San
Joaquin County
Biographies
JOHN C. TAISEN
Prominent among the successful
businessmen of Stockton is John C. Taisen, who, with his brother, Walter H.
Taisen, conducts the Taisen Dyeing and Cleaning Works at 422 North Aurora
Street. They are the sons of John P. and
Margaret (Eisenhauer) Taisen,
the former a native of Denmark and the latter of Peoria, Illinois. Grandfather Adam Eisenhauer
crossed the plains to California in 1860, bringing his family; he was a
merchant, and was also in the express business in San Francisco, continuing in
business until his death. His daughter
Margaret even as a child displayed unusual capability, and when crossing the
plains with her parents from Peoria, Illinois, she drove a team most of the
way, doing her share bravely each day to make their journey a success. Arriving in California, they stopped a short
time in Sonoma but soon located in San Francisco where Margaret completed her
education in the public schools and there she met and married Captain John P.
Taisen, a union that proved a very happy one.
She has a remarkable memory and it is indeed interesting to hear her
relate the incidents of their trip across the plains as well as their early
experiences in California. She now makes
her home in Stockton with her children, who tenderly care for her.
Captain Taisen was a picturesque
figure in early California history, especially in and around San Francisco Bay
and the Stockton district. He sailed
around Cape Horn into San Francisco Bay from his native land in the ‘60s and
became personally acquainted with prominent California pioneers in San
Francisco who made history in the development of that city and in the building
of railroads. Captain Taisen had followed
the sea as a young man and when he arrived at San Francisco he continued in
this line. He ran a fleet of scows,
schooners and barges up the San Joaquin, Sacramento and Mokelumne rivers loaded
with freight. These barges were run up
the slough in Stockton, back of where now stands the plant of the Wagner
Leather Company. There was a drawbridge
over El Dorado Street in those days through which the barges passed to the
unloading place. He also ran sloops and
sailboats up the Mokelumne River and the station of Taisen was named for
him. Captain Taisen was widely known
among the seafaring men of the Bay cities and river districts and owned several
racing yachts which took part in regattas on San Francisco Bay. His sons have in their possession an American
flag he won with his yacht Dorenda in a race on San
Francisco Bay, July 4, 1876. He was a
member of the Master Mariner Society of San Francisco, and of the Druids, of
San Francisco, organized in 1871, and also belonged to California Lodge No. 1,
I. O. O. F., the first lodge of this order organized in the state, September 9,
1849, and helped build the Odd Fellows Building at Woodbridge.
The oldest son of the family, John
C. Taisen, was born in San Francisco January 9, 1874, and there he received a
good education in the public schools.
Entering the employ of the Thomas Dye Works and serving an
apprenticeship, he learned the trade of dyer very thoroughly so that he is
today one of the leaders in that line in the state. His brother, Walter H. Taisen, had established
a dyeing and cleaning works in Stockton and in November, 1904, he joined him
and has since had charge of the plant and its operations, while his brother
takes care of the business management.
He is a director of the California Master Dyers and Cleaners
Association, of which his brother is also a member, and they also are members
of the National Master Dyers and Cleaners Association.
Mrs. Taisen, who was Miss Alta
Little before her marriage, was born at Altaville, a daughter of Harry Little
and a granddaughter of George Klinger, a pioneer of ’49 who was one of the
early ranchers at Linden, where he was also engaged in making saddles and
harness, the first American saddles in California being made by him, his shop
at that time being in Sacramento. By a
former marriage Mr. Taisen has two daughters, Mrs. Mabel Cruze
of San Francisco and Mrs. Margaret Zumwalt, of Portland, Oregon. Mr. Taisen is a director of the Olympic baths
and fraternally is a member of the Knights of Pythias, Loyal Order of Moose,
Woodmen of the World. He is deeply interested
in civic movements and takes pride in the progress of his adopted city. He served efficiently as park commissioner,
taking a decided stand for permanent improvements.
Transcribed by Gerald Iaquinta.
Source: Tinkham, George
H., History of San Joaquin County, California , Pages
748-751. Los Angeles, Calif.: Historic
Record Co., 1923.
© 2011 Gerald Iaquinta.
Golden Nugget Library's San Joaquin County Biographies
Golden Nugget Library's San Joaquin County Genealogy
Databases