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The Natoma Camp at Excelsior and Jackson Roads constructed for the homeless during the Depression (courtesy of June Barmby Sandbakken). Photographer Dorothea Lange and American River migrant worker camp she documented in 1938 (courtesy of NARA LC USF 34-009903-6). 05112_gsl_128pg_r8_v8.qxd:Stories of the Land 5/20/09 4:02 PM Page 97
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From the late 1800s until World War II, the Brighton Township had supplied people in many American and European cities with fruit. In its first 50 years from 1860 to 1910, the population grew fivefold to over 2,500. Then the Depression hit and the farms and ranches suffered. People poured into California hoping to find employment in fields and orchards only to discover there was little or no work. Migrant workers from the Dust Bowl states set up camp on the south side of the American River and were photographed there by Dorothea Lange. Farms and farming equipment were
repossessed. And, as was illustrated with the Johnson family’s loss of home and land at Walsh Station, Brighton experienced its share of suffering.
he area was served by the railroad and many homeless people, referred to at the Brighton suffered from a double blow in those difficult years, as did many agricultural time as “hobos”, rode the rails during the Depression, wandering and looking for communities: although Roosevelt’s New Deal had begun to take effect in some areas, work. They would jump off the rails, hoping to find something more permanent. Japanese relocation eliminated agriculture as the primary source of income for many These homeless individuals found and spread the word about houses of generous communities. It essentially closed the town of Florin down since the majority of businesses families by placing a “mark” on their doors. The mark was invisible to anyone not were Japanese-operated when relocation began. “in the know,” and it meant that the marked house was a place where someone inside would fix a sandwich, or spare a dime in exchange for splitting firewood, feeding Roosevelt’s New Deal, and then the tremendous increase in jobs associated with the war, animals, or completing some needed chore. That mark existed on more than one Brighton did not provide a huge boon to a predominantly agricultural community like Brighton, family’s door. People in the community helped where they could, hiring day workers and but they did assist in the transition from agriculture to industry. That said, many of the others, and sometimes just giving because people needed help. families interviewed for this book expressed strong feelings that relocation represented the real beginning of the end of Brighton’s identity as an agricultural community. It may be The government set up a camp for the homeless in Brighton, out near Excelsior and difficult to determine the exact moment of transformation beyond saying that World War Jackson Roads — the Natoma Residence Camp. Absolutely no sign of its existence remains II was a turning point for the nation as a whole, and Brighton was no different — it began today, yet it included barracks, a hospital, lab, carpentry shop, boiler building, recreation to play an entirely new role in the war and, subsequently, in building the country. hall, and other facilities. 05112_gsl_128pg_r8_v8.qxd:Stories of the Land 5/20/09 4:02 PM Page 98
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Mail plane arriving at Mather Field in 1925.
Mather Field, once also called Mills Field — that little landing strip carved out by William A large portion of Brighton Township began reinventing itself — from providing the Ernest Barmby and his mule team in 1917 — expanded into Mather Air Force Base with sustenance for city inhabitants to providing the substance of cities, the elementary World War II, the acreage and landing fields growing exponentially and made of specially building materials necessary for roads and buildings — sand, gravel, stone, and concrete. engineered concrete to bear the weight and speed of the new B-52s. The W.O. Davies Ranch After WWII, aggregate mining steadily evolved toward becoming the single most common that had provided a swimming hole for the Perkins and Florin community and a number use of the land on the acreage from Florin-Perkins to Mather Field and Excelsior, then of small truck farms were sold and developed into the Army Signal Depot. Both provided south to Elder Creek. Aggregate mining had begun much earlier in Sacramento, but with non-agricultural jobs for the offspring of farming families, including June Barmby the war and associated post-war boom, mining would become Brighton’s major industry. Sandbakken, the first 18-year-old civilian woman hired by Mather. Life in Brighton and the Sacramento region began changing rapidly with the advent of new jobs. 05112_gsl_128pg_r8_v8.qxd:Stories of the Land 5/20/09 4:02 PM Page 99
