John Balbach (February 13, 1820 - August 4, 1896) was a pioneering settler and prominent citizen of San Jose, California. As a blacksmith, he made the first commercially available metal plow on the west coast, in 1852. He was a founder of the San Jose Volunteer Fire Department. The Downtown "Balbach Street", that adjuncts Woz Way named for Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, is named in his honor.[1] Balbach has two commemorative plaques in the city, one installed by the Germania Verein (Club) on its 150th anniversary in 2006; and one by the larger German-American community, on Market South Street where his blacksmith shop was once located.[2][3]
Biography edit
Balbach was born in Mergentheim, Germany, on February 13, 1820.[4] He arrived in New York in 1848.[4] Shortly afterward he went to Harrisburg, Owen County, Kentucky, where he obtained employment in a carriage factory.[4][5] On March 28, 1849, he and nine others started from Kentucky across the plains to California, with the expectation of making their fortunes at mining.[5] They encountered many hardships on the trail and finally reached Los Angeles August 10, 1849.[6] After a stay of several months in Los Angeles, Balbach and two companions started northward, along the coast for the gold mines.[5] They reached San Jose in the early part of December and went into camp for a few days.[5] During the first night of their stay Balbach's horse was stolen and he was compelled to abandon his trip and stay here and seek employment.[5] After working a short time he opened a blacksmith shop. In the spring of 1852 Balbach manufactured the first plow made on the Pacific Coast, and the following year he made over fifty plows.[4] He established the Pioneer Carriage Manufactory, the first shop in San Jose where a carriage could be repaired or a new one built. It was on the corner of Second and Fountain Streets, and managed in part by three of his sons.[4]
Mr. Balbach, on November 15, 1854, married Wenna Benner (1826-1905), a native of Germany, with whom he had six sons and three daughters.[4] His children included John Theodore Balbach (1860-1899), George L Balbach (1865-1929) and Louis Augusta Balbach (1868-1908). His grandson Louis James Balbach (1896-1943) was an American diver who competed in the 1920 Summer Olympics.[7]
Balbach served two years on the San Jose City Council and five years as a member of the Board of School Trustees.[4]
He died on August 4, 1896, at home at 523 South Market street at 6 o'clock in the morning. He had been ill for several months with heart affection and asthma.[5]
References edit
- ^ Loomis, Patricis (1985). Signposts II. San Jose Historical Museum Association. ISBN 9780914139027.
- ^ Brand, Maria (28 May 2010). From the Land of Westphalia to the Shores of the Pacific. p. 108. ISBN 9781452013954.
- ^ "John Balbach – A German American In San Jose, California". Hamilton Historical Records. Retrieved December 2, 2020.
- ^ a b c d e f g Foote, Horace S., ed. (1888). "John Balbach". Pen Pictures from the Garden of the World, or, Santa Clara County, California. Chicago: The Lewis Pub. Co. pp. 569–570.
- ^ a b c d e f Feroben, C. (August 4, 1896). "San Jose Pioneer Dead". San Francisco Call. 80 (65). Retrieved December 2, 2020.
- ^ Chavnar, J. (December 17, 1881). "John Balbach a '49er - a Prominent Citizen of this City". The Pioneer. San Jose. Archived from the original on 2007-12-28. Retrieved December 2, 2020.
- ^ "Louis Balbach". Olympedia. Retrieved 8 August 2021.