San
Joaquin County
Biographies
WILLIAM J. ZIEGLER
On May 15, 1853, William J. Ziegler,
the subject of this sketch, was born in Wudenberg,
Germany. About two years later, the news
of California’s far-famed gold discovery having reached them, his parents, Mr.
and Mrs. John Jacob Ziegler, decided to seek their fortune in this great
venture of the West and with their children, started for America, coming around
the Horn in a sailing vessel as so many of the early pioneers did, landing in
San Francisco some months later. From
San Francisco, they made their way to Sonora and Jamestown and there near the
old Sullivan Creek, they established their little home. Here the father tried his luck at mining, at
first very successful, but later failing in the venture, he decided to bring
his family to Stockton, where he might return to his former business, that of a
tanner, which business he followed until his death in the winter of 1904. It was about the year 1868, when Mr. and Mrs.
Ziegler established their little family, consisting of William J. Ziegler, Mrs.
Louise Meyers, August Ziegler, Mrs. Emma Held (now deceased) and Mrs. Sophia
Chance, in the old family home, the site of which is now occupied by the Holt
Manufacturing Company.
Being anxious to follow the tanning
business, both August and William Ziegler entered the employ of the Wagner
Company that year. August Ziegler’s
health breaking down, he gave up the business, but William J. Ziegler being
interested, zealous and industrious, continued to learn the business with all
of its details. With the exception of a
few years spent in a tannery at Santa Cruz, Mr. Ziegler worked continuously for
the Wagner interests until a few months before his death. In July, 1918, when the big fire destroyed a
greater portion of the Wagner Leather Company plant, Mr. Ziegler was severely
injured in the heroic effort to prevent the firemen and other volunteers
entering a dangerous section of the burning building and in an attempt to
protect the company’s tanning liquors by the closing of certain vales. This was the inception of his frail health,
which led him to retire in March, 1920, from active duties. On March 17, 1920, his beloved wife passed
away and grief over this loss, together with complications which set in,
brought on his death, in Santa Cruz, on July 19, 1920.
On May 5, 1885, Mr. Ziegler married
Elizabeth Charters, born in Stockton, and to them were
born the following children: Fred,
Lottie, Oscar William, Mrs. Arthur C. Hannigan and Mrs. Clinton E. Spencer, all
residents of Stockton. In the earlier
days of Stockton, Mr. Ziegler was prominently identified with the Volunteer
Fire Department. For thirty-five years
he was prominent in the I. O. O. F., being a past noble grand of Stockton Lodge
No. 11, and he was a member of the old Turnverein of Stockton.
Transcribed by Gerald Iaquinta.
Source: Tinkham, George
H., History of San Joaquin County, California , Page
364. Los Angeles, Calif.: Historic
Record Co., 1923.
© 2011 Gerald Iaquinta.
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