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Germans in Urban California, 1850-1860

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UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones 5-1-2012 Die Deutschen in Kalifornien: Germans in Urban California, 1850-1860 Carole Cosgrove Terry University of Nevada, Las Vegas Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalscholarship.unlv.edu/thesesdissertations Part of the Cultural History Commons, Ethnic Studies Commons, Social History Commons, and the United States History Commons Repository Citation Terry, Carole Cosgrove, "Die Deutschen in Kalifornien: Germans in Urban California, 1850-1860" (2012). UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones. 1639. http://dx.doi.org/10.34917/4332620 This Dissertation is protected by copyright and/or related rights. It has been brought to you by Digital Scholarship@UNLV with permission from the rights-holder(s). You are free to use this Dissertation in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s) directly, unless additional rights are indicated by a Creative Commons license in the record and/or on the work itself. This Dissertation has been accepted for inclusion in UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones by an authorized administrator of Digital Scholarship@UNLV. For more information, please contact [email protected]. DIE DEUTSCHEN IN KALIFORNIEN: GERMANS IN URBAN CALIFORNIA, 1850-1860 by Carole Cosgrove Terry Bachelor of Arts in Economics Stanford University 1959 Master of Arts in American Western History University of Nevada, Las Vegas 2000 A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy Degree History Department College of Liberal Arts The Graduate College University of Nevada, Las Vegas May 2012 Copyright by Carole Cosgrove Terry, 2012 All Rights Reserved THE GRADUATE COLLEGE We recommend the dissertation prepared under our supervision by Carole Cosgrove Terry entitled Die Deutschen in Kalifornien: Germans in Urban California, 1850-1860 be accepted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in History Department of History Elizabeth White Nelson, Ph.D., Committee Chair Eugene Moehring, Ph.D., Committee Member Andrew J. Bell, Ph.D., Committee Member Maria R. Casas, Ph.D., Committee Member Ralph W. Buechler, Ph.D., Graduate College Representative Ronald Smith, Ph. D., Vice President for Research and Graduate Studies and Dean of the Graduate College May 2012 ii ABSTRACT Die Deutschen in Kalifornien: Germans in Urban California, 1850-1860 by Carole Cosgrove Terry Dr. Elizabeth White Nelson, Examination Committee Chair Assistant Professor of History University of Nevada, Las Vegas German immigrants came to San Francisco, Sacramento and Marysville, urban northern California, seeking a better life than they had in the Germanic states of central Europe. Some came directly from Germany but some made an intermediate stop during their journey in Europe or the United States. In all three cities, they created an ethnic community where they practiced the social, economic and cultural traditions from their homeland, including Vereinswesen (associational life) and Gemütlichkeit (celebration of the joy of life), led by their ethnically based association, the Turnverein. They interacted with the mainstream Anglo-Americans through associations and celebratory events to create political stability and economic success, and they influenced the native-born to adopt some of the German traditions to create a Californian culture unique to the West. Rather than assimilate, they created a dual identity of German-Californian to adapt to their new home. This study rediscovers the active Germany communities in the three urban California cities neglected in earlier histories of the gold rush. iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Many have helped me achieve my goal with their guidance and time, and I thank all for their help. Dr. Elizabeth White Nelson, chair of my committee, was a caring and supportive mentor, always encouraging me to excel. The members of my committee, Dr. Andrew Bell, Dr. Maria Raquel Cases, Dr. Eugene Moehring and Dr. Ralph Beuchler, were always ready to answer questions, identify new resources and guide my research. Kathy Adkins and Lynette Webber over the years offered many suggestions to ease my academic career. Rebecca Boulton spent hours with me creating the charts and tables. The staff of the UNLV Library was tireless in finding and obtaining material on my obscure topic, particularly Christine Wiatrowski, Sydney Lowe, Frances Ohman, and the Document Delivery Department. The patience and help I received from the administrators at the various museums and libraries was invaluable, and I thank the staffs at the California State Library, California Section, the San Francisco Public Library’s California Room, the California Historical Society, the Sacramento Public Library, the Sacramento Archives and Museum Collection, the Sacramento Turnverein, and the Marysville Public Library. The interviews with Robert Dohrmann, Helen Dohrmann Van Blair, Ann Mathews Dias, Doris Linnenbach and Dr. Monica Clyde provide insights that added much to the dissertation. My fellow graduate students, Mary Wammack and Caryll Dziedziak, offered continual support and encouragement. Norman, my supportive husband, has been patient, sympathetic and encouraging, and our daughters, Emilie and Brenda, kept reminding me that I could succeed. I thank each and every one. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT ....................................................................................................................... iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................................... iv LIST OF FIGURES ........................................................................................................... vi CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION ..........................................................................................1 CHAPTER II RESOURCES AND METHODOLOGY ....................................................24 CHAPTER III A TALE OF THREE CITIES ....................................................................42 CHAPTER IV DIE EINWANDERER IN KALIFORNIEN: PATTERNS OF GERMAN IMMIGRANTION...........................................................................................75 CHAPTER V “A MOST VALUABLE AND INDUSTRIAL CLASS OF MEN: GERMAN ENTREPRENEURS AND THE COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT OF URBAN CALIFORNIA ............................................................................................113 CHAPTE R VI VEREINSWESEN AND GEMŰTLICHKEIT: CELEBRATING CIVIC LIFE AND BUILDING CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS ....................................153 CHAPTER VII CONCLUSION ......................................................................................214 APPENDICES Germans’ Occupations in Marysville ............................................................................225 Germans’ Occupations in Sacramento ...........................................................................230 Germans’ Occupations in San Francisco .......................................................................240 BIBLIOGRAPHY ............................................................................................................250 VITA ................................................................................................................................275 v LIST OF FIGURES Table 1 Germans in Urban California ...............................................................................10 Table 2 German Language Newspapers ...........................................................................33 Table 3 Germans’ Previous Residences in the United States ...........................................86 Table 4 Germans’ Previous Residences in Foreign countries ..........................................88 Table 5 Length of Residences ............................................................................................93 Table 6 Marriage Statistics ................................................................................................96 Table 7 Settlement Patterns in Marysville .......................................................................101 Table 8 Settlement Patterns in Sacramento .....................................................................104 Table 9 Settlement Patterns in San Francisco ..................................................................107 Table 10 Marysville Occupations ....................................................................................121 Table 11 Sacramento Occupations ...................................................................................125 Table 12 San Francisco Occupations ...............................................................................136 vi CHAPTER I Introduction Johann Bickel, after his long journey from Billigheim, Germany, arrived in San Francisco in 1852 and, anxious to start looking for gold, embarked on a steamer bound for Sacramento: Here I stayed in the dark hold for the simple reason that I had no money for the passage to Sacramento, which would have cost me six dollars. Neither could I ask any of the passengers for money, as they were just as poor as I. Suddenly . [Meier and his wife] both gave me one dollar each as a present which, contrary to my principles, I accepted. I went into the Captain’s room. He was a kind-hearted man. He asked me for my ticket and, when he heard that I had none and
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