Sonoma General German surname survy

German Surname People: General Survey

A number of observations: there were plenty of German speaking immigrants to Northern California and specifically to Sonoma Valley. There must have been some level of chain migration from various German-speaking regions of Europe to Sonoma. These European regions would be the states that later formed the country of Germany, the German speaking areas of Switzerland, and Austria. To a lesser extent, other northern European Germanic-related peoples immigrated as well, from Sweden, Norway and Denmark.

German speaking immigrants and their descendants had a decent concentration of people on the lower east side of the Sonoma Valley. If there was an area where the chain migration focused, the east side seems to be it.

This list can serve as the basis for future research. It is likely many of the people herein knew each other, belonged to the same lodges and that further research will uncover these relations and connections. A fuller sense of the past fabric of Sonoma society can be developed, one project at a time.

From 1877 County Atlas: from ‘Germany’ unless otherwise noted

Peter and John Stofen, master mariners

Stofen homes: 725, 727, 729 Broadway

L.M. Johannsen, farmer

Lewis Adler, Prussia, merchant

M. Engler, farmer and wine

Herman Fisher, farmer, confectioner

Charles Justi, Postmaster, farmer

Jacob G. Mayer, wine grower

L.W. Mayer, wine grower

G.T. Pauli, ex county treasurer

Edward Steiger, farmer

J. Suhrbier, vintner

P.H. Vollmar, St Louis Hotel

Louis Wegener, farmer

Julius Wegener, farmer

Daniel Weingartner, farmer, vintner

Henry Winkle, vinter

Bihler: there was a ‘Bihler’s Slough’ noted on the 1877 Sonoma County Atlas maps, same as the current Tolay Creek, Bihler’s Slough ran right to the tip of Sears Point

German Speaking/ German-descended immigrants, from multiple sources:

George Wallman, Georgiana Wallman, had ranch on Broadway where Harrison Middle School is now

Julius Poppe, had ranch where Cline Vineyards is now, leader of German community

Robert A. Poppe, son of Julius, lawyer on Plaza

Catherine Poppe

Fredericka Rufus, lot #514, had that land from 1877 Von Geldern map, 1877 Atlas, 1898 Atlas,

Ernest (Ernst) Rufus, one time owner of Agua Caliente land grant, native German

Otto R. Rufus, son of Ernst and Fredericka

T. L. Schell: descendent of German-speaking immigrant

Jacob Leese, Lutheran, his parents were German immigrants to Ohio, Peter M.

Andreas Hoeppner, came to Sonoma via Sitka, Alaska

Otto Gericke

Hans Von Sydow, Bertha Von Sydow

Dr. Charles Van Geldern, Otto Van Geldern/ 1877 map maker , George Van Geldern

Henry Rubke 2/22/1843 – 12/30/1915, Mary 3/1/1859 - 11/14/1953

-in 1898 had lot just above Schellville

-Henry Rubke #2

Charles Bundschu

Jacob Gundlach

Thomas Nau d. 1885 63 years, native of Germany, “Gone but not forgotten”, “In memory of my darling husband”

Dressel, Carl, 58 years old 1910 Census, born in Texas, father born in Germany

-wife: Rose, 47

-children Julius 20, Eva 18, Otto 17, Gustave 13, Anna L. 6

-Otto Schuhmann, 52, hired man in Dressel household

-Joseph Schallbetter,38, hired man, Dressel household

-Charles Nau, 36, hired man, Dressel household (probable brother or cousin of Thomas Nau)

-Dresel Rd was where Nicholas turkey was, where all the palm trees are now, off Denmark

1910 Census:

Henry Gundlach

Philip Bill 1, immigrant

Philip Bill 2, immigrant son, married immigrant Johanna Brandt (parents born Prussia)

Philip C. Bill 3, son of 2, Alma and Florence daughters of #2

Otto Schuhmann, b. 1858, immigration year 1907

-wife: Clara Schuhmann, b. 1859, immigration year 1910

-children all German born:

