San
Joaquin County
Biographies
LOT LACHENMAIER
Industry, thrift and frugality,
coupled with a judicious management of one’s financial affairs, are traits that
usually bring success to the man who practices them in whatever line of business
he may be engaged. To these
characteristics in the life of Lot Lachenmaier, the popular and influential
vice-president of the Farmers & Merchants Bank of Lodi is due his
substantial prosperity. He was born in
the southern part of Russia on May 3, 1863, at a country place near Odessa, on
the Black Sea, a son of Frederich and Barbara (Bauer) Lachenmaier, who were well-to-do agriculturists owning their own farm. The great-grandfather, Jacob Lachenmaier,
brought his family from Wittenberg, Germany to Odessa at the time of the
settlement of the German colony, his son Frederich, Lot’s grandfather, then being eighteen years of age, and the family thrived and
became well-to-do.
Lot Lachenmaier had read and heard
much concerning the opportunities that awaited young men in the United States,
so he immigrated to Scotland, South Dakota, where he found employment on a farm
at twenty dollars per month during the summers, while winters he worked for his
board. In 1886, deciding to take
advantage of securing a homestead, he located a claim of 160 acres in McIntosh
County, North Dakota, and also a timber claim of like amount. This was then a desolate, wild prairie
country and he was fifty-five miles from a railroad, hauling his supplies from
the nearest town with an ox-team. He was
a pioneer in that part of the country, and he had many hardships and
discouragements, but with true pioneer spirit he farmed his land to grain and
raised cattle; later he fenced his property and from time to time acquired more
land until he was among the largest and most successful grain growers and
cattle raisers in the state. He was also
district assessor of the county. He
still owns a section and a half of land in that county, which he has
leased. In 1889 he removed to the town of
Lehr, a place started when the railroad came through, and he built the first
store and conducted a general merchandise business. When the town was incorporated he was a
member of the first board of trustees and was instrumental in building up the
locality until 1910, when he arrived in Lodi.
His first constructive work was the starting of the town of Victor, four
miles east of Lodi on the Valley Springs branch of the Southern Pacific
Railroad. He bought five acres and built
the first store building and started the first store, engaging in general
merchandising; he also built two residences.
Mr. Lachenmaier’s
activities in the buying and selling of ranches have been considerable. At the present time he owns a four-acre
vineyard in the west end of Lodi which is now within the city limits, and which
he expects to subdivide into residence lots.
He started the petition for the erection of the Victor school and the
bridge across the river and it was through his influence and work that these
projects were carried to completion. He
was a member of the board of trustees of the Victor school up to 1915, when he
removed to Lodi. He was one of the
organizers and has been the vice-president of the Farmers and Merchants Bank of
Lodi since its organization in 1916 and he has won the esteem and respect of
the entire community.
The first marriage of Mr.
Lachenmaier occurred in South Dakota in 1884, uniting him with Miss Margareta Fichtner, of whom he was bereaved in February, 1914. About a year later he was married to Mrs.
Louisa Handel. She was also born near
Odessa, and both are active members of the Evangelical Church. Mr. Lachenmaier was for many years
superintendent of the Sunday school in this community as well as in South
Dakota, and he was also a trustee of the church, being treasurer of the
building committee at the erection of the new $40,000 church in Lodi. He can justly feel proud to be called a
self-made man, because of the splendid success he has made by his own unaided
efforts. In politics he is a Republican.
Transcribed by Gerald Iaquinta.
Source: Tinkham, George
H., History of San Joaquin County, California , Pages
1008-1011. Los Angeles, Calif.: Historic
Record Co., 1923.
© 2011 Gerald Iaquinta.
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