San Diego County Biographies
 
JOSEPH WINTER

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

 
Joseph Winter, baker at San Diego, was born in Schwarzach, Buhl County, Germany, 
February 9, 1851. His parents, natives of Germany, were the parents of six 
children, all of whom are living. After a common-school education, at the age of 
sixteen years, the subject of this sketch left for the United States, going to 
the Pacific coast to investigate that land, world famed as one of the gold 
nuggets and rich placer mines. In 1867 he took the steamer at Havre for New 
York, and then a steamer for Aspinwall, on the Isthmus of Panama, and at the 
latter place took the steamer for San Francisco, where, after a delightful 
passage, he arrived in September, 1867. He went to Oroville, Butte County, and 
entered a bakery to learn the making of cakes and bread. He remained two and a 
half years, then went to San Francisco, working two and a half years in Oakes' 
bakery, leaving in April, 1878 for San Diego. He bought out an old bakery on the 
present site, No. 560 Fourth street, and at once opened a small shop known as 
the San Diego cracker bakery; but the town was small and the business went slow 
for some years; yet by careful, prudent management, his business increased with 
the growth of the town, and in 1886 it was necessary to increase the power and 
capacity of the machinery, and he then changed from light, small machinery, to 
heavy, large machinery, putting in a plant which cost him $20,000. His entire 
plant is now valued at $30,000. He is an artist in all lines of cookery and 
fancy frostings and he supplies the market with small cakes and crackers. 

In June, 1874, Mr. Winter was married to Miss Caroline Hofmann. They have five 
children, all of whom are living and at home.
 
An Illustrated History of Southern California: Embracing the Counties of San 
Diego, San Bernardino, Los Angeles and Orange, and the Peninsula of Lower 
California, from the Earliest Period of Occupancy to the Present Time.... - 
Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Company, 1890. pp 192