The Sacramento Brewery was located at 28th and M (now Capitol Avenue) streets.

Editor’s Note: This is part nine in a series about the rich history of and associated with East Sacramento’s award-winning East Lawn Memorial Park.

Among Sacramento’s identity during its earlier years was undoubtedly its position as a brewery city. And with a recent review of the records of East Lawn Memorial Park, the remains of at least seven high level local brewery men are interred at this East Sacramento cemetery.
Among these men was Philip Scheld, former owner of the Sacramento Brewery, which was located at 28th and M (now Capitol Avenue) streets.
The brewery, according to the 1880 book, “History of Sacramento County, California,” was established in 1849 by a German immigrant named Peter Kadell, who during the following year began brewing beer at that site. Peter’s surname is also spelled “Cadel” in other historic references.
According to The Sacramento Union, in its June 15, 1872 edition, the brewery was rented by Philip Scheld in 1853 and purchased by him a year later.
The 1880 county history book indicates that Philip became involved in the brewery business in Sacramento in 1852.
Another version of this story, as described in the 1890 book, “An Illustrated History of Sacramento County, California,” notes that Philip “rented the brewery on the East M Street, and a month later bought it.”
Prior to becoming a Sacramentan, Philip, who was born in the town of Giessen in the Grand Duchy of Hesse-Darmstadt in Germany on Oct. 13, 1827, attended government schools and worked on his family’s farm.
He later immigrated to the United States with his brother, Henry. They arrived in Philadelphia after a five-week voyage on July 11, 1845.
While residing in Philadelphia, Philip worked in the bakery industry and Henry dedicated himself to the cabinet making trade.
Both brothers eventually made their way to California. Henry arrived in 1849 to become a miner.
A year later, Philip, who was then living in Baltimore, was inspired by a letter that he received from his brother to head to California immediately.
After arriving in San Francisco on March 24, 1850, Philip traveled to Sacramento aboard the steamer “Hartford” before heading to El Dorado County.
He reunited with his brother in Volcano (Amador County) several weeks later.
Philip and Henry eventually worked together teaming between the mines and Sacramento.
Both the 1880 and 1890 county history books recognize Philip as becoming involved in the hotel business outside of Sacramento.
According to the 1890 county history book, this venture began after Philip and his business partner, Daniel Troy, acquired a hotel as a default method of payment for their work baking for that hotel.
Philip and Daniel had a larger hotel built to replace the hotel they acquired, and they also had a second hotel built. They continued in this business until the fall of 1852.
After Philip became the proprietor of the Sacramento Brewery, the brewery underwent many changes, including the construction of new buildings, an increase in its property size, and the addition of Switzerland native John Oschwald as co-owner of the brewery in 1869. That partnership continued until 1876.
The aforementioned June 15, 1872 edition of The Union notes that in 1860, Philip had the old brewery moved to the rear portion of the property and had a 61-foot by 42-foot, brick building constructed on the site’s northeast corner.
The 1880 county history book described the building as having been expanded to a size of 120 feet by 100 feet. The “two-story, brick addition” was built at a cost of $4,000 by Martin Madden, who was described in the Jan. 1, 1883 edition of The Union as “the leading builder in this part of the state.”
On Oct. 2, 1873, a fire occurred at the brewery’s two-story, 24-square-foot, brick, malt house.
The fire began when the malt that was being burned in the kiln overheated. The damage, which was contained inside the building, was financially covered by the brewery’s insurance.
Another building at the brewery caught on fire on Oct. 11, 1877, resulting in $1,500 in damages.
In between these fire years, Philip, who married Germany native Margaret Fritz on April 7, 1858, was involved in a near fatal accident.
During the early afternoon of Saturday, Nov. 14, 1874, following a morning of hunting several miles east of Sacramento, Philip Scheld was driving his buggy with his son, Adolph.
As Philip was resting his arm against the muzzle of his rifle, one of the buggy’s wheels ran into a squirrel hole, causing the firearm to discharge. A shell passed through his left arm, just below his shoulder, and exited out the other side of the arm.

