San
Joaquin County
Biographies
ANDREW J. MUNCH
Many years have passed since the
family to which this well-known citizen belongs became identified with the
interests of San Joaquin County. His father before him took an active part in
the development of this section of the state, in many ways promoting its
progress and advancement, and this reputation is in no way diminished in the
present generation, for Andrew J. Munch is numbered among the leading business
men of the county. He was born in
Denmark, June 20, 1866, a son of Christian and Lena Munch, both natives of
Denmark. In 1876 the family came to
America settling in Iowa where the father followed farming until 1881, when he
came west to California and located at Stockton, taking up well boring for a
livelihood. In those days, the residents
of Stockton had wells of their own supplying their homes and the father bored
hundreds of them. He was known all over
the county as a successful well borer, as well as in other parts of the state. He had a contract with the San Jose Water
Company to bore ten deep wells; these were started and bored to a depth of
1,100 feet, but the father did not live to see the contract completed, but it
was finished by his son, our subject.
The father passed away in 1897 and the mother had preceded him in
December, 1893.
Andrew J. Munch completed his
education with a course in the Stockton Business College and then became
associated with his father in the well-boring business, which has engaged his
attention ever since. He has played an
important part in developing water on ranches throughout the county as well as
in the cities and is a leader in this line of work in San Joaquin Valley. His equipment is modern and complete, having
both steam and gasoline rigs. Mr. Munch
has drilled wells on Roberts and Union islands; he drilled eighteen wells from
250 to 1,100 feet deep in Stockton for the Pacific Gas & Electric Company
and wells at Willows for this company; two wells for the Stockton Glass Works;
the Holt Manufacturing Company and the Sperry Flour Mills, and four wells for
the Stockton Paper Mills. He has drilled
wells for irrigating purposes in the orchards and vineyards in different parts
of the county, including the Lodi and Lathrop districts; a 1,600-foot well
through rock for the Napa Water Company at Napa, California, and one 2,800 feet
deep for the Stockton Natural Gas Company.
Mr. Munch’s contribution to the upbuilding of the county has been
far-reaching and productive of great results.
In partnership with Antonio Solari, Mr. Munch
subdivided eight acres in East Stockton, known as the Edenvale
Tract, which has all been sold and on which has been built modern homes.
The marriage of Mr. Munch in
Stockton October 25, 1894, united him with Miss Jessie Wilkinson, a native of
Springfield, Tuolumne County, a daughter of Hugh and Elizabeth (Williamson)
Wilkinson, both born in Ireland of Scotch parentage; they came to New York,
where they became acquainted and were married.
In 1858, they embarked for San Francisco, sailing through the Straits of
Magellan. The father became a mining man
in Tuolumne County and made mining trips through Montana and Oregon. Later he settled down to farming in Tuolumne
County, where he passed away in 1896.
Mrs. Munch attended schools in Tuolumne County, where she passed away in
1902. Mr. and Mrs. Munch had one
daughter, Grace, the wife of Charles H. Broadhurst,
who passed away in 1918, aged twenty-three years. Mr. Munch owns a half interest in the Charles
H. Broadhurst & Company of Stockton and Lodi,
dealers in automobile supplies.
Fraternally he belongs to the Iroquois Tribe of Red Men. Mr. Munch is a substantial citizen of his
adopted country and deserves and receives the respect which is ever according
to recognition of successful and honorable accomplishment.
Transcribed by Gerald Iaquinta.
Source: Tinkham, George
H., History of San Joaquin County, California , Pages
800-803. Los Angeles, Calif.: Historic
Record Co., 1923.
© 2011 Gerald Iaquinta.
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