San Joaquin County
Biographies
ARMAND ROLLAND
ARMAND ROLLAND, one of the
pioneers, is a native of Canada, born at Berthier, thirty miles from Montreal,
November 22, 1826, his parents being George Rolland de Darminault, a native of
Bordeaux, France, and Lady Genevieve Deligny, daughter of Lord Deligny, a
native of Canada. His father studied for the priesthood in his native country,
and together with other collegians was compelled to emigrate to Canada in the
revolution of 1789. He then studied law, was appointed notary public, and
subsequently became judge, and court commissioner up to his death in 1857, aged
eighty-seven years.
A. Rolland was reared and educated at his
native place and is the youngest of a family of twelve children. In 1843, when
seventeen years old, he removed to New York and entered the employ of Lord
& Taylor, with whom he remained two years. He next went to Chicago to work
for a large firm, and was with them until their failure, when he went back to
New York, and for the next three years clerked for A. T. Stewart. In January,
1848, he left New York, and going to New Orleans, transferred his service to
the large dry-goods house of Michael Kernan, on Chartres street, where he had
charge of the silk department. He got the California fever, like so many
others, and on the 18th of May, 1849, sailed on the brig Thomas P.
Hart, on the long journey to the Golden State, via Cape Horn. They lay in the
port of Rio de Janeiro twelve days for repairs, and also stopped three days at
the island of Juan Fernandez. These were the only ports they made until
reaching San Francisco, when they landed at 7 A. M., on the 10th of
December, 1849, after a fine voyage. There were, of course, inconveniences on
the voyage, and they were on an allowance of water for three or four weeks.
Sugar also ran out, and those who wanted their coffee sweetened had to use
molasses. There were fifteen passengers, Mr. Rolland and six others occupying
the first cabin. He remained in San Francisco until March, 1850, buying and
selling merchandise for Charles Bertrand, on Clay street, between Kearny and
Montgomery. During the time he was with Bertrand, however, Mr. Rolland
maintained an interest in a little store established by himself and four others
(three men and the wife of one of them), to dispose of their surplus goods.
When Mr. Rolland left San Francisco he was accompanied by his partners. They
came to Stockton, arriving March 20, 1850, and proceeded on to Angel’s Camp,
being transported there with their supplies by the noted Comstock team, the
trip requiring ten days. They attempted mining, but as two of the men were
dry-goods men, and the other two druggists, and all unused to hard manual
labor, they were unsuccessful, and so disbanded.
Mr. Rolland went to Murphy’s and started a
little store there in April, 1850. In October he sold out, as the place was
deserted, and he did not wish to follow the men from camp to camp. He then went
to Sacramento and bought out the Café de Paris, on Second
street, between I and J. He kept a table de hote, and at his place Captain
Sutter and the nabobs of the Capital were constant patrons, the charges being
$21 per week for two meals a day, and .50 cents each extra for eggs. The great
fire of 1852 cleaned out his establishment with the greater part of the town,
and he removed to Stockton and opened a musical hall on the southeast corner of
Center and Main streets. He bought out the refreshment hall of Captain Conner,
on the levees, and conducted it until the spring of 1853. He then sold out,
bought of Captain John Dent the Knight’s Ferry Hotel for $12,000, and after two
years sold out and returned to Stockton, and started in the clothing, dry-goods
and furnishing-goods business with P. McCahill. In 1862, after the big flood,
he closed out his business interests here and took a trip to Europe. He was
absent about a year and a half, and during the time visited the World’s Fair at
London, traveled through France, Italy, Algiers in Africa, Belgium, etc. He
returned to Stockton in the fall of 1863, and bought out A. Skogh, dry goods,
etc., and carried on that business until 1870. He then closed out the business,
and being offered a lucrative position in San Francisco, went down to the depot
for the purpose of taking the train for that city. While there he entered into
conversation with H. Bloss, who was then proprietor of the Railroad Restaurant,
which resulted in Mr. Rolland buying the establishment for $3,500. The price
was based upon the company retaining Stockton as the place where trains would
stop for meals, but this was, in May, 1871, discontinued. Mr. Rolland has, however,
conducted business at the depot ever since.
Mr. Rolland was married in this city,
October 10, 1866, to Miss Mary Goodsill, daughter of Richard Goodsill, and a
native of County Waterford, Ireland. They have two children, a son and a
daughter.
Mr. Rolland is a member of the San Joaquin
Society of California Pioneers, and of the Catholic Mutual Benefit Association.
He is a genial and courteous gentleman, and has many personal friends.
Transcribed by: Jeanne Sturgis Taylor.
An Illustrated History of San Joaquin County,
California, Pages 306-307. Lewis Pub.
Co. Chicago, Illinois 1890.
© 2008 Jeanne Sturgis Taylor.
Golden Nugget Library's San Joaquin County
Biographies
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