later Mr. Kohlmoos started in business
as proprietor of the old Metropolitan Restaurant, No. 156 Second street, near
Howard, in which venture he was very successful. When he sold out there, in
1879, he was worth between $50,000 and $60,000. He then went to Alameda,
bought a lot on Railroad
avenue near Second street, and built the Kohlmoos Hotel, one of the finest
houses put up in the State outside of San Francisco. He conducted the establishment at a heavy loss for
four years, and finding it would not go turned over every dollar he had in the
world to his creditors, not even keeping a homestead. He came to Stockton to take charge of the Independent Restaurant (which
had been run down) on a salary, with the privilege of buying. He concluded to
buy, finding that a first-class restaurant would pay in Stockton, and in nine
months paid the price agreed upon, $2,800, and had in the meantime put in
improvements to the amount $2,000. His great experience in this line of
business, coupled with his tact and skill, have made the Independent Restaurant
a success. It has the patronage of the best people, who had long felt the want
of such an establishment, under the personal care of such a man as Mr.
Kohlmoos, in this city.
Mr. Kohlmoos was married in San Francisco in 1856, to Miss Elizabeth Oster. They have six
children living, viz: Elizabeth, wife of Constant Meese, a member of one of the
large manufacturing firms of San Francisco, born December 4, 1859; Herman C.,
born September 2, 1863, with William Wolff & Co., San Francisco; John, born
July 26, 1872; Emma, born August 2, 1876; Oleta, born June 15, 1878; and
Willer, June 13, 1882. They have lost four sons and two daughters by death.
Mr. Kohlmoos is Past Grand of Harmony
Lodge, No. 13, I. O. O. F.
Transcribed by: Jeanne Sturgis Taylor.
An Illustrated History of San Joaquin County,
California, Pages 390-391. Lewis Pub.
Co. Chicago, Illinois 1890.
© 2009 Jeanne Sturgis Taylor.
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