San Joaquin
County
Biographies
PETER
RONKENDORF
An experienced, successful California farmer, Peter Ronkendorf is the proprietor of some 278 acres on Roberts Island, the eldest, in fact, of Delta
pioneer farmers still living in that part of San Joaquin County. He has endured and survived four terrible floods, the first overwhelming him in 1880, the
second in 1884, the third two years later, and the last in 1893, when it was hoped the land would no more be inundated. Due to serious breaks in the levee, the entire middle division of Roberts Island was submerged, and each of the three latest floods swept away practically everything our subject had, save his home and personal effects.
Peter Ronkendorf was born in Holstein, Germany, on January 12. 1842, the son of Peter and Olga (Abel) Ronkendorf, both natives of Holstein and prominent and well-to-do agriculturalists. There were five children in the family, Joachin, Ann, Elizabeth, Maria and Peter. His country has always been famous for its schools, hence he received a good training. His common-sense schooling was such as to direct his attention to agriculture, and he early went to work on the farm, remaining at home, helping his parents until he was twenty-seven years of age. Then he decided to break away, not only from his home, but from his native land, and so sailed from Hamburg on the S. S. "Teutonia," reaching New York on October 15, 1869, after a tempestuous voyage of fifteen days. A fellow-traveler on this journey was the late Henry Lehman, who also came to California and for forty years was a neighbor in San Joaquin County. Young Ronkendorf first went to Illinois, where he remained for seven months; and when he pushed on to the greater West, he traveled over the newly-constructed Union and Central Pacific railroads, arriving in the Golden State on July 7, 1870.
While in San Francisco, he was stricken with typhoid fever, from which he did not recover for several months. Then he heard of a chance for a young man on a tract of land in the Delta of San Joaquin County, owned by Henry Frewert, who was willing to sell at reasonable terms. He reached this county in December of the following year, and here he has since lived, toiled and prospered. In 1888, he bought 125 acres from the Glascow Land Company, having previously carried on market-gardening for a few years with Henry Lehman, but that partnership was dissolved in 1878; and thereafter he added to his holdings, so that by 1893 he owned his 278 choice Delta acres. The home place was originally settled by Henry Frewert, who had lived in a cabin on the bank of the river.
From the start, Mr. Ronkendorf had a hard, uphill pull, but by perseverance [sic], he finally won out, despite the hazards of early Delta ranching. He well remembers the time when he made trips to Stockton in rowboats across the flooded wastes, embarking from his very door; but as soon as the water receded, he drove his team on the top of the levee to French Camp, paying a toll for the use of that road going into Stockton. As far back as 1879, he used the Studebaker wagons, and he still has one of the original vehicles, which has given such satisfaction through all the intervening busy years. He laid out the park about his comfortable home and planted the beautiful trees which have since grown to enormous size�among them twin fan palm trees, now over seventy feet in height, and many tall Italian cypress trees. In 1886, Mr. Ronkendorf set out a plot of ground and planted shade-trees, since called Riverside Park; and this place has long been famous as a picnic grounds. Public-spirited to a high degree, Mr. Ronkendorf, in 1893, on the completion of the highway bridge at this point, donated the land needed for the section of the county road.
In 1875, Peter Ronkendorf returned to Germany and visited his parents and old friends, and then came back in the following year. In January, 1880, he made a more extended visit to Germany, and while there he was married to Miss Catherine Schlutter, a native of Holstein, who was born on March 22, 1858, and the happy couple came to California; they were blessed with the birth of two children, Henry P. and Anna Catherine. Mrs. Ronkendorf passed away on January 12, 1902, at the home place, her death causing a void which her devoted husband feels never can be filled. His daughter has remained faithful to her father, in recent years caring for him as only a faithful daughter can. After demonstrating his peculiar ability in Delta farming for years, Mr. Ronkendorf in 1910 relinquished active control of his affairs, in favor of his son, who now operates the ranch.
Transcribed by V. Gerald Iaquinta.
Source: Tinkham,
George H., History of San Joaquin County, California , Pages 1505-1506. Los Angeles, Calif.: Historic
Record Co., 1923.
©
2012 V. Gerald
Iaquinta.
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