Alameda County Biographies

J. A. BILZ

Transcribed by Kathy Sedler

This file is part of the California Genealogy & History Archives 
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cagha/index.htm
 

	Was born in Baden, Germany, January 7, 1837. When about twenty years of age, he 
emigrated to the United States, sailing from Havre, and arriving in New York July 3, 1857.  
After working at his trade for five years in the State of New York, and about nine months in 
Connecticut, he sailed from New York in April, 1863, via Panama, to San Francisco, landing May 
10the of the same year.  For the first three months he worked in Benicia; afterwards he moved to 
San Jose; then to Mission San Jose, and subsequently in different places until the fall of 1865, 
when he came to Pleasanton, there being but five houses in the town at that time.  Here he 
commenced working at his trade, which was steadily increased, until at the present writing he is 
the proprietor of a large wagon factory.  To Mr. Bilz is the honor of building the first wagon in 
the Livermore Valley.  He married in Centreville, March 28, 1869, Miss Catharine Ishinger, a 
native of Wurtemberg, Germany, and has three surviving children, viz.:  Helene, Selma, and Minnie; 
and one deceased named Charles.

History of Alameda County, California�, Oakland, M.W. Wood Publ., 1883, p. 849