Johanna E. (Schuman) Bill, b. @1891, married Philip C. Bill

Elsa Marta (Schuhmann) Vanderschoot

Gerhard Schuhmann, farmer, married Pearl whose father was born in Germany

1920 Census has Paul Frischmann, 24, as Schuhmann household member, a cousin

Albert Groskopf  9/8/1856 - 5/30/22,68 yo, b. Germany, farmer, Catholic, reside Petaluma

Charles Groskopf 1888- 1951

Gottlieb Ritz 1866 – 1952

-wife Mary 1865 - 1962

John Steiner 7/25/1862 – 3/13/1927, 63 yo, b. Swiss- German speaking, Hotel keeper

-wife Josephine 11/17/1874 – 6/12/1938

Joseph Keechler d. 1/26/1929, age 59, Swiss

-wife Nannetta d. 1/21/1934  age 58

Solomon Schocken

- born  on Dec. 25, 1842 in Rosasen, a town in Prussia-occupied Poland

-Schocken buried somewhere in SF or Peninsula

Adolph H. Trappe, immigrant, buried north of J. Poppe

Adolph Herman Trappe Jr. 1916-2002, dairy ranch Two Rock, rock quarry Forestville, born on family prune ranch Schellville, drove truck Vella Cheese, son German immigrant

G. T. Pauli

A.F. Pauli

-A.F. Pauli and Co. South Side Plaza, staples and fancy groceries, 1868 I-T ad

Johann Fisher 81 yo, Rosa Engler 16 yo: both moved by rail from another cemetery by Mrs. Pauli to Pauli plot in Mountain Cemetery, 60 pounds of ashes

Joseph S. Sutter  1883-1948, Catholic Cemetery, Bitte Fuer uns.

Fred Bosch, Schellville area I-T note

Breitenbach, Johane d. 4/18/1913, 81 years,  b. Clausthal, Germany

Louis Breitenbach 1855-1929  wife: Annie, 1869- 1929

-May 22, 1899, $66 advance by Julius Poppe against a crop of grain standing in the field

Moyer, Marguerite 1808-1911

Trueb, Henry d. 1890 83 yrs. Swiss native, Susana Trueb d. 1908, 83 yrs. Swiss native (right above Carriger)

Dorothea Clewe

- Clewe, Clewe house, Cedar Mansion, relation with During?

Wolbach, David 1840-1923 Co. C Volunteer UAV

Valley Cemetery

Johanna Ahlstedt 1852-1924, cool headstone with metal inlaid letters and numbers

-she may be Scandinavian

Harley W. Gottenberg, city clerk for 24 years

August Schweickhardt 8/20/1849 – 12/27/1922, Stuttgart, Germany

Bernhard Schrempp 1886- 1949

John Nufer 1863 – 1928, Swiss-German  speaking

A.M. Brandt, lot # 555 on 1898 County Atlas map, possible father or relative of Johanna Brandt, wife of Philip Bill #2

N. Barhnardt lot # 525 1898 Atlas map

C.W. Lubeck

Gustave Dollar, German immigrant,1940 Census, 82 year old household member of Georgiana Matsuyama

Ludwig Johannsen, had ranch near where Nicholas Turkey was on Denmark, east of GunBun

Jacobine Johannsen d. 5/18/1880, age 53 years, native Apenrade, Schleswig

-“Gone dear Mother but not forgotten”, mason symbols on tombstone

Otto Schulze 1881 –1957, butcher, farmer, who at one time had address at Schuhmann Hotel

F. W. Dobbel, large scale poultry farmer

Adam Adler, Lewis Adler

J.F. Mayer

Jacob G. Meyer, lots #588 and #537, not date but early on

Walter Reichmuth –owners Vineburg Inn, polka dance

George Fermenach

Wedekind, Wedekind Rd.

Specht, Specht Rd.

Klapperich, Klapperich Rd.

Zimmerman, Zimmerman Rd

Jessen, Jessen Rd.

Schainsky, a lot of German Jews were in the poultry and egg business (Dobbel?)