The Scheld family mausoleum is located on the Folsom Boulevard side of the cemetery. Photo by Lance Armstrong

Although the injury resulted in Philip losing his arm to amputation, it was believed that he would have bled to death had the powder of his rifle not severely burned his arm, thus slowing the bleeding.
Oddly, 20 years later, Adolph accidently shot and killed Frederick C. Glueck while he was target shooting with some of his military friends.
The Union, in its Jan. 1, 1877 edition, noted that the brewery included extensive sheds and outhouses and had utilized 200 tons of barley and three tons of hops and produced 3,000 barrels of beer in the past year.
At that time, the brewery also included a 40-foot by 100-foot malt kiln and a 40-foot by 100-foot storehouse.
In the 1880 county history book, the operation of the brewery, which was then located on nearly a whole block of land, was described as follows: “It has steam power for mechanical purposes, three steam pumps, and is complete in every particular, employing throughout the year six or seven men, and having a capacity of eighteen barrels per day.”
The Union, in its Jan. 1, 1880 edition, noted that the brewery’s advantages for the manufacture of beer and shipping throughout California were “unsurpassed by those of any competitor in business.”
The 1913 book, “History of Sacramento County, California,” recognizes the financial rewards that the brewery brought Philip, as follows: “Still in the pioneer period of the ‘50s, (Philip) identified himself with the brewery business that by his own industry and sagacity brought him a fortune.”
The same book also referred to the Sacramento Brewery as “one of the most profitable properties of the kind in the state.”
Evidence of the wealth of Philip, who was a millionaire, could be seen through his stately home, which he had built at 1105 L St. in 1880.
In February 1869, while still dedicating himself to the brewery as its proprietor, Philip became one of the original directors of the Capital Savings Bank of Sacramento at the southwest corner of 4th and J streets.
And from about 1878 to 1913, he was involved with Sacramento Savings Bank at the northwest corner of 5th and J streets.
In the final 12 years of that time, Philip served as president of this latter named bank.
Following his aforementioned accident, Philip continued his role in the brewery’s ownership for many years thereafter.
Beyond his brewery and banking activities, Philip also owned a considerable amount of property in Los Angeles County, served as a longtime local firefighter, president of the Sacramento Rifle Club and a director of the Sacramento Beet Sugar Company, and was a member of the Sacramento Turn Verein.
He died at his L Street home at the age of 85 during the early morning of July 30, 1913.
His funeral was a private affair held at his home two days after his passing and he was interred at East Lawn Cemetery during the same day.
Philip’s remains are located inside the Scheld family mausoleum on the Folsom Boulevard side of the cemetery.
This mausoleum is East Lawn’s only private, family mausoleum that contains both large and small crypts.
Also interred in this mausoleum are the remains of Margaret, who passed away at the age of 80 in 1916, Adolph, who died at the age of 84 in 1946, and three other members of the family – Adolph’s wife, Leila C. Scheld (1869-1936); Adolph and Leila’s daughter, Margaret Scheld Cook (1897-1961); and Philip’s niece, Ottilie Fritz (1865-1917).
Another Scheld family member, August C. Fritz, a Hesse-Darmstadt, Germany native who died at the age of 21 on Feb. 27, 1872, had his funeral services at the Sacramento Brewery during the afternoon of the following day. He was originally buried at the New Helvetia Cemetery at 31st Street (today’s Alhambra Boulevard), between H and J streets.

The poet pursues his beautiful theme;
The preacher his golden beatitude;
And I run after a vanishing dream—
The glittering, will-o’-the-wispish gleam
Of the properly scholarly attitude—
The highly desirable, the very advisable,
The hardly acquirable, properly scholarly attitude.

First stanza of ‘Properly Scholarly Attitude’ by Adelaide Crapsey

Henry Molina from John F. Kennedy didn’t realize that performing “Properly Scholarly Attitude” for a school assignment would change his opinion of poetry or that he would be so good at it that he would end up winning the Sacramento County Poetry Out Loud Competition for 2013.

Henry finished first from a field of 15 during the Sacramento County finals, held Thursday, Feb. 7, at Rosemont High School and earned the right to represent Sacramento County in the State Finals, March 25-26 in Sacramento. Carinn Candelaria, from Pleasant Grove High School in the Elk Grove Unified School District, is the Sacramento County runner-up.

