San
Joaquin County
Biographies
FELIX C. MINDACH
The city of Stockton is indeed
fortunate in the number of parks within her borders and much of the beauty of
these lovely spots scattered throughout the city is due to the superintendent of
city parks, Felix C. Mindach, for there is no one in this locality better
versed in horticulture and floriculture than he. Since coming to California he has made a
special study of all flowers, ornamental trees, shrubs and plants grown here
and he is considered an authority in this field.
Mr. Mindach was born at Forst, Brandenburg, Germany, March 29, 1862. He was educated in the schools of his home
town and at the age of ten years started to learn the science of horticulture
and floriculture, meantime continuing his attendance at the local schools until
he completed the course at the age of fourteen years. He then apprenticed at the floricultural
establishment in which he had already become greatly interested. So rapidly did he advance that after two
years’ service with the large nursery company which specialized in plants,
flowers, ornamental trees and fruit stock, he was advanced to instructor, and
in this position he instructed others in learning the rudiments of the
business, most of them very much older than himself. After four years with this company, he
traveled throughout Germany and became landscape gardener on a number of large
private estates.
In 1886 Mr. Mindach crossed the
ocean to New York; securing employment on a farm, he attended school during the
first winter in order to master the English language. Later he located in Rochester, New York, and
for a season was a landscape gardener on a large private estate there. In 1888 he arrived in California, and here he
established himself in the nursery business, conducting one at Red Bluff and
one near Corning, purchasing a small tract of land at the latter place. Selling out his nursery business he entered
the employ of the Maywood Colony at Corning and became superintendent for W. M.
Woodson, the manager of this colony.
Later Mr. Mindach came to San Joaquin County in 1902 and bought a
twenty-acre ranch at Summer Home, near Manteca; there he established a nursery
and soon after, in 1905, he moved to Stockton and bought two lots at 721 North
East Street, where he erected the residence where he has since lived.
Soon after locating in Stockton, Mr.
Mindach became engaged in lying out and improving the city parks. He first laid out Constitution Square and
completed the laying out and improvement of Weber Park, and also laid out
Washington Park and Lafayette Park, this work being done by the day. In 1910 he accepted the appointment as
superintendent of Stockton city parks, a position he has held ever since, and
since then he has laid out the following new parks: Liberty, Union and Columbus. The city of Stockton is unusually rich in
parks, the acquisition of which has covered a number of years, and under Mr.
Mindach’s expert care they are beauty spots, indeed, giving enjoyment to thousands
of residents and visitors alike and they are an index to Stockton’s progressive
and aggressive growth. In the sequence
of their establishment they are as follows:
Fremont, Independence, Eden, Weber, Lafayette, Constitution, Washington,
Liberty, Union and Columbus. Some years
ago the city acquired Victory Park, an area of twenty-seven acres that is now
being improved as fast as can be done with the means at the city’s disposal. Lately the city acquired Oak Park, of thirty
acres, also being improved. At Union
Park Mr. Mindach devotes about one-fourth of the area to a nursery for raising
ornamental trees and shrubbery for planting the new parks and needed
replacement in the old parks, which makes a considerable saving to the city.
Mr. Mindach’s marriage in San
Francisco united him with Miss Kate Rable, like
himself a native of Germany, and they have been blessed by the birth of two
children, Richard and Elsie. Mr.
Mindach’s special talents as a landscape gardener have made him a valuable
acquisition to Stockton, and the family has made many friends here.
Transcribed by Gerald Iaquinta.
Source: Tinkham, George
H., History of San Joaquin County, California , Pages
1184-1187. Los Angeles, Calif.: Historic
Record Co., 1923.
© 2011 Gerald Iaquinta.
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