Under the eaves… Volume 2 Issue 2

 Under the eaves…Volume 2 Issue 2

 

Henry and his sisters…

As I mentioned in the beginning, Henry Miller and his three sisters were not on the best terms after their mother died in 1842 in Germany.  This is one of the circumstances that influenced Henry to leave home.  But, as all things change in family dynamics, Henry and his three sisters reconciled.

Henry’s second sister, Elizabeth Johanna Kreiser (born May 21, 1823), was the first to arrive in the United States, landing in 1854.  She married Henry Long in the late 1850’s and they had four children; Lizzie, Sarah, Nellie and Albert.  Elizabeth died in 1870 in San Francisco.  Henry and Sarah took in their four nieces and nephews and raised them at their home.

Frederike Christine Kreiser (born April 22, 1821), married Gottlieb Friedrich Pfeifer on October 12, 1854, in Brackenheim, Germany.  Gottlieb was a vintner and the grandson of a friend of her Grandparents.  After her husband’s death on January 21, 1874, Frederike decided to immigrate to the United States with her four(?) children and came to live near her brother and Sarah.

In an article in the Gilroy Advocate dated August 25, 1881, it was reported:

“Since the transfer of 2400 acres of the Carlisle Ranch to Henry Miller, a partition fence has been erected over the southern boundary and sundry improvements made about the homestead where German Bros., Carlisle, Littleton and other pioneers lived for years.  Additions have been made to the house and the back part is entirely new.  It is not a commodious family residence, bearing a clean, neat and inviting appearance.  A new fence surrounds it.  Ingram & Sons have been very busy with the paintbrush on the house and fence and done excellent work.  The ground near the house is being prepared with fertilizers for an orchard, which will be set in the spring.  Water from two perpetual springs in the hills will be conveyed in pipes to the premises.  It is now the home of Mr. Miller’s sister, a widow, and her two sons.  The lady’s name is Pfeiffer and she has but recently arrived from Germany.”

Frederike died in 1891 on April 2nd, and Henry arranged for a large burial service to be held at the Bloomfield Farm cemetery.  There is some confusion about where she died and where the funeral services were held.  One account from the Gilroy Advocate dated April 4, 1891, stated:

“Mrs. Pfeiffer, sister to Henry Miller of Bloomfield Farm, died of pneumonia on Thursday last at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Steve Sheldon.  Funeral services will be conducted today, 1p.m., by Rev D.T. McClelland at the residence of Mr. and Mrs. Sheldon beyond the Carnadero School house”.

A second article in the Gilroy Advocate dated April 11, 1891, it stated:

“The funeral of Mrs. Frederike Pfeiffer took place at Bloomfield Farm cemetery on Saturday last.  There was a large following of friends and relatives, and the grave scene was made strikingly impressive by the solemn service conducted by Rev. D.T. McClelland of the Presbyterian Church, assisted by the church choir.  Many floral mementoes were placed on the grave, one representing a pillow with the word ‘Sister’ wrought in colored flowers, the gift of her only living brother, Mr. Henry Miller.  There were other floral pieces, among them ‘Gates Ajar’, ‘The ripened wheat’, an anchor, etc.”

 It seems that Frederike died at her daughter’s home and the services actually took place at Bloomfield Farm.  The one consistent part is that Rev. D.T. McClelland of the Presbyterian Church conducted the service.

An additional report from the Gilroy Advocate read:

“Mrs. Pfeiffer was 70 years old this month and until the past two months was a vigorous woman.  Cold, la grippe, pneumonia and death, followed in succession and so passed away one of the brightest and interesting matrons of the German race in this township.  It is ten years since she came to this country from Germany, accompanied by her youngest son, who died about four years since (1886) at the Sheldon residence.  Mrs. Dalton, her daughter, made the voyage to bring her to be near her children, namely herself, Mrs. Sheldon and Albert Pfeiffer.  This was in 1881. Her husband died in 1877, and four of her children also preceded her, two in Germany, and two since her residence in the Gilroy Valley (young son and then not sure who) (I count a total of 5 children at this point.).  Many friends sympathize with Mr. Miller in the loss of his sister and also the other bereaved members of the family, who naturally feel the loss of her counsel, friendship and love.”