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The New Miners People in Sacramento have mined for sand and rock for almost as long as they have mined Thousands of cartloads of sand and gravel were dredged from the for gold. First, there were the floods and the need for levees, which required material river bottoms, dumped on the streets between bulkheads, and tamped dredged from river and shore nearby. When the levees alone did not do the trick, the early down. . . . (Holden 1987) Sacramentans raised the entire city just as the Nisenan had raised portions of it before them: And thousands of cartloads of sand and gravel were needed from the region for weirs, The battle cry resounded through Sacramento precincts: Raise the roads, levees, sidewalks, and buildings. Dredge mining along the American in the Folsom streets higher! Vowing to prove the calamity-prophets wrong, city District was a huge enterprise. County statistician W.B. Thorpe reported in 1905 that officials got off the dime and spent a barrel of dollars. In other dredges operated from Folsom to 6-1/2 miles west along the south side of the river and to words, the city in January 1863 allocated $200,000 for the astounding a distance of 1 to 1-1/2 miles from the river. engineering job — raising city streets 10 feet or more above their original levels, or two feet or more above high water marks. Moving further to the west, early aggregate operations included Arden Sand and Gravel at the end of Arden Way near Fair Oaks Boulevard, Mucke Sand and Gravel where Bradshaw The decision had by no means been unanimous, nor without vociferous Road met the American River, Del Paso Rock Products, where Teichert headquarters is opposition from many Sacramentans. . . . But the day came when the city ordered each property owner to construct a brick bulkhead along the today near Watt Avenue and American River Drive, Brighton Sand and Gravel near the street fronting his property. town of Perkins, Perkins Sand and Gravel also in Perkins, and others. 05112_gsl_128pg_r8_v8.qxd:Stories of the Land 5/20/09 4:02 PM Page 100
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The Teichert Family Business Teichert got started in the Brighton Township when the Company purchased the “Perkins Gravel Company” from Tom Perkins in 1935.
Adolph Teichert had started his construction company in 1887 in Sacramento, so by the time Teichert purchased Perkins Gravel, Adolph had been working in the business for nearly 50 years. His actual start came before his arrival to the United States and Sacramento. He was born in 1854 in Nienstedten, Germany, what Henry Teichert calls “sort of the Carmichael of Hamburg.” Adolph began working as an apprentice stonemason at age 14. When he completed his apprenticeship nearly 4 years later he was considered a master mason in Germany. At about the same time he became eligible for military duty, but at 5-feet 4-inches tall, he was too short and was “given an extra year to grow taller” according to Henry.
He took that year and left Germany, travelling to New York City. In New York he worked for a fellow named Schillinger who had a patent for the construction of concrete sidewalks, providing for proper joints to control the cracking due to contraction in the setting of the concrete. Schillinger called his product “artificial stone paving.” Over 100 years later, Henry Teichert thought that having a patent on concrete was odd, pointing out that Rome’s Pantheon was filled with concrete walkways and plazas. Be that as it may, it provided his grandfather with an early livelihood. 05112_gsl_128pg_r8_v8.qxd:Stories of the Land 5/20/09 4:02 PM Page 101
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One of Adolph Teichert’s work vehicles circa 1912 SOURCE AND SUBSTANCE OF CITIES (courtesy of Teichert).
Adolph was sent out to San Francisco in 1875 by Schillinger to the California Artificial engineering degree at the University of California, Berkeley. That was an eventful year for Stone Paving Company for the construction of new concrete sidewalks. He spent two years the son; he started his own business on the side and also married Augusta Quass, the installing the first sidewalks on the State of California Capitol grounds (Reed 1923). When granddaughter of Adolph Heilbron, another pioneer resident and businessman of the the sidewalks were removed in 1954 they were believed to be the longest installation of county, as well as an early sheriff. concrete sidewalks in America. California began growing exponentially after the start of the 20th century. With nearly 1.5 Back then, the cement for the concrete mix came in barrels from Belgium and eventually million people came the need for better transportation corridors. State highway bills were came in 100 pound sacks. Henry recalls, “I remember a fellow who worked for my passed allowing $18 million in bonds to be sold for highway construction starting in 1912. grandfather named Joseph Relly. Joe wasn’t too tall, but he could carry a 100 pound sack Adolph Teichert, Jr., clearly entered the business at an opportune time. He possessed the under each arm and 100 pound sack on his shoulders. I think that may be partly why he energy of youth and the desire to make a name in his own right so he formed a partnership didn’t get too tall. My grandfather really swore by him. He was just a wonderful worker.” separate from his father with a friend named Ambrose. Teichert and Ambrose first built a Post Office downtown at 7th and K (now gone). Then, with the new state contracts coming Henry also attributes much of his grandfather’s success to his grandmother, Carrie Knaul up, they submitted a bid to build the Sacramento Weir. Adolph Sr. was concerned that the Teichert, who met Adolph at a costume party. After their marriage, Adolph ran the field bid was too low, but Teichert and Ambrose moved forward despite the cautionary advice. operations and Carrie the business with Adolph Jr. eventually caring for the horses required to haul sand, gravel, and cement. Young Adolph continued to help during summers as he grew up, becoming a full partner in the business in 1912 after receiving an 05112_gsl_128pg_r8_v8.qxd:Stories of the Land 5/20/09 4:02 PM Page 102
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The original Teichert stamp used to imprint the sidewalks A. Teichert installed around the Capitol (courtesy of Teichert).
