Los Angeles County, CA, Biographies

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


HENRY MERZ, 
 
capitalist, No. 504 East First street, Los Angeles, was born in Germany, 
February 14, 1829. He attended school and learned the trade of tailor in his 
native country. In 1847 he, in company with his sister, emigrated to this 
country, landed in Canada, and went from there to Buffalo, New York. After 
remaining there for a time, he
went to Cincinnati, Ohio, leaving his sister in Buffalo. From Cincinnati he went 
to St. Louis, and from there to Ottawa, Illinois. From the latter place, in the 
spring of 1850, he set out for the Pacific Coast, with mule teams. The roads 
were so bad that it took them two months to reach St. Joe, Missouri. There were 
nine of them together, and, leaving St. Joe the first of May, they joined 
another company. Upon reaching Fort Kearney, they were induced to leave their 
wagons and continued their journey on foot, bringing their effects with pack 
saddles. Their company divided and they suffered severely for want of 
provisions. They reached Hangtown, Placer County, August 1, 1850, and the 
subject of this sketch at once engaged in mining. The following year he went to 
Auburn, and while assisting his friend was accidentally, and it was thought 
fatally, shot. In consequence of this he was laid up for a year and started on a 
visit to the Eastern States, with the hope of recovery. Upon reaching Sacramento 
he met an old friend and was persuaded to stay with him, which he did, until he 
was strong enough to go back to the mines. He remained there until 1866, then 
went to San Francisco, and the following year to Santa Cruz. Mr. Merz was in a 
bakery in the latter place one year, after which he returned to San Francisco 
and engaged in the grocery business with his brother four years. He then came to 
Los Angeles and associated himself in the grocery trade with his friend, Mr. 
Pelaske, now an old and honored pioneer of the Pacific Coast. They carried on 
the business for ten years, when Mr. Merz retired. In 1878 he married Miss 
Bertha Brohn, a native of Saxony, Germany.
 
An Illustrated History of Los Angeles County, California �  Chicago, The Lewis 
Publishing Company, 1889   Page 784
Transcribed by Kathy Sedler