Contra Costa County CA Archives Biographies.....Fernandez, Bernardo 1830 - 
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Author: W. A. Slocum & Co., Publishers (1882)

BERNARDO FERNANDEZ.—This well-known and highly-esteemed citizen of Pinole,
Contra Costa county, is a native of Portugal, born November 15, 1830. At the age
of thirteen he shipped on board a vessel bound for Brazil, and afterwards
followed a sea-faring life—first, before the mast, then as mate, and later as
master. In the latter capacity he sailed to all the more important ports of the
world. The Summer of 1850 found Mr. Fernandez in New York, where he followed
coasting until 1853. In the early part of the above year he started via Cape
Horn, in the clipper ship Staghound, for California, arriving in San Francisco
in August of the same year. Being struck by the beauties, as well as the natural
advantages of the Golden State, Mr. Fernandez concluded to make this coast his
future home, and, after a short time spent in Monterey and Santa Cruz in seeking
a desirable location, he returned to San Francisco, and in August made his
advent into Contra Costa county, first locating at Pinole, where since has
proved his home, and began freighting from that point to San Francisco. This he
continued until 1857, when he purchased from the Government a tract of land
consisting of forty-three acres, on which now stands his present store and
warehouses. Also in the above year he erected his present store-room and one
warehouse, but in 1862 sustained the loss of the latter by a flood, the entire
building being swept away. Nothing daunted, however, and with that push and
vigor which he is well known to possess, he began the erection of two large
warehouses to accommodate his increasing business. In 1876, these were found
inadequate to the demand, and two more were built; later, another was added to
his already large facilities for storing and shipping grain. Mr. Fernandez'
prosperity may be judged by his possessions. Arriving in Contra Costa county
with but little of this world's goods, but with energy and strict business
principles, he established a reputation on which he was enabled to successfully
carry on a large trade. He has since added to his original landed possessions of
forty-three acres, until now he is possessed of something over three thousand
acres of Contra Costa's fertile soil. Mr. Fernandez is well and favorably known
throughout the county, and especially held in high regard and estimation by
those with whom his business relations bring him in contact. The subject of our
memoir was united in marriage, in Pinole, December 5, 1859, with Miss Charlotte
Cuadra, a native of Chili. By this union they have six children: Maria A., born
April 10, 1864; Anna, born January 26, 1866; Bernardo, born November 15, 1867;
Margaret E., born September 11, 1870; Manuel, born July 13, 1876; and an infant,
born September 12, 1881.

Additional Comments:
Extracted from:

HISTORY OF CONTRA COSTA COUNTY,
CALIFORNIA,
INCLUDING ITS GEOGRAPHY, GEOLOGY, TOPOGRAPHY, CLIMATOGRAPHY AND DESCRIPTION;
TOGETHER WITH A RECORD OF THE MEXICAN GRANTS; THE BEAR FLAG WAR; THE MOUNT
DIABLO COAL FIELDS; THE EARLY HISTORY AND SETTLEMENT, COMPILED FROM THE MOST
AUTHENTIC SOURCES; THE NAMES OF ORIGINAL SPANISH AND MEXICAN PIONEERS; FULL
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY OF THE COUNTY; SEPARATE HISTORY OF EACH TOWNSHIP, SHOWING
THE ADVANCE IN POPULATION AND AGRICULTURE;
ALSO,
Incidents of Pioneer Life; and Biographical Sketches
OF EARLY AND PROMINENT SETTLERS AND REPRESENTATIVE MEN;
AMD OF ITS TOWNS, VILLAGES, CHURCHES, SECRET SOCIETIES, ETC.
ILLUSTRATED.
SAN FRANCISCO: W. A. SLOCUM & CO., PUBLISHERS
1882.

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