Henry’s youngest sister, Karoline Christina Kreiser (born March 1, 1825), married a fellow German and also immigrated to the United States, with her brother’s help.  There does not seem to be any information available as to where she settled. (I have searched Ancestry, My Heritage and Geni with no results found. If you find out anything, let me know.)

______________________________________________________________________________

Waldschmidt-Nelson, Britta. “Henry Miller: The Cattle King of California.” In Immigrant Entrepreneurship: German-American Business Biographies, 1720 to Present, vol. 2, edited by William J. Hausman. German Historical Institute.  Last modified September 05, 2013.  http://www.immigrantentrepreneurship.org/entry.php?rec=153

 

I hope you have enjoyed reading about Henry Miller and his sisters.

Taco Tuesday is May 15th, at Victoria’s in Gilroy.  Hope to see you there.

Questions and comments are always welcome. Contact me;

(Patti Perino) at 408-410-1495 or email at [email protected]

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Gilroy Historical Society Article, April 2018

The Miller Red Barn has a new roof, thanks to your support.  Thank you!

In May 2017, Jimmy Shrull Roofing, Inc. work began to replace the roof on The Barn.  There were a number of rafters and cross beams that needed to be fixed before the new roof could be put on.  Jimmy found a company that could supply him with the rough-cut redwood pieces that were needed, the same material used in the original barn.  The roof is now completed and weather tight.

The next stage in restoring the Barn is to put it on a reinforced cement footing and replace the flooring.  At the present time the barn is sitting on a mudsill and has dirt, concrete and wood flooring.  Mudsills were common in 1891 and it was efficient.  However, the squirrels and other critters have no problem digging under them and compromising the structure. In order to make the barn fully ADA compliant, keep out the critters, and stabilize the structure, a new foundation and new flooring is required.

We are anticipating that the cost, of the next phase, will be $150,000.  Towards this end, our grant writer is diligently working on sending out proposals and the board of directors is working on plans for fundraising events.  Our next event will be a dinner on September 22, 2018 at the VFW Hall in Gilroy.  Tickets are available on our website; The Miller Red Barn (https://millerredbarn.org).

On the third Tuesday of every month, join us for Lunch or Dinner (11am to 9pm) at Victoria’s Mexican Restaurant at 757 First Street, Gilroy, CA 95020, 408-848-1052.  15% of your bill will be donated to The Miller Red Barn Restoration Fund.  At dinner we usually gather tables in the middle of the dining room and all sit together, feel free to join us.  People are usually coming and go starting about 6pm. Hope to see you there!

As a final note, The Miller Red Barn Association receives no financial support from the City of Gilroy.  If you feel that this is a worthwhile project, please donate.

If you have any questions or comments, you may reach me (Patti Perino) at; [email protected].

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Under the eaves…Volume 2 Issue 1

The new roof is up, thank you for your support.

 Some of Henry’s contemporaries said…that he was very quick and agile and had remarkably expressive features. However, he was not a man who at first glance impressed many people.  Henry was relatively short and his stature was round; he had a low forehead, brown eyes and brown hair.  While he always dressed neatly, he did not care for fashion and mostly wore simple, dark clothing.

Henry’s greatest passion was his work.  His marriage and family came second.  In the same year that Miller & Lux was founded, Henry proposed to Lux’s sister-in-law, Nancy Wilmarth Sheldon.  They were married on April 14, 1858.  Tragically thirteen months later, she died during childbirth along with the son that she carried.  Miller returned to his work and the job of amassing a fortune.

One year after his first wife’s death, while on a trip to San Francisco, he asked his deceased wife’s niece to marry him.  Being an impatient sort, Henry gave her one afternoon to make her decision.  Sarah Elizabeth Wilmarth Sheldon said yes and became the second Mrs. Henry Miller the following day, June 10, 1860.  At the time of their marriage, Sarah was twenty and Henry was thirty-two.  The couple were married for 45 years until Sarah’s death on July 21, 1905.

