San
Joaquin County
Biographies
GEORGE STEINMETZ
At his farm home in Tulare Township,
George Steinmetz breathed his last upon the 17th day of December,
1915, after a long and useful life, being then in his eighty-second year. Mr. Steinmetz belonged to that sturdy group
of men whose force of character and strong determination enabled them to face and
survive the many hardships incident to pioneer life, and helped lay the
foundation for the present development of San Joaquin County, particularly the
vicinity of Banta, where he owned his well-improved home farm of 590 acres and
other valuable lands. A native of
Germany, Mr. Steinmetz was born August 4, 1834, of German ancestry. He was reared in the land of his nativity until
eighteen, when, in 1852 he immigrated to the United States, taking passage on a
west-bound sailing vessel at Bremerhaven, and landing at New Orleans after a
six-weeks’ voyage. After a year or two
in Howard County, Missouri, he braved the hot sandy plains and dangerous
mountain passes, arriving in the Golden State in 1854. In common with thousands of others he was
lured by gold and immediately went into the gold mines, but soon made up his
mind that his fortune lay in agricultural pursuits and therefore made his way
to San Joaquin County, during the latter part of 1854. He made no mistake in this. He went to work, and gained such success that
he never thereafter moved away. He
settled upon his farm near Banta in 1854, and made of it one of the finest
country homes in southern San Joaquin County.
He was a good business manager and an indefatigable worker, and was one
of the foremost citizens in his community.
Mr. Steinmetz was twice
married. His first wife was Miss
Christiana Boysen, a native of Schleswig,
Germany. To them were born the following
five children: Henry, who died when six
years old; Edward C., a leading citizen of Tulare Township, who has acceded to
the Steinmetz home place, where he now resides (see his biography in this
work); George A. is a stockraiser in Lone Tree Canyon, San Joaquin County;
Lewis F., who married Miss Lena Krumerland of Byron,
resides at Banta, and has three children; and Annie C., now the wife of Charles
Brandenman (a rancher near Carbona),
is the mother of two girls.
After the death of his first wife,
George Steinmetz wedded Geraldine Hahn, a native of Germany; and by her he had
two children. Sene is now the wife of
Henry Brandenman, who is an employee of the Chevrolet
automobile people, residing at San Leandro.
They have an adopted daughter, but no children of their own. August is a farmer and lives at Banta, where
he owns 170 acres, and farms 480 acres in all.
He married the daughter of Benjamin Canale,
merchant at Banta.
Mr. Steinmetz took a very active
interest in educational affairs, and was public-spirited in all matters
pertaining to the general welfare of the community in which he lived. He served many years on the board of trustees
of the Valley School District, which was his home district and which he did
much to establish and maintain. In
national politics he was a consistent Democrat.
In his dealings with his fellow-men he observed the Golden Rule. He saw the San Joaquin Valley develop from a
primitive condition to a garden spot enjoying a highly advanced civilization. When he came here, wild animals were still
numerous and roved over the desert-like country, while much of the land was
still unclaimed and uncultivated. He
manifested the keenest interest in the building of the railroads and state
highways, the growth of the cities and towns, the introduction of all
improvements, and the acquirement of the various accessories of modern life,
and rejoiced at the advancement made.
Generous and public-spirited to a fault he did his full duty in the
upbuilding of his home, county, state and nation.
Transcribed by V. Gerald Iaquinta.
Source: Tinkham, George
H., History of San Joaquin County, California , Page
1427. Los Angeles, Calif.: Historic
Record Co., 1923.
© 2012 V. Gerald Iaquinta.
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