San
Joaquin County
Biographies
JACOB WAGNER
During the year 1846, a youth of
sixteen set sail from Germany for the United States to join an older brother at
New Orleans in the hope of achieving a greater success here than his native
land offered. This was Jacob Wagner, who
was born at Eisenbach-on-the-Rhine, in Bavaria,
October 15, 1830, and whose education was received in the institutions that are
the pride of that country. The ship on
which he sailed cast anchor in New York, and lacking means to go farther he
went to work to earn money to get to New Orleans, where his brother was engaged
in the butcher business. Soon Jacob had
saved enough to get to New Orleans and upon his arrival there went to work for
his brother and there learned the trade of butcher. He was frugal in his habits, saved his money
and when the news of the discovery of gold in California was brought to New
Orleans the young man wanted to go west.
After a time, with the savings resulting from his industry and frugality
he was able to pay his transportation to California. Leaving his brother’s employ, he came via
Panama and during 1852 arrived at San Francisco. He spent about a year in that city and in
Sacramento, and in August, 1853, arrived in Stockton, where he made his home
thereafter until the time of his death, following his trade and building up a
fine business and at the same time doing his part to help build up the city of
Stockton and San Joaquin County. He was
a volunteer fireman, belonging to San Joaquin Company.
For a time, Mr. Wagner worked for a Mr. Woerner, in a market on Hunter Street and then from 1855
for six years he conducted a market at Vallecito in
Calaveras County, supplying the mining camps with fresh meat. Returning to Stockton, in the fall of 1862,
he opened a market on American Street and Weber Avenue, where he continued in
business until 1881, when he sold out and retired, meanwhile building up a fine
business and surrounding himself with a wide circle of friends. He erected the building now occupied by the Wagner
Meat Co. and took his sons into partnership.
In connection with his local business, he engaged in buying and selling
sheep, cattle and hogs, and for fifteen years or more he owned a ranch of 1400
acres on the Lower Sacramento Road, on which he pastured his stock. During the early period of his identification
with the meat business there were few improvements and the industry was
conducted under great handicaps of hardship and exposure. Later improved methods were introduced,
modern machinery was purchased, a fine plant was equipped, and the business
became much easier to manage. After
having engaged in the meat business for more than forty years, Mr. Wagner
turned his market over to his two sons, Louis J. and Jacob K., who carried on
the business together until the death of the former, when the latter became the
owner.
Jacob Wagner’s marriage was
solemnized at Stockton in 1855 and united him with Miss Lena Kuhn, who was born
in Confeld, Prussia, in 1834, and crossed the plains
with her people to California in 1852.
They became the parents of ten children, as follows: Lena, the wife of Henry Brack
of Stockton; Katherine, the widow of Herman Dortmund, of San Francisco; Annie,
wife of William J. Lester, of Stockton; Bena, wife of
T. A. Armstrong, of Stockton; Louis J., who died October 3, 1919; Fred, died
November 9, 1896; Emma, the widow of W. H. Bennett, of Stockton; Amalia, who became the wife of Clarence A. McCall, of
Washington; Jacob K., owner of the Wagner Market, and Clara, the wife of Dr.
William Ludlow, of Berkeley. In his
younger years, Mr. Wagner took considerable interest in various lodges and was
active in the Odd Fellows, the Knights of Pythias, the German Turnverein and
the Druids. His life was one of activity
and his last days were quietly passed in his home in Stockton, surrounded by
friends and loved ones. He died May 27,
1909, and Mrs. Wagner passed away July 15, 1910, mourned by a wide circle of
friends.
Transcribed by Gerald Iaquinta.
Source: Tinkham, George
H., History of San Joaquin County, California , Pages
412-415. 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