RICKMER N. FREDERICKS
History of Arizona, 1896

The career of Mr. Fredericks has been a checkered, 
interesting and romantic one, but through it all he has 
displayed keen intelligence and energy and retained an 
untarnished reputation.  He was born in Heligoland, which 
then belonged to great Britain, March 13, 1855, son of C.J. 
and Therese Fredericks, who were born and spent their lives 
in that country.  The father was a fisherman. Rickmer N. 
Fredericks was an attendant of the public schools until he 
attained the age of fourteen years and completed a high 
school course. After graduating he went to Hamburg and there 
embarked on board a vessel, as a sailor, for the west coast 
of South America, to which place he made two voyages from 
Hamburg.  He landed at Iquique and was there placed in 
charge of a gang of men at work on the railroad which was 
being constructed from one saltpeter mine to another and 
was thus employed for about six months.  He then returned 
to his sea faring life and was employed by the Pacific 
Steam Navigation Company as quarter-master for several years, 
sailing from Panama as far south as Valdivia.    He then 
assisted a Harry Miegs in building the Oroya road, which 
was to connect the Amazon River with the Pacific Ocean, 
but the road was not completed and Mr. Fredericks then 
made a coasting trip to Puget Sound and back to South 
America.  He then served a short time in the American 
Navy and was then in the Peruvian Navy for six months, 
at the end of which time he went to San Francisco, where 
he embarked in the transfer business with a brother who 
had been located there for years.

He was thus employed until April 1878, when he came to 
Prescott and was engaged in hydraulic mining for a short 
time, after which he once more engaged in the transfer 
business as the head of the Prescott Transfer and Express, 
of which he was the sole owner for seven years. His brother 
from San Francisco then joined him and they enlarged their 
establishment to its present proportions and were engaged 
in handling the mails and the Wells Fargo Express.  They 
sold out their business in July 1890, and in the spring of 
1891 engaged in the brokerage business, much of his attention 
being devoted to loans, real estate and fire insurance.  He 
represents the Connecticut, the London and Globe and the 
Phoenix of London insurance companies. In 1882 he was 
elected City Assessor and Tax Collector and succeeded 
himself in this office four terms, when his private business 
interests compelled him to resign this position. In 1891 he 
was appointed by the city mayor and council to the position 
of city assessor and tax collector to succeed a dishonest 
official, and in this capacity he has since served 
faithfully and efficiently. His business, interests are 
all now in Prescott and Yavapai County and he is the owner 
of some excellent business houses and residence in the 
city which he rents and a ranch and some cattle.

Mr. Fredericks has been public spirited to a degree and 
assisted in organizing the Prescott National bank, of which 
he is one of the directors and two of the fire companies of 
Prescott.

He is a man of family and was married November 21, 1878 to 
Miss Christina Schoemer, a native of Germany, by whom he 
has three children: John C., Therese and Winnie.

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