“I think they might have had a large loss on that job,” says Adolph’s little plant at 24th and J near the family home, to help serve the growing need for asphalt son, Henry. “Ambrose went through bankruptcy, but my grandfather paving materials. In the 1930s they took on building the Guadalupe Dam (earthfill) near wouldn’t let my dad do that because he said you’ll never be able to San Jose and the North Fork Dam (concrete) on the American River near Auburn. get a bond. So he backed him up and then in fairness to his daughters, of which he had two, Bertha and Caroline, my dad had to Teichert Construction holds State Contractor’s License No. 8, the oldest active license in pay him back. I think he finally got him paid off by about 1925 and California. This single digit contracting license remains a testament to the firm’s longevity — we built a new house out on 45th and M Streets.” current licenses are six digits and coming very near seven.
Before 1912 Teichert jobs were limited to sidewalks, carriage drives, stable and cellar Roads, dams, and buildings all needed aggregate, and as construction projects multiplied, floors, fencing, coping, and similar work. After 1912 the focus changed as the need for Adolph Jr. saw the wisdom in owning and mining their own aggregate lands. It would roads grew — street paving and road work became the firm’s primary concern. The reduce costs and ensure that supply would be present when needed. In 1935, when Teichert company paved roads from Galt to Thornton, Santa Clara to Mountain View, Fresno to purchased Perkins Gravel Company, including 107 acres of aggregate-loaded lands near the Kingsburg, Placerville’s main street, Davis to Winters, and more. In fact, they paved nearly junction of Jackson Road and Folsom Boulevard and adjacent to today’s South Watt all of the surface roads in Davis and Woodland plus the highways out to Winters and Avenue, it was the beginning of what would become one of Brighton Township’s most Vacaville. By 1915 the company had opened its first asphalt hot plant in Sacramento, a successful private companies and most important industries for decades to come. 05112_gsl_128pg_r8_v8.qxd:Stories of the Land 5/20/09 4:02 PM Page 103
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Mel Chorich, whose father opened a concrete pipe manu- current Sacramento Regional Transit Light Rail Watt/Manlove facturing business near the acreage, recalls that the Teicherts Station and neighborhood. This acreage eventually became the site purchased much of their initial property from Tom Perkins for the Teichert Shops & Warehouse after it had been mined for with Adolph Jr. organizing this new business. Teichert kept its sand and gravel resources. In July 1945, near the close of the name, Perkins Gravel Company. World War II, 44 acres of Army Signal Depot land was acquired, boosting the Perkins Gravel Co. holdings to 202 acres. Jumping From the 1930s forward, projects were being designed and to the north side of the American River, they purchased the built on scales never seen before. As early as 1936 Teichert was Del Paso Rock Company. advertising new ready-mix concrete from Perkins in local directories as the “prescription for modern efficient At that time crops still abutted the south side of the river, and the construction” at a cost no higher than mixing it yourself. Perkins Gravel Company’s gravel pit — along with Carl Selby’s ranch and stables (now Selby Ranch community) — mixing fleet of five converted trucks made deliveries throughout the Sacramento Valley. were on the north side. American River Drive did not exist but years later when Del Paso By 1937, the company was able to buy an additional 51 acres in Brighton. These were Rock aggregate was depleted, the company reclaimed the site and built the new Teichert part of those lands originally owned by Dr. W.S. Manlove, acreage that included the headquarters between the levee and American River Drive. 05112_gsl_128pg_r8_v8.qxd:Stories of the Land 5/20/09 4:02 PM Page 104
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This was a family firm that adhered to the values Adolph Teichert promoted from the outset — employees are like family. “Treat them that way and you will do well. Give back to your community. Be fair with your customers because they deserve it, and never let go of your integrity (Cuddy, Johnson and Albert 2004).”