Not a lot is known about Sarah and Henry’s personal lives.  Most of the private correspondence and private papers were lost in the 1906 fire following the San Francisco earthquake.  The remaining papers were apparently destroyed by the Miller’s daughter-in-law, Sara Onyon Miller, shortly before her death in 1925. Sara Onyon Miller was the second wife of Henry Miller, Jr.

What is known about the family is courtesy of friends and employees.  According to all accounts, Sarah was a plain, down-to-earth woman, who was devoted to her family, left all business matters to her husband, and accepted his long absences and domineering manner without complaint.

Sarah and Henry had four children.  The first died in infancy. The second was a son, Henry Jr., born in 1862, who was followed by two daughters, Nellie Sheldon, born in 1865, and Sarah Alice, born in 1871.  Sarah and the children spend most of their time in San Francisco.  A mansion was built at the corner of Harrison and Essex in 1876 and was subsequently lost in the 1906 earthquake and fire.

The Rincon Hill Estate of Henry and Sarah Miller built in 1876.  This location probably had a view of the bay when it was built.  It is now an apartment building with no view, except for the freeway and other buildings.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________Edited by Charles Sawyer, Interviews by Ralph Milliken, One Man Show Henry Miller in the San Joaquin, (Los Banos: Ralph Milliken Museum Society, 2003)

I hoped that you enjoyed reading about Henry Miller’s family, our next edition will continue this theme and will be about Henry Miller, Jr.

Volunteers are joyfully welcomed.  Questions and comments are always welcome. Contact me

(Patti Perino) at 408-410-1495 or email at [email protected]

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Fall 2017 Update

Since Winter is upon us…

I thought that this would be a good time to update you on what has been happening at The Barn and with The Miller Red Barn Association.

In May 2017, Jimmy Shrull Roofing, Inc. began work to replace the roof on The Barn.  There were a number of rafters and cross beams that needed to be fixed before the new roof could be put on.  Jimmy found a company that could supply him with the rough-cut redwood pieces that were needed, the same material used in the original roof.  Of course, like any project, the many repairs put us over budget. (A savior came to our rescue and funds came in to cover the overage.  More about that later…)  The roof is now completed and weather tight for the Winter.

Our new website, https://millerredbarn.org, was launched in June 2017.  You will find a gallery of photos pertaining to Miller & Lux, Henry Miller and his family, all of the issues of ‘Under the Eaves…’, a place to shop for Miller Red Barn art work, T-Shirts, Pins, historical Maps, and soon Commemorative Wine Glasses, you will also find a link to make a tax-deductible donation.

The first annual BBQ at The Barn was held on June 17, 2017 (the hottest day of the year to that point).  All who were able to come to The Barn were treated to the best Tri-tip and Chicken dinner that anyone can remember.  Our Chef Bruce Haller, owner of Café 152 Burger and The Bread Company in Gilroy, had a great crew that served up a very tasty dinner, (I’m told this by many people…I forgot to eat).  Prior to dinner our guests were treated to appetizers and comedy by SakaBozzo, Gene Sakahara and Sam Bozzo, who came out of retirement to support the BBQ at The Barn.  They were ably assisted by Roy Shackel, retired Gilroy Fireman.  Jon and Pat Vickroy also created appetizers for the guests and did some only to be seen at the Garlic Festival awesome flame ups!  (Look for photos soon on the website.)  Our guests were also entertained by the one and only Elvis, Gilroy’s own Donald ‘Elvis’ Prieto, who sang and gyrated for his adoring female audience.  The Bar was setup in The Barn and manned by Joe Zertuche and Mary Yates, their customers had a chance to look at The Barn from down under, (as it would seem, since the roof was not yet completed), and be served Budweiser and Stella Artois Beer or Guglielmo Wines. Guests also participate in our highly successful Local Wine Pull (for the Wine Pull, you bought a ticket and were guaranteed a bottle of wine.  The fun part was, you did not know what wine you would get.  It could be a great local wine or an outstanding $100 a bottle wine.). After dinner we held a Live Auction for a 7 day stay at the Westin Kaanapali on Maui (The winners are there now as I write this. I heard from them once at check-in and not since.  I think they are too busy having fun to call or write…), the results of the Silent Auction were announced and we called it a night.  We raised a NET of just over $10,000.00 for The Barn.  It was a great evening!  Thanks to all of the attendees and all of our helpers.