1898 map

east side of valley and south to Vineberg and Schellville: German surname landholders:

-Moses Heller (Buena Vista tract) Helene Dresel, Jacob Gundlach, Henry Winkle, Dresel and Co., Ludwig Johannsen, J. Duhig, Henry Rubke (just above Schellville), heirs of T. L. Schell

-Lots: 529/ Engler, 536/ Clewe (N. of Denmark, E. of 8^th E. big parcel), 537/ Mayer. 565/ Leudeman, 555/ A.M. Brandt (possible daughter married Philip Bill #2)

-lot 11 / Ludwig Johannsen

-it certainly seems as of this date that German landholders are concentrated on the east side

1877 map

-C.F. Leiding has lot 523 just south of 513

-536/ F. Duhring, 514/ F. Rufus. 537/ Mayer

-Buena Vista tract area L. Tichner

-Jacob Gundlach

Nauman

John Gudeman

Schick

August Kohle

Cristophe Weise

T.L. Glaisher

H.C. Lutgens

Joseph Neuman

Edward Steiger

Peter and John Stofen, Stoffen

Herman Fisher

Charles Justi

J. Surhbier, Suhr

Henry Winkle

Bihler

P.H. Vollmar

The following in Calibri font, is all from the Robert A. Poppe, A Retrospect, Bob Parmelee archives

Valentine Siegal, butcher, “perished in the tules near McGill Station from exposure, caused by some mental aberration(sic).”

Jacob Jacobson, ship carpenter, ibid

Henry Weyl, Weyl’s hall on corner, remodeled into Plaza Hotel, p. 4

Mrs. Maria Goethe

Clement Staub, a pioneer tailor

Philip Mahler, a notary

“The Boggs house occupied by G.T. Pauli and family for some years. Rosa Sartori owned and conducted it as the Swiss Hotel.” p. 6

Jacob Leese, Vallejo’s brother in law

Edward Wegner

Kaspar Schuster

“Whenever there was a funeral Kaspar Schuster was requested to make the coffin…Kaspar Schuster lived on First Street East… He was a skilled cabinet maker. He made all the coffins in Sonoma for years. It was his custom when he finished a coffin for an adult person, go get into it, try it out, and satisfy himself that it was a fit.” p. 8

Lewis Adler

Philip Mahler, store proprietor

G.T. Pauli (G.I. Pauli?) store, occupied later by L.S. Simmons(drug store guy?)

G.H. Hotz, Lewis Adler had a store in Hotz’s building

Henry I. Wohlgemuth:

Company C of Steven’s regiment, claimed to be ‘man who first conceived of the division of government land into Townships, Ranges and Sections” p. 12

John J and Peter Stofen:

‘All the firewood cut for the San Francisco and other markets, was hauled to the Embarcadero, and piled along the bank of Sonoma Creek, and taken away as needed by the boats and delivered in San Francisco and other places.

‘During the time that Mr. Green was engaged in the shipping business, a rival line of boats (sloops) was established by John J. and Peter N. Stofen, doing business as the Stofen Brothers…delivering produce and freight of all kinds and occasionally carrying passengers. About the year 1874 Mr. Green and Stofen Bros. pooled their issues and buolt the steamer Sonoma, a swift, handsome and commodious boat which made daily trips to and from Sonoma to San Francisco, carryinfg freight and passengers. It continued to run until 1879, when it was put out of business by the Donahue railroad. The steamer was disposed of by the owners, and continued to run on the waters of the bay for many years afterwards.’

‘The Embarcadero of Sonoma was a lively business center until the advent of the railroad. All freight to and from San Francisco, passed this way. There were large teams hauling wood, and much of the fruit was shipped through brace wagons. In the 1850s there were a number of stores  with large stocks of goods.’

There were also other business places and shops. Jacob P. Leese laid out the town of San Luis on the east side of the main county road adjoining the former Goodman place. A number of lots in this town were sold, but never built upon or occupied. The filling up of Sonoma Creek was the cause of the decay of the Embarcadero. If the creek could have been kept open, and the boats continued to ply on the waters of Sonoma Creek, the Embarcadero of Sonoma would have continued to be a thriving business center and its prosperity would have aided the advancement of Sonoma and other towns in the valley.’ P.13