To gain access to their lands on both sides of the American River, Teichert built the first Del Paso Rock Products provided Teichert with the aggregate resource necessary for bridge over the American at Del Paso Rock. It was a “low-water” bridge extending from bank expanding Mather Air Force Base during World War II. In fact, all of the company’s to bank beneath the current Watt Avenue Bridge, costing the company a total of $11,437. resources were tied to the war effort from 1941 through 1945. The company promoted The cost of doing business was significantly lower back then; ledger sheets from 1940 show war bonds and built landing strips, ammunition storage facilities, runways, roads, utilities, Teichert running an 11-man crew placing rip-rap (large rock) with heavy equipment at a water, and light and fuel systems. By then they employed 300 people and 75 current and California dam site and the hourly cost for the entire crew was $12.05, with the men former employees joined the military, including Henry Teichert. Secretary of the Treasury earning a little over $1 per hour on average. To put this into perspective, a loaf of bread in Henry Morganthau personally lauded the firm for its commitment to the war effort in a the same year cost a dime, bacon or butter about 35 cents, and a whole chicken about $2. 1942 telegram — through an employee payroll savings plan, war bond purchases equaled 10 percent of the company’s gross payroll. With Perkins Gravel and Del Paso Rock, that little one-man company that had first offered “artificial stone paving” to Sacramentans grew even larger. In 1945 Perkins Gravel received This was a family firm that adhered to the values Adolph Teichert promoted from the its first hot asphalt batch plant and began producing and selling asphalt. Perkins asphalt outset — employees are like family. “Treat them that way and you will do well. Give back plant was one of Teichert’s first plants outside of downtown Sacramento. The company to your community. Be fair with your customers because they deserve it, and never let go grew with the town and vice versa. of your integrity (Cuddy, Johnson and Albert 2004).” It was a code that employees took pride in following, although not necessarily an easy code to live up to as the company grew and also suffered setbacks, both personal and financial. 05112_gsl_128pg_r8_v8.qxd:Stories of the Land 5/20/09 4:02 PM Page 105
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Crawford Williamson shown when the Perkins Plant was just starting up (courtesy of Teichert). Ledger detailing costs for building the low-water bridge across the American River (courtesy of Teichert).
Del Paso Rock Products adjacent to the north side of the American River and the Watt Avenue Bridge (courtesy of Teichert). 05112_gsl_128pg_r8_v8.qxd:Stories of the Land 5/20/09 4:02 PM Page 106
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Adolph H. Teichert, son of Adolph, Jr. and brother of Henry Teichert (courtesy of Bancroft Library, Johan Hagemeyer Portrait Collection Teichert).
During and after the war, the Teichert family endured its share of losses. Frederick Teichert, Henry Teichert took what he thought was a leave of absence — I think in son of Adolph Jr. and brother to Henry and Adolph H., had just become an integral part of 1955, and he said, “I’m going to leave my investment in the firm the family business when he became ill and died at age 29. Two years later the family lost because I want to be able to have a place where I can come when we get their patriarch, Adolph Sr., who died in 1947 at the age of 93. In 1953 Adolph Jr. died at things squared away out at the Teichert Company.” And he left to take the age of 69. over the Teichert business which was amazing because he had not been trained for that. His brother was trained for that, and when Henry’s Henry never imagined he would reach the age he is today — 90 years old. Back then, as father died, the firm started to have real troubles. the family and the company faced rough times, he faced a major decision. He was not an So Henry said one day, “We can’t have a firm of this age just die. I’m going to have to try engineer. He had not followed the others into the family business. He had studied to do what I can. I’ve got to give it a try.” English, then went to law school and became an attorney. No construction background.