In July, The Miller Red Barn Association became a part of Amazon Smile.  If you shop on Amazon you can select a charity to receive .05% of your purchases.  It is an easy way to support The Barn and costs you nothing to do it.  So, if you or your business are Amazon shoppers, please go to; https://smile.amazon.com/ch/81-2628343 and select The Miller Red Barn Association as the non-profit you would like to support.

Also in July, (this is the savior part from above), I received an email from a member of the Native Sons of the Golden West, (NSGW).  The member had been traveling thru our area and stopped for breakfast at a local restaurant.  He picked up a copy of Morgan Hill Life and saw an article about The Barn and the upcoming BBQ at the Barn.  In his email he said that the NSGW would be open to offering us a grant, (after I picked myself up off the floor), I immediately sent the contact information to our Grant Writer, Marie Reed.  She put together a terrific presentation and we were subsequently giving a grant which covered the overages on the roof. (Life is so good.)  We received the check for $8,500 in September.

(July was a very busy month for us.)  Local retired farmer Angelo Benassi, donated a redwood barn that was the same age and material as The Miller Red Barn, to the Association.  The only stipulation was that it had to be torn down and the wood moved before the new property owners took over on August 1st.  Thanks to Kathy and Jack Chavez, Gary Walton, Steve Ashford, Jose Montes and many more volunteers we successfully meet our deadline.

In August, I was contacted by Leah Halper from Gavilan College, History Department and Service Learning facilitator.  She requested that our organization become a Service Learning Partner Agency with Gavilan College.  The Miller Red Barn Association became partners with two History classes, one related to Women’s History and one related to California History.  Students who applied would be doing research for us.  The vision of the Board of Directors for The Barn, is to create a learning center that honors all of the different people who have lived and worked in our area, and where our children could learn the important history of South County, as well as how they fit into it.  Researching the lives of these people, from the native tribes to the current farmers and ranchers, is a huge project.   As you can see, having students work on research for us is a Win for us and a Win for the Service Program.  Sarah Kelly, one of our founding Board members, headed up this project for us.  She held orientation events for students who were interested in doing the research that the Board Members requested.  Twenty-two students signed up.  When their research is complete, I will post it on our website so that you can read it.

In October, we partnered with Victoria’s Mexican Restaurant at 757 First Street in Gilroy.  Every third Tuesday of the month, for those customers who bring in or show their serve our Taco Tuesday flyer, Victoria’s will donate 15% of that customer’s bill to The Miller Red Barn Restoration fund.  Flyers are available on our Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/groups/576722359191265/).

As the year is to quickly drawing to a close, The Miller Red Barn Association is asking you to include us when you make your end of year tax deductible gifts.  You, our loyal supporters, are the main source of income to restore The Barn (we receive no funds from the City of Gilroy) and to fulfill its’ destiny to become a place that honors all of the people who have lived, and worked in the South County.  No donation is too small.  If you would like your name to appear on the Honor Roll of Donors, we hope you will become a Restoration Fund donor at one of the following levels;

(    )$1000 or more-Platinum    (    )$500-Gold    (   )$250-Silver    (    )$100-Bronze    (    )Other $________

Mail your tax-deductible donation to;

The Miller Red Barn Association

777 First Street, PMB 159

Gilroy, Ca 95020

Wishing you and yours a happy, health Holiday Season and a prosperous New Year.  Thank you for your support,

Patti Perino,

The Miller Red Barn Association, Promotions Chair

The Miller Red Barn Association is a 501(C)(3) non-profit organization EIN 81-2628343

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Under the eves…Volume 1 Issue 7 Henry Miller and Charles Lux become partners

Charles Lux had similar experiences to Millers…

They both left Germany and traveled to New York and both had worked as butchers in New York. The only difference was that Lux had arrived in California a few months earlier than Miller had. Because of the nature of the cattle business and because of the volume that the company had grown to, Miller & Lux decided that they needed to draw up an agreement. By this time, they had successfully worked together for over 15 years, but had seen what had happened to other companies when things went wrong. They wanted an agreement that would cover both of them should problems arise. On June 24, 1875 and again on May 22, 1884 they drew up an agreement that stated:

