California Biographies
Mendocino and Lake Counties, California
 
Transcribed by Peggy Hooper

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

Source:
History of Mendocino and Lake Counties, California
With Biographical Sketches
History by Aurelius O. Carpenter And Percy H. Millberry
Illustrated, Complete In One Volume
Historic Record Company, Los Angeles, California, 1914


LOUIS FINNE. � The careful, economical training of a humble home in 
Germany proved of inestimable value to Mr. Finne when, having started out 
to make his own way in the world, he crossed the ocean to America and began 
for himself among strangers, without money, and with nothing to aid him 
except an expert knowledge of carpentering. It had not been possible for 
him to secure thorough educational training, although, in common with the 
custom of the country, he had been sent to the local schools until fourteen 
years of age. Born in Bertrich, Rhenish Prussia, March 26, 1846, it was about 
1860 when he left school to take up occupative work. Besides serving an 
apprenticeship of three years to the trade of carpenter he also devoted 
considerable time to assisting his father on the home farm, and it was not until 
1870 that he had saved an amount sufficient to pay the expenses of the voyage 
to the new world. Arriving in Chicago, he found day work as a carpenter and 
three months after his arrival in the United States he took the first steps 
toward securing naturalization papers, giving notice of his desire to become 
a citizen. After a year in Chicago he moved to Wisconsin and not only fol- 
lowed the trade of carpenter as before, but in addition bought a tract of raw 
land and engaged in general farming. In Chicago he married Miss Maggie 
Kelch, a native of Coblentz, Germany, and they are the parents of six children, 
as follows : William, working with his father ; Alary, Mrs. Schranger, of 
Washington ; John, also of Washington ; Tillie, Mrs. Banneman, residing 
with her father ; Martha, Mrs. Schippes, of Lake county ; and Fred, who is at 
home. 

Upon disposing of his property in Wisconsin and removing to the west, 
in May, 1876, Mr. Finne settled in Mendocino county, where he has since 
made his home one and one-half miles north of Calpella on the Willits road. 
By pre-emption he secured a claim to one hundred and forty-seven acres of 
unimproved land. The first task, that of clearing the land, entailed much 
hard work and would have discouraged a man of less energy than Mr. Finne, 
who since the completion of that arduous labor has fenced the tract, put 
up buildings and made improvements. As early as 1879 he planted the first 
grape vines. During 1881 he set out sixteen acres and by subsequent increase 
he now has a vineyard of fifty acres. Through all the period of his residence 
on the farm he has engaged in the manufacture of wine. During the first 
year he was obliged to buy grapes for that purpose, but since then he has had 
a limit of wine production in the output of his own vines. The winery is said 
to be the oldest in the county in continuous operation and the product has 
an established reputation on the coast, so that sales are made at the highest 
market prices. The care of the farm and the supervision of the winery leave 
Mr. Finne little leisure for participation in public affairs and he takes no part 
in politics aside from voting the Republican ticket at general elections. How- 
ever, he is heartily in favor of any movement for the benefit of the com- 
munity and is truly loyal to the welfare of his adopted country.