The Valley of Heart's Delight
RODNEY ESCHENBURG
, Gilroy, California Pioneer
Leading Dairy Farmer of Santa Clara Valley
Surnames: RODNEY, THOMAS, SMITH, PERKINS, McCURRIE, COBB
Esteemed and beloved among the sturdy pioneers who have been
closely identified with the development of the wonderful resources of
Santa Clara County, the late Rodney Eschenburg, a citizen of eminence of
Gilroy, began his interesting association with that town in 1889, after
which he was not only an eyewitness to the growth of this section, but
did all that he could toward giving it prominence. A native of
Delaware, Rodney Eschenburg was born in Wilmington on Washington's
Birthday, 1831, one of eight children of John and Eliza (Rodney)
Eschenburg, his mother being a grandniece of Caesar A. Rodney, one of
the signers of the Declaration of Independence. Her father was
appointed U. S. Minister to the Argentine Republic, and he and his
family took up their residence at Buenos Ayres, and in that beautiful
South American city she was married, and there, too, four of her
children were born. While she was on a visit to her old home in
Wilmington, the subject of our story entered the family as the fifth child.
A native of the famous "free city" of Hamburg, John Eschenburg left
his homeland while a young man and sought his fortune in far-away South
America, and became a dealer in Peruvian bark, assembling his cargoes
and shipping the same to the European markets. There he met Miss
Rodney, whom he later married, and by whom he had eight children: Emily,
Ellen, John, Isabel, Rodney, Herman, Mariquita and Albertine. Mr.
Eschenburg lost the fortune he amassed when the South American
Revolution swept away lives and property; and in 1834 he removed to
Mexico, where he was very successful as a merchant for many years, also
serving as Prussian consul at the City of Mexico. About 1859, he came
to the United States, and for ten years he followed agricultural
pursuits in Madison County, Ill., about twenty miles from St. Louis.
In 1849, the gold fever drew three of his sons to California, while
the remainder of the family returned to the old home in Delaware; and
the next year, John Eschenburg himself hurried to the California
gold-fields by way of the Isthmus. In 1851, he returned to the East
with part of the family; and in 1856 the rest followed.
For years,
after he had taken up his residence out there, John Eschenburg worked as
a bookkeeper for Castle Bros. in San Francisco, and after his son,
Rodney, had acquired a farm near Gilroy, he removed hither, in 1857,
with his family. In 1863, Mr. Eschenburg became secretary of the San
Marcial Mining Company, and once again he removed to Mexico, where he
worked in his secretarial capacity until within three days of his death,
which occurred at San Marcial in 1865, when he had attained to the ripe
old age of eighty-four years, and until 1874 he was survived by his
widow, who died in San Francisco in her eighty-second year.
Rodney Eschenburg in 1849 set out with his brothers, Herman and
John, to try to cross the great continent to California, and with
dependable, if slow, mule-teams they accomplished the journey in 105
days. They put up the first cabin at Auburn, and then plunged into
mining. On December 16, 1850, however, Herman passed away, not far from
Nevada City, and the other two brothers were left to continue their
mining ventures, with which they had only uncertain success, so that in
1858 they left the mines. At Sacramento, Rodney got a job at
unloading
flour, for which he was paid one dollar an hour, working nearly twelve
hours a day and handling 200-pound sacks. He also worked on the
first
vessel ever sunk in California waters, the Lady Washington, later
raised
and salvaged. About 1853, he went into the Santa Clara Valley
about
five miles east of Gilroy, and there bought a farm with some of the
profits from his mining investments, thus acquiring some 343 acres,
which he so improved that in time he had one of the finest dairy farms
in that section. On giving up mining, therefore, in '58, he
naturally
turned to farming, and for three decades he continued dairying,
becoming
one of the leading dairy-farmers of Santa Clara Valley, and a rancher
whose progressive ideas influenced many in other parts of the county.
Retiring at last, he removed to Gilroy; and in June, 1921, he laid aside
the cares and responsibilities of a world which had grown decidedly
better for his having lived and toiled in it. This 343-acre ranch is
still known as the Eschenburg Dairy and is owned by the family.
Mr. Eschenburg was married in Gilroy on December 12, 1863, to Miss
Maria Louise Thomas, one of the attractive daughters of John B. and
Fanny (Smith) Thomas, who had six children, brought up in Delaware
County, N. Y. Three years prior to her wedding, Miss Thomas accompanied
her sister, Mrs. John A. Perkins, of Fresno, on the even then somewhat
difficult journey to California, coming out merely for a visit; but
having met Mr. Eschenburg, who wooed and won her, she decided to stay
and to help make the Golden State still more golden. Two children were
granted Mr. and Mrs. Eschenburg: Isabel Madeline became Mrs. Matthew
McCurrie and was made secretary of the Humane Society of San Francisco;
and they have two children, Donald Rodney and Gordon. Herman R.
Eschenburg married Miss Georgia Cobb, of Gilroy, and died, in August,
1903(ed note- died of wounds received on a hunting trip), the father of one boy, Herman Rodney Eschenburg, who graduated
from the Davis Agricultural School in 1921, and is now making his home
in Gilroy.
Rodney Eschenburg assisted as a charter member in founding
the Presbyterian Church at Gilroy in 1860, his wife also joining, and
later he became an elder in the church. He early joined the Republican
party, and throughout his life labored to effect an elevation of all
that pertained to politics.
Transcribed by Joseph Kral, from Eugene T. Sawyers' History of Santa Clara County,California, published by Historic Record Co. , 1922. page 383
GILROY
SANTA CLARA COUNTY BIOGRAPHY PROJECT
SANTA CLARA COUNTY- The Valley of Heart's Delight
July 16, 2005