In addition to Crapsey’s poem, Henry performed “The Charge Of The Light Brigade” by Alfred, Lord Tennyson.

Henry Molina from John F. Kennedy High School, winner of the 2013 Sacramento County Poetry Out Loud competition. // Courtesy of the Sacramento County Office of Education

Henry said the event was a lot of fun, though a little nerve wracking, since the judges were local poets themselves and “knew what they were talking about.”

Henry said he came upon “Properly Scholarly Attitude” because of a classroom competition and he needed a poem to perform in front of the class. After he won the JFK competition, he had to choose another one.

“Before I started, I was not a big fan of poetry,” he said, but after he put his mind to the assignment over the course of a few months, he found himself enjoying it.

California’s overall winner will receive $200 and an expenses-paid trip to compete in the National Finals in Washington, D.C., held April 28-30, 2013. A total of $50,000 in awards and school stipends will be awarded at the national finals, including a $20,000 award for the National Champion.

Sacramento Poet Laureate Jeff Knorr served as the Sacramento County Poetry Out Loud master of ceremonies. The competition encourages high school students to learn about great poetry through memorization, performance, and competition. The program provides students with the opportunity to perform poetry in English classes.

Modeled like the National Spelling Bee, the Poetry Out Loud program began in local high school classrooms, with winners advancing to school-wide, then regional competition. Schools countrywide are participating in regional competitions.

The Sacramento County Office of Education (SCOE) was once again pleased to partner with the California Arts Council (CAC) in promoting and supporting the Poetry Out Loud: National Recitation Contest in the Sacramento region. Sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), and the National Poetry Foundation, SCOE and its partners encourage high school students to study and appreciate poetry through practice, performance, and competition.

Tim Herrera is Communications Director for the Sacramento County Office of Education.

East Lawn Memorial Park is located at 4300 Folsom Blvd. in East Sacramento. Photo by Lance Armstrong

Editor’s Note: This is part two in a series about the rich history of and associated with East Sacramento’s award-winning East Lawn Memorial Park.

For those who are familiar with Sacramento’s earlier years, it is no secret that floods influenced many decisions in the area. And today’s East Lawn Memorial Park was established as a result of the Edwards Break flood of 1904.
The flood inundated about 10,000 acres in the Riverside and Pocket areas and washed through the old city cemetery – today’s Sacramento Historic City Cemetery on Broadway, between Riverside Boulevard and Muir Way.
So great was the flood’s effect on the city cemetery that many headboards were carried away by its waters and, according to a 1905 edition of The Sacramento Bee, “there was no place to bury the dead.”
In reaction to the flood’s damage to the city cemetery, Louis Breuner, the son of John Breuner, who founded the well known John Breuner Co. home furnishing business, led an effort to establish a cemetery on 42 acres of the old Newton Booth place, which was previously known as Twin Oaks Farm.
The site was a desirable site for a cemetery due to its high ground above the city’s flood plain.
Louis F. Breuner, who was then serving as the president and manager of the John Breuner Co., which was at that time located at 600-608 K St., purchased the old Twin Oaks Farm site in 1904, following the Edwards Break flood. However, the property was for some reason placed in the name of Louis’ wife, Clara.
In addition to pursuing the construction of a cemetery on this old farmland, Louis, who served as the president of the Sacramento Chamber of Commerce in 1901 and 1902, had his home built on a portion of the property in about 1911.

The Edwards Break flood of 1904 led to the establishment of the East Lawn Cemetery – today’s East Lawn Memorial Park. Photo courtesy of PHCS

This residence had the address of 4028 Folsom Blvd. by 1918, and Louis’ home address was recognized as 4110 Folsom Blvd. by the following year.
Louis, who had previously resided at 1103 O St., continued to live in his Folsom Boulevard home until about 1923, when he moved with his family to 1128 45th St.
Assisting in Louis’ venture to have a nondenominational cemetery established east of the eastern edge of the then city limits at 31st Street – today’s Alhambra Boulevard – were other local residents, including Fred W. Kiesel and Chauncey H. Dunn.
The proposed cemetery site met the approval