Witnessed: “Whereas, said Miller and Lux have been co-partners for many years last past, to wit: from the 6th day of October 1858 and as such co-partners have been engaged in the business of buying land and rearing, grazing, and buying and selling cattle and horses; and their co-partnership business has extended into other kinds, but generally pertained to the business above named, and they are now continuing the same and propose to go on as heretofore: and whereas their said business and property is of such character and in such condition. That whenever they may conclude to close, settle and terminate the same, several years will be necessary to do so without injury, loss, and sacrifice.
Now in view of the foregoing and in consideration of the matters and things pertaining to said business and for their mutual benefit and advantage that thereby agree to and with each other as follows:
That in the event of the death of either of the said co-partners, then the survivor shall continue to carry on the said business for joint use of himself and the estate heirs and legatee of the deceased for such period of time after the decease as he may deem necessary in order to close and settle up the business without detriment or sacrifice; provided that said time may be extended to but not beyond the period of seven years after such decease.
During the time that the surviving party shall carry on and the said business, all of the co-partnership property, real, personal and mixed, and the control, management, sale and disposition thereof shall be under the exclusive charge and dominion of the said survivor and the executers, heirs and legatees or trustees of the deceased or the trustees of any of the legatees of the deceased shall have no power or control over the same except such as may be given by the will and consent of the survivor.
The surviving partner shall have the power to hire, lease, sell and convey all of the personal property of the partnership without let or hindrance at such process and on such terms as he may see fit, and the real property of the partnership may be leased, sold and conveyed by the survivor as he may deem proper, and the executors of the deceased shall join in the conveyance.
The said surviving partner shall control and manage all said real estate during all of said seven years except such as shall be sold by him during that time. Both parties hereto agree to make proper provision in their wills to carry out this agreement.”

The above agreement proved very fortunate for Henry, and was the key to his successful business empire. As it turned out, Charles Lux died nearly thirty years before Henry Miller did. With this agreement in place, Henry was able to stave off partitioning the land for at least seven years after Lux’s death in 1887. There were many Lux heirs both in America and in Germany. Their lawyers and agents, who were anxious to represent them in any capacity, constantly harassed Henry. Miller was in lawsuits from 1887 to 1897 defending himself against the Lux heirs. If Henry declared a stock dividend from the surplus, they complained that he should have put money back into the business. If he did put money back into the business, they complained that he should declare a stock dividend. In their minds, Henry was benefiting to their great disadvantage.

On May 5, 1897 an agreement was reached and a new company was formed; Miller & Lux Divided Lands, Inc. The new company began with a capital stock of twelve million dollars and was to be operated for fifty years, with the purpose of acquiring all the property and assets of the late, firm of Miller & Lux. The Secretary of State certified the agreement. By this agreement, Henry now own fifty percent of the company’s stock and the Lux heirs held the other fifty percent. As the years went by, Henry bought out the Lux heirs and by 1916, the year of his death, he had virtually become the sole owner of Miller & Lux Divided Lands, Inc.
1Edited by Charles Sawyer, Interviews by Ralph Milliken, One Man Show Henry Miller in the San Joaquin, (Los Banos: Ralph Milliken Museum Society, 2003)

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Under the eves…Volume 1 Issue 6 Henry Miller meets Charles Lux

When we last left Henry…

He had started his wholesale (meat) business on Jackson Street between Dupont and Kearny.

A break came for Henry when he met John Center and was asked to kill some hogs. Center had purchased some hogs and some steers from the Sandwich Islands. Henry Lux was hired to kill them, but Lux could only kill 6 or 7 per day. Center wanted the hogs killed as soon as possible because he was out of feed. Center was involved in many aspects of San Francisco; he had many men working for him and had a restaurant. He hired Henry to kill the hogs and provided him with a mule to ride to the Mission area where the hogs were. In three days, Henry had killed and dressed over 100 hogs. Center was so impressed that he offered to set Henry up in a bigger shop. Henry declined because he did not know the man well and wanted to be his own boss.

