San
Joaquin County
Biographies
CAPTAIN FRED SALBACH
A popular and well known citizen of
Stockton, whose record of service with the fire department of that city covers
a period of twenty-five years, is Captain Fred Salbach, captain of Engine Company
No. 2. He is a native son of San Joaquin
County, born on his father’s ranch on the Upper Sacramento Road six miles from
Stockton, July 6, 1866, a son of Edward and Katherine (Wagner) Salbach, both
natives of Germany. Edward Salbach came
to California in 1849 and mined at Vallicita, where he met and married Miss
Katherine Wagner, who was also a California pioneer. Seven children were born to them: Leo resides in San Francisco; Fred is the
subject of this sketch; Edward, deceased; Carl resides in Oakland, California;
Adolf, Otto and Bertha, Mrs. Charles Holman, all reside in Stockton.
Fred Salbach began his education in
the Greenwood district school, and then took a commercial course at the
Stockton Business College. At eighteen
years of age he went to Modoc County, where he rode the range for a few years,
then returned to Stockton and engaged in farming in various parts of the county
which occupied him for about five years.
He then entered the employ of the Crown Mills in Stockton, and for five years
worked under J. M. Welch, when he was appointed patrolman in the police
department and served for three years.
On June 6, 1898, he was transferred to the fire department as driver for
Engine Company No. 2, where he has remained continuously and is now serving as
captain of this company. During the
twenty-five years of his service with the fire department he was engaged in
developing thirty acres of the old home place to a cherry orchard, which he
later sold to good advantage.
The marriage of Mr. Salbach occurred
in Stockton, May 11, 1894, which united him with Miss Cora Looper, a native of
Albany, Kentucky, and a daughter of William and Mary (Kidd) Looper. Mrs. Salbach was a babe in arms when her
parents removed to California where they developed a ten-acre vineyard on West’s
Lane north of Stockton. There were eight
children in the Looper family: Charlotte
resides in Santa Cruz; Doshia is deceased; Mecia resides in New York; Cora is Mrs. Salbach; Nellie
resides in Oakland; Myra resides in San Francisco; Hattie is also a resident of
San Francisco, and Etta, living in Stockton.
Captain and Mrs. Salbach are the parents of one child, Audrey, who is
the wife of Ray Esplin, of Stockton. Captain Salbach erected a modern flat
building on Willow Street, Stockton, which was the first building in Stockton
to be constructed with radio poles as a built-in feature; this he sold in
1923. In politics he is a Republican and
fraternally is a member of the Eagles; B. P. O. Elks, No. 218; Truth Lodge, No.
55, I. O. O. F.; is a Scottish Rite thirty-second
degree Mason; belongs to Sciots and Stockton Parlor, No. 7, N. S. G. W. During the World War, Captain Salbach took an
active part in all Liberty Loan drives and was a liberal contributor to all
calls.
Transcribed by Gerald Iaquinta.
Source: Tinkham, George
H., History of San Joaquin County, California , Page
1091. Los Angeles, Calif.: Historic
Record Co., 1923.
© 2011 Gerald Iaquinta.
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