Sonoma County CA Archives Biographies.....Starke, D. Frederick 1819 - ************************************************ 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 March 1, 2006, 5:24 pm Author: Alley, Bowen & Co. (1880) Starke, D. Frederick. A native of Germany, was born March 8, 1819. Here he received his education, and worked in various manufacturing establishments until 1845, when he emigrated to California, coming via Sandwich Islands, arriving in San Francisco August 26th, same year. Mr. Starke came from the old country in a whaling ship, and while it was anchored at Saucelito, he deserted the ship, and crossing through Marin county, he and his three comrades arrived, after three days' fasting, at General M. G. Vallejo's. The officers of the ship followed in close pursuit, and Mr. Starke and his friends were compelled to flee to the mountains. They were employed by S. and B. Kelsey, in constructing a flouring-mill, on the Sonoma creek. Here they remained about five weeks, until the ship sailed, when they returned. Mr. Starke then went into the redwoods, where he worked two months; he then proceeded to Healdsburg, and worked on Captain Fitch's ranch six months. After spending a few months on Mark West creek, and a short time at Fort Ross, he returned to Sonoma, rented three hundred acres of land and followed farming. In the Spring of 1848 he went to the mines, where he engaged in mining and merchandising for about six months; he then returned to this county, and worked on a steam saw-mill which was then being built in Bodega township, near where Freestone now stands. Here Mr. Starke speculated in lumber and lost all the money he had made in the mines. He then engaged in farming near Bodega one year, after which he settled on his present place, consisting of one hundred and sixty acres, located about three miles from Petaluma, where he has since resided. He married, June 10, 1858, Miss Mina Hastler; she was born in Germany, January 23, 1822. Mr. Starke also owns twenty-three acres in Petaluma, where he intends making a city garden. Additional Comments: Petaluma Township Extracted from: HISTORY —OF- SONOMA COUNTY, -INCLUDING ITS— Geology, Topooraphy, Mountains, Valleys and Streams; —TOGETHER WITH— A Full and Particular Record of the Spanish Grants; Its Early History and Settlement, Compiled from the Most Authentic Sources; the Names of Original Spanish and American Pioneers; a full Political History, Comprising the Tabular Statements of Elections and Office-holders since the Formation of the County; Separate Histories of each Township, Showing the Advancement of Grape and Grain Growing Interests, and Pisciculture; ALSO, INCIDENTS OF PIONEER LIFE; THE RAISING OF THE BEAR FLAG; AND BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES OF EARLY AND PROMINENT SETTLERS AND REPRESENTATIVE MEN; —AND OF ITS— Cities, Towns, Churches, Schools, Secret Societies, Etc., Etc. ILLUSTRATED. SAN FRANCISCO: ALLEY, BOWEN & CO., PUBLISHERS. 1880. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ca/sonoma/bios/starke818bs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.poppet.org/cafiles/ File size: 3.3 Kb