San Diego-San Francisco County CA Archives Biographies.....Mannasse, Joseph S. 1831 - ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ca/cafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com February 21, 2006, 2:41 am Author: Theodore S. Van Dyke J. S. MANNASSE. JOSEPH S. MANNASSE is another of those sterling pioneers who has seen San Diego grow from a sleepy adobe settlement to a thriving city. He has the proud satisfaction, too, of feeling that to the enterprise of men like him the present prosperity of the young metropolis is largely due. Mr. Mannasse was born in Filehne, Prussia, August 3, 1831. His early boyhood was spent with his parents in his native town, but at the age of thirteen he began to think of supporting himself, and soon went to work to learn the trade of a furrier and cap maker. He served three years as an apprentice in Filehne. At the end of this time he began work as a journeyman at the salary of $20 a year. After serving two years he was given charge of the entire business of the establishment with twenty-five men under him, his pay being increased to $50 per annum. At the age of nineteen he left home for the United States, and landed in New York, October 15, 1850. When he stepped upon the wharf his entire capital amounted to one gold dollar. The very morning of his arrival he walked down Wall Street, and seeing the sign of a cap maker he entered the store of Eddy Brothers and asked for work. They gave him employment at once. The first year of his residence in New York he made $75. After a year or two he was promoted and was made cutter and manager. In April, 1853, he started for California, sailing on the steamer Star of the West, by the way of Nicaraugua. He was obliged to remain six weeks on the Isthmus, awaiting transportation. Finally the old steamer Pacific arrived, and he started with a large company of other passengers. Coming up the coast they entered the harbor of San Diego, coming to an anchor off La Playa. This was on Sunday, May 28, 1853. Mr. Mannasse with several others came ashore and visited the old town of San Diego. He little thought at that time it would be his future home. The same evening the steamer sailed for San Francisco. He was not as well pleased with San Francisco as he expected to be, and after remaining there a month he determined to return to San Diego. He left on the steamer Goliah, and after a four days' voyage down the coast, touching at the different ports, he arrived in San Diego the second time, June 28, 1S53. His cash resources amounted to $200, and he determined to lose no time in engaging in some business. Accordingly he purchased a dry-goods box of Hinton, Raymond & Morse, then the leading merchants of the place, paying therefor the sum of $2.00. Out of this he made a shelf and a counter, and the next day he invested the balance of his capital in dry goods, etc. The first day after beginning business, his sales amounted to $98, and they continued to steadily increase from that time. He gradually enlarged his trading facilities and soon had a commodious store. In 1855 he was robbed of $100 in cash, but burglary was not a common crime at that day. In 1856 he formed a partnership with M. Schiller. In 1868 the firm started a lumber-yard at the foot of Atlantic and E Streets, and soon did a large trade, carrying on their general merchandise business at the same time. In 1870 Tom Scott began his railroad and the demand for lumber was very brisk. They also had a large ranch at Encinitas, which was heavily stocked. In 1870 the drouth came, and in order to save their stock they drove it down into Lower California. The dry season had a most disastrous effect on everything. It was largely instrumental in causing the collapse of the railroad boom, and ruined a great many ranchers. It bore very hard on the firm of Mannasse & Schiller, but they weathered the storm, although they lost $100,000, in various amounts, all of which is standing on their books to this day. Since then Mr. Mannassc has been engaged in various kinds of business with different degrees of success. At one time he happened to be so badly off that there was only only one firm in San Diego that would give him credit for a sack of flour. Mr. Mannasse has always been one of the most liberal citizens, and there has never been a public undertaking to which he has not given his hearty indorsement. There has never been a charity proposed, or a church or a school started, that he has not contributed towards. He was one of the principal movers in establishing the Poor Farm and Hospital. He was a Supervisor for several terms, and has been elected a City Trustee two or three times. He was a member of the Board when Mr. Horton purchased his addition on which the business portion of San Diego is now located. He worked early and late to secure the building of the present railroad, and has been at different times interested in wharf and other substantial 'enterprises. He now owns a good deal of city property and country real estate. He is a part owner of the Mannasse & Schiller Addition, and in Mannasse & Schiller's subdivision. He is still interested in cattle and owns considerable live stock. His principal business now is that of a broker and collector. Mr. Mannasse was married in 1867 to Miss Hannah Schiller, a sister of his partner, M. Schiller. They have one daughter. Additional Comments: From: THE CITY AND COUNTY OF SAN DIEGO. ILLUSTRATED, AND CONTAINING BI0GRAPHICAL SKETCHES OF PROMINENT MEN AND PIONEERS. SAN DIEGO, CAL. LEBERTHON & TAYLOR 1888 File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ca/sandiego/bios/mannasse831nbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/cafiles/ File size: 5.9 Kb