For two years, Henry built up his business step by step. By 1853, he had a small slaughterhouse on the corner of Fifth and Howard streets. At that time, he decided to take on a partner Zimmerman. Henry was no longer able to do all of the work himself, so Zimmerman worked the shop and ran the business. Zimmerman lasted about a year; then Henry took on a younger man named Westir. Again, Westir lasted about a year. This seemed to be the length of time that the men needed to get their start. The next person to work with Henry was Joseph Lawler. That summer, they purchased a large lot of Spanish cattle. The cattle were pastured at Guadalupe Valley, and the cattle would be driven to San Francisco in small batches.

By carefully building his wholesale business, Henry Miller had turned the initial $150 investment into an enterprise worth several thousand dollars in two short years. During this time, he had established himself as a wholesaler and master butcher. Later in 1853, he and Lawler purchased a herd of 300 prime cattle from Livingston & Kincaid. The price was $33,000, more than any other butcher could pay. This was the first herd of prime American cattle driven into San Francisco and the beginning of crowding out the tougher meat of the Mexican cattle.

In 1857, Henry Miller purchased another herd of cattle with Charles Lux. Charles knew Miller through the unsuccessful hog butcher, his own brother Henry Lux. The herd was purchased from a man named Erskin, who had driven them from Texas. Erskin was in a hurry to return to Texas, so he turned the approximately 2,000 head loose in the Pacheco Pass area while he negotiated the sale. When Miller & Lux arrived to inspect the herd, there were only 1,500 – 1,600 head left. Miller and Lux decided to buy the herd for $67.50 per head. Each man put in half of the money and received half of the profits when the cattle were sold.

Many people think that this was the start of the famous partnership, but that is incorrect. Lux’s wife was from Rhode Island and she wanted to move back. Late in 1858, the Lux’s decided to go east. One year later in late September, Lux was back in San Francisco and got in touch with Henry. By October 5, they had agreed to purchase 2,000 head of cattle from Thomas Dias and pasture them on rented land in Milpitas. This was the business deal that founded the co-partnership of Miller & Lux.

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Under the eves..Volume 1 Issue 5 Henry Miller starts his wholesale business

Henry had just arrived in San Francisco…

It was rough and expensive. The question for Henry at this point was what to do. He had planned to go to the gold fields and make his fortune. However, he could not afford the tools for gold panning. Remember that a shovel was $15-$25, a tin pan was $20, a pair of boots was at least $40, and Henry only had $6 dollars when he arrived. Henry was not dumb. Having experienced the hardships of getting to California and, on landing seeing the price of food and land. Henry realized that if he were going to make his fortune it would not be by panning for gold.

On Henry’s first day in San Francisco, he left the ship and set out to find a job. “I asks a man where is a butcher shop,” he later stated. The man pointed to a shack on a hill near where California and Kearney Streets are today. “I finds a man sitting on a box in front of a lean- to. Flies were buzzing around him. He was reading a newspaper, which had come on the boat. He took no notice of me, so I coughed. When he looked over the top of the papers I says, “I just come on the boat; I am a butcher and wants a job.” He refused Henry, and Henry moved on. Later that day he took a job washing dishes. He had his start.

Henry did not wash dishes very long, and he soon knew the city. He met a man named Edward Barron, who had a butcher shop at the head of Dupont Street (Grant Avenue today). Henry was immediately employed butchering sheep for Barron. He again worked for small wages, as he had in New York, and, to save the price of a room, he slept behind the slaughterhouse. He did his own cooking from the scraps. On occasion, he would splurge and eat at a Chinese restaurant. There, he could get a steak, potato and a cup of coffee for a dollar.

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Under the eves…Volume 1 Issue 4 Henry Miller arrives in San Francisco

 

When we left Henry last…

he was lamenting that he had gotten the fever and missed all the money that he could have made in Panama City.

In August of 1850, ships began to arrive in Panama City. Henry, along with 1500 other passengers, boarded the steamer Republic. After 26 days, the Republic steamed into San Francisco Bay on September 24, 1850. Henry landed with his gold watch, clothes, a walking stick and $6 American dollars.

