California Biographies, Santa Cruz County. H. C. WEISENBURGER. Transcribed by Peggy Hooper Source: History of Santa Cruz County, California Pacific Press Publishing Company San Francisco, Cal. 1892 By E. S. Harrison This file is part of the California Genealogy & History Archives http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cagha/index.htm H. C. WEISENBURGER. Throughout the country about Watsonville the name of Weisenburger is by no means unfamiliar and carries with it the true western perseverance and determination. In the store on Main street The Weisenburger Company carry a complete and up-to-date line of house-furnishing goods, including furniture, glassware, stoves, notions, tinware and crockery, besides which they are equipped to do upholstering and repairing of furniture, cleaning and laying carpets, as well as picture framing. From this it will be seen that there is little in the way of household demands which they are un- able to supply, this one fact alone being sufficient to make their place popular, but when to this is added the pleasing personality of the manager the reason for their success is understood. A native son of the state, Mr. Weisenburger was born in Downieville, Sierra county, February 2, 1864, the sou of Conrad and Catherine (Heitz) Weisenburger, both of the latter natives of Bavaria, Germany, but early immigrants to the United States. Their first location here, in the early '40s, was in Peru, LaSalle county. Ill., whence the father came to California by wagon train in 1852 and became interested in mining in the vicinity of Downieville and Nevada City. Five years later, in 1857, he returned to his family in Illinois, and the following year went back to Downieville and again took up his mining interests. The accumulations of five years enabled him to send for his wife and children, and thereafter he continued mining for a number of years, although during the latter years of his life he followed farm- mg. He passed away in Nevada City in 1902, at the age of eighty-two years, leaving behind him a record of a life well and worthily spent, in a moral as well as a material sense. The mother also died in the same city at the age of seventy two years. Eight children blessed the marriage of this worthy couple, four of whom were born before the family settled in the west. The children are as follows: C. C, a resident of Nevada City; J. J., deceased; Louisa, the wife of L. W. Nicholson, of Nevada City; one daughter who died m infancy in Illinois ; H. C, the subject of this article ; E. A., a resident of San Francisco; Mary E., the wife of D. D. Calkins, of Watsonville; and one child who died in infancy. The three children first mentioned came to California with their mother from Illinois in 1863 via Panama. H. C. Weisenburger received his education in the public schools of Nevada City, and subsequently prepared himself for a business career by learning the carpenter's trade, and later he and his elder brother followed contracting in Nevada City for a number of years. In the meantime, when he was about twenty years of age, he went to Bellingham, Wash., where for one year he was interested in the butchering business. Returning to Nevada City at the end of the time he and his brother again became associated in business, this time making a specialty of handling mining machinery and equipment. In the year 1890 they embarked in the grocery and feed- business and were on the high road to success when their entire establishment was destroyed by fire and thereafter for a time they again took up contracting. H. C. Weisenburger later bought out a planing mill which he conducted for three years, but sold it out in 1898 and the same year came to Watsonville, which has since been the scene of his activities. For a time after locating here he carried on contracting and building, the last house which he built being the residence of Dr. Watters. Later he accepted a posi- tion with the Charles Ford Company, in the furniture department, and at the end of one year, in 1901, bought the nucleus of his present flourishing business which he conducted individually for six months when it was incorporated as the Weisenburger Company, of which he has been secretary and manager ever since. A small beginning was added to from time to time, until they now have one of the leading furniture and house-furnishing enterprises in Santa Cruz county. The company has built up a large and extensive trade and occupies the entire first floor of the Weeks block on Main street, besides which they have a well-equipped shop and warehouse in the rear. Mr. Weisenburger, as secretary and manager, is conceded to be one of the most successful merchants in Watsonville, an honor which he worthily merits, for he has worked indefatigably to build up the patronage which the company enjoys today. Mr. Weisenburger 's marriage, April 6, 1889, united him with Miss Mary E. Shurtleff, at the time of her marriage a resident of Nevada City, although she is a native of Kentucky, her birth having occurred near Paris. The greater part of her life has been passed in the west, however, her parents having located in California during the early days. One child, Alice M., has been born of this marriage. No citizen of Watsonville has her welfare more keenly at heart than has Mr. Weisenburger, who for four years was a member of the city council, and previous to locating here he served as assessor of Nevada City for one term. Politically he believes in prohibition and with his voice and vote does his part to overcome the traffic in liquor. In his religious affiliations he is a member of the Christian church, and fraternally he is identified with the Masons, Odd Fellows, Woodmen of the World and Native Sons.