No business background. Milton Schwartz, the late much-respected federal judge, once And so he got immersed in it and never came back. Never would let us told the story of how Henry, who was then a partner in their McDonough, Schwartz, give him his contribution — partnership contribution — because he Allen and Teichert law firm, decided to step in to help the family company through the always said, “Someday I might want to come back.” And he’s now 83, I rough times: guess. — United States District Court for the Eastern District of California Historical Society 2002. 05112_gsl_128pg_r8_v8.qxd:Stories of the Land 5/20/09 4:02 PM Page 107
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SHORT LIST OF TEICHERT CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS THROUGH 1970s
Sacramento Junior College El Dorado Hills (residential area) Rosemont Square 5, 6, 7 Central Valley Water Project Highway 80 at Davis Rosemont South 2 Crest Theater Guy West Bridge Larchmont Butterfield Port of Sacramento Del Dayo Estates 16, 17, 18 Lincoln Village East Wing, State Capitol Larchmont Riviera East and Rosemont Woods Estates 1, 2, 6, 7, 8 California State Cordova Woods Highway Patrol Headquarters Sierra Oaks 16, 17, 18 Alta Arden Expressway Folsom Dam Valley High 14, 14a, 8, 16 Florin Road Mather Air Force Base Selby Ranch Watt Avenue McClellan Air Force Base Manlove Estates 2, 3, 4 Howe Avenue Expansion New Yolo Causeway Rosemont 2, 9 Arcade to Watt
Henry was eventually joined in the family business by his brother Adolph H., who also He saw this was really a business, not an engineering project. He had not followed the norm of going into the business from the beginning. Adolph H. was a realized there were limitations. In a family business, you have to run gifted pianist who had studied under Wanda Landowska and maintained a good friendship it as a business or it will implode. So he started bringing in with the philosopher and prolific writer Alan Watts. These brothers, with interests lying far management consultants. Lou Riggs went to Stanford and got his MBA. from the construction and engineering focus the firm’s first founders possessed, had a Riggs married Henry’s youngest sister, Nancy Teichert. humanistic influence on the company. There was always discipline and integrity around the work. My father was oriented around the concept that even before you had the plan for In a recent interview, Fred Teichert, great-grandson of Adolph Sr. and Henry’s son, was a project you had to be a good neighbor. So how do you have this asked to try to explain how the firm had managed to thrive over the past 120 years, through big invasive business, but also not be an enemy, how do you make wars, the Great Depression, and family tragedy. He focused on the changes his father began it fit into society as a whole? So he became civically engaged in introducing to the company in the 1950s: the community.
He had an expression “Our first responsibility is to operate within the law and then, if we can, make a profit.” That was his approach. 05112_gsl_128pg_r8_v8.qxd:Stories of the Land 5/20/09 4:02 PM Page 108
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Perkins Asphalt Batch Plant and A. Teichert & Son, Inc. Perkins gravel fleet (courtesy of Teichert). 05112_gsl_128pg_r8_v8.qxd:Stories of the Land 5/20/09 4:02 PM Page 109
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Fred believes that it was his father’s introduction of both a humanistic and holistic Sand and gravel, rock and concrete were available to homeowners, not just construction approach to the business that was vital in bringing it successfully through the second half companies. With the baby-boomer generation, Sacramento sprouted suburbs across the H of the 20th century. Lou Riggs graduated from Stanford and contributed his business Street Bridge in Sierra Oaks Vista, Arden Park Vista, and the Del Paso Manor areas. On skills when he entered the company and ran it for over 30 years after Henry passed the Saturday mornings, a line of family pickup trucks would wait at the plant to be filled with torch to him. Lou oversaw its growth into a business with revenues well over a half billion sand, gravel or soil. Families from the new neighborhoods purchased material to build dollars annually. He was involved with the reconstructing of the company, organizing it patios, walkways, planter areas, and gardens from Teichert. The value of these sales was into operating divisions for Aggregates, Construction, Mobile Equipment, Purchasing, miniscule in comparison to construction project sales, but one aspect of staying connected Human Resources and its land holdings. Now his son Jud Riggs is the president and CEO to the community was the willingness to serve neighborhood customers as well as large of Teichert. construction firms. The success of the company involved several components — the ability to remain Throughout Teichert history, keeping up with demand has also meant keeping up with entrepreneurial, a focus on conducting business with honesty and integrity, and an technology and training. By 1958, when Del Paso Rock