Tents covered San Francisco in 1850 when Henry landed. Fifteen years prior, there had not been a tent in sight. The three “roads” were more like rutted pathways. There was no government, no law and no order. The citizens consisted of gold miners, gamblers, harlots, politicians and other exploiters of humankind. In 1848, a census showed a population of 700. Whites numbered 350; Indians, Negroes or Sandwich Islanders made up 150, and the balance were Mexicans. The census also stated that there were 200 buildings (including tents, outhouses and sheds).

There is a famous quotation about San Francisco’s streets at that time: “This street is impassable, not even jackassable.” The streets had never been graded and were often seas of mud, one side being 10 to 15 feet higher than the other. In the winters of 1849 and 1850, many animals and people actual drowned in the mud.

There where no wooden boarding houses or hotels in San Francisco in the 1850’s. Wood was not nearby and tents were few for the influx of people. Many people lived under the open sky. If you were able to find a bunk or tent to sleep in, it could cost as high as $15 per night. Many were charged $8 per hour to sleep on a plank or table. The prices of goods and services kept even with sleeping accommodations: clothes washing was $20 per dozen pieces, apples went for $5 each and eggs went for up to $50 per dozen. Gold miners’ tools ran $15-$25 for a shovel, a gold pan ran $20, a pair of boots was no less than $40, and any kind of medicine was at the least $10 a dose while laudanum sold for $1 a drop.

On September 9, 1850, California was admitted to the Union. In October of 1850, a cholera epidemic broke out. Henry Miller had come to San Francisco in these were rough and ready times.
Henry’s story up to this point is not any different from any other immigrant that came to California’s golden shores. However, Miller was a young man who could and would take advantage of any opportunity that presented itself. What he made out of that opportunity is what made him one of the biggest cattle barons and landowners in America.

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Under the eves…Volume 1 Issue 3 1850’s Panama City

When we last left Henry…

 

In 1850, Panama City was over crowded due to the thousands who were waiting for a ship to arrive and take them to San Francisco, accommodations were poor and Yellow fever was raging.

When Henry Miller arrived, he found out that the town’s only butcher had fallen ill with the fever.  Henry was never one to miss an opportunity, with the assistance of some of his fellow passengers; he purchased the butchers tools and set up shop to provide meat to the stranded population.  Soon Henry and his partners were making money hand over fist.

In May of 1850, Henry got the fever and he lay in a private hospital until August.

By the time he had recovered enough to visit the shop, his inexperienced partners had ruined the business beyond hope of recovery.  Henry decided to sell out.  When all of the bills had been paid he had scarcely enough for his passage to San Francisco.  He later told people, “If I hadn’t got the fever when I was in Panama, I would have stayed there because the opportunities were very great to make money.”

Edited by Charles Sawyer, Interviews by Ralph Milliken, One Man Show Henry Miller in the San Joaquin, (Los Banos: Ralph Milliken Museum Society, 2003)

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Under the eves…Volume 1 Issue 2 New York to Panama

When we last left Henry…

 He was on his way from New York to San Francisco in 1850; he had to cross the Isthmus of Panama. When he got to Panama City, he was to pick up another ship, which would take him to San Francisco.  However, first he had to cross the Isthmus of Panama.  Henry and some of the men traveling with him hired a man and a pack mule to guide them and transport their possessions to Panama City.  Miller when later discussing the trip stated, “We had a long sack with clothes in it, at night the natives took their mules back home and with them took a great deal of the stuff belonging to the other men.  I took special precaution to watch the mule that carried my goods and I sat up and watched him all night.”

A railroad was built in 1855, but to late to help Henry get to his next port.

When he arrived in Panama City, there was not a ship to be found.  All of the ships had weighed anchor and sailed to California, the crews had heard of the gold strike and where anxious to make their fortunes.  “Gold Fever” had struck again.

Edited by Charles Sawyer, Interviews by Ralph Milliken, One Man Show Henry Miller in the San Joaquin, (Los Banos: Ralph Milliken Museum Society, 2003)

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