Products, Perkins Gravel Company, interest in giving back to the community. Post-war, part of being entrepreneurial was and the Tracy Rock and Gravel Company all became known as Teichert Aggregates, the having the foresight to predict growth in California and, from a materials and company reorganized. Henry Teichert began to develop professional managers from within construction perspective, skill in predicting what would be required to support and the company. He began seminars, management retreats and in-house programs plus a manage that growth. management advisory committee to groom and train future managers. He started an From the initial 202 acres acquired in the 1930s, Teichert purchased 380 acres through the in-house safety program long before OSHA existed. With expansion came reorganization. 1950s and more acreage with each subsequent decade — 576 in the 1960s, 792 in the 70s, The Perkins plant was modernized, new fleets purchased, new technology studied and tested. and 851 in the 80s. Shortly after the start of the 21st century, the company’s Brighton In 1974, Teichert purchased the permitted aggregate land and remaining operations owned Township land holdings totaled nearly 3,800 acres. Conveyor belt systems were installed to by Brighton Sand and Gravel Company from Alan Olsen. carry aggregate to the Perkins Plant from almost as far as Excelsior Road, east of Walsh Station, running under county roads through tunnels specifically built for the belts. 05112_gsl_128pg_r8_v8.qxd:Stories of the Land 5/20/09 4:02 PM Page 110
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From the technology standpoint, Teichert’s pioneering development of ready-mix concrete 13 feet of snow fell on Donner Pass during 7 days in January, stranding the luxury passenger was followed by portable batch plants that could be moved to larger job sites to provide train City of San Francisco near Emigrant Gap. It took 400 men plus heavy equipment to materials on site. When concrete is mixed for jobs, invariably some material is leftover, so dig the train out, clearing track foot by foot, and pulling the train with heavy equipment to Teichert began developing patented precast products, initially using left over concrete that rescue passengers. Teichert equipment and crews were primary in the rescue efforts. came back in trucks from jobs. These precast products included concrete storm drains, sewers, manholes, and boxes for electrical, telecommunications, and gas lines. The company Three years later on Christmas Eve day, the main levee holding the Feather River broke and currently makes use of many other technological breakthroughs including computerized the valley surrounding Nicolaus, south of Yuba City, flooded. Eight thousand residents dispatching, rock crushing, delivery systems, and a state-of-the-art quality assurance lab from Linda, Olivehurst, and Nicolaus descended upon Beale Air Force Base where over for materials testing. 100,000 meals were served in ensuing days. Sixty-four people died. Marysville residents formed sandbag “bucket-brigades” to ring the little town and save their homes. Teichert By 1968 Teichert Construction and Teichert Aggregates were the two primary divisions of and a Marysville firm worked together, eventually taking about 4 months to rebuild 4,500 the business. Today, Teichert Construction remains the general contracting arm, building feet of levee. They had to bring workmen in by tugboat, equipment in by barges, and much of the new division infrastructure in Northern California cities. Construction District figure out how to place hundreds of thousands of yards of fill when no fill was readily offices are located in the Sacramento area and central valley cities of California. In available. Equipment operated “hip-deep” in water and, because lives and property were addition, divisions within Construction include Heavy & Highway Division and Angelo endangered, they worked 24 hours a day, rotating men on 10-hour shifts. Both companies Utilities. Teichert Materials includes Teichert Aggregates, Readymix, and Precast Concrete donated a portion of their time and materials to the efforts. Products Division. The Mobile Equipment Division serves the entire company, and Teichert Land Co. manages Teichert land holdings. The company also developed another major “entity” in the early 1990s, one that works toward fulfilling its founders’ desires to give back to the community — Teichert has responded to the needs of the community over the years, and was often one of the Teichert Foundation. the first to respond to emergencies and disasters. Examples include the company’s response to emergencies caused by record snows of 1952 and the Great Flood of 1955. In 1952 nearly 05112_gsl_128pg_r8_v8.qxd:Stories of the Land 5/20/09 4:02 PM Page 112
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Along with youth activities, the Foundation has made major investments in the Sutter Medical Center, Crocker Art Museum, PEACE for Families Shelter, and Hospice of San Joaquin. During the 2006–2007 grant cycle over 100 additional grants were awarded from $3,000 to $7,000 each.
As the company grew larger and more successful, local requests for assistance and funding Through the Foundation, the Teichert Branch of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater also grew in number. It is an aspect of operating a corporate business most don’t think Sacramento opened its doors in South Sacramento in 2004. Many people were involved about, the fact that people look to successful companies for financial donations and in its creation, but Fred Teichert was a key motivator with both the Foundation and support. Fred Teichert, Executive Director of the Teichert Foundation, recalls a day in the Teichert as major investors. Asked why he and the Foundation focused on youth late 1980s that could be considered the birthday of the Foundation: projects, Fred responded:
Lou Riggs was running the company in the 80s when he became a bit I was a teacher for four years before I joined the business, which frustrated. He only had so much time. He could run the business or seems to explain some interest. But the most definitive interest came he could focus on the multitudes of public requests for funding from my experience as a single parent that began when my three and charitable donations. He felt he could not do both. We didn’t have daughters were in first, second and third grades. Raising three girls a process by which people could ask us for support, nor did we have as a single parent gave me a real gut-level sense of what it takes to a budget regarding this. So Lou suggested I research it and give him parent. It’s not just difficult; it’s scary and dangerous. Even with my recommendations. I ended up recommending that we start a resources, it’s very tough. One of the resources I would have loved to foundation and I run it. have for the kids was a place like the Boys and Girls Club. A place for them to go and you’d know they’d be having a good time; and they’d We established a grant process and the company put a half million be safe and getting their homework done. I think if you have dollars in it thinking we’d build it up over time. Before that point, resources, parenting is much easier. In the course of my single days, there wasn’t really a fair, systematic process in place for grant I met an awful lot of people that I think were practically heroic in requests. Now we have the Foundation endowment built up to $11 their ability to manage children and work and some kind of life for million. themselves. Many of them had few resources, it was just remarkable. It really gives you a huge admiration for some people.
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SOURCE AND SUBSTANCE OF CITIES
Teichert crews and equipment rescuing train stranded by heavy snows near Donner Pass (courtesy of Teichert).
If you have youngsters that feel totally disenfranchised from Aggregate deposits in Brighton Township have supported Sacramento’s growth. Although the community, you’ll have health problems, work problems, school some might regret that the land must be disturbed to provide aggregate, cities cannot rise problems, and home problems. So establishing a Boys and Girls Club without concrete and asphalt. Concrete and asphalt cannot be made without gravel. One of that offers youth development programs was a response to that Sacramento’s good fortunes is the proximity of gravel-bearing lands. At a minimum, the fundamental issue. – Modcom 2008 price of rock doubles for every 10 miles it’s hauled. Having the gravel-bearing lands of Brighton Township so near enabled the growth of Sacramento — city and county — at Along with youth activities, the Foundation has made major investments in the Sutter a much lower cost. Medical Center, Crocker Art Museum, PEACE for Families Shelter, and Hospice of San Joaquin. During the 2006–2007 grant cycle over 100 additional grants were awarded from From the little company born in downtown Sacramento to the growing corporation that $3,000 to $7,000 each. “Between the Foundation and Corporate contributions, the grant evolved in Brighton Township and surroundings, it’s been a long road, paved with giving of the company now is closer to $1 million a year,” explains Fred. successes and challenges. The company is now over 3,000 people strong with offices and aggregate lands in many California cities. Many of the Brighton aggregate pits that supplied Transformation of the Land infrastructure and foundations for this city and others have been mined out. Over the In a growing world, the materials to build cities are necessary, and aggregate and aggregate years Teichert has started transforming former aggregate mining sites, exploring options products form the basic building blocks. Brighton, in the most basic sense, became our for reclaiming these sites for other uses. And so, the Brighton Township acreage that helped roads, highways, bridges, dams, and buildings. the little company to grow is now, itself, on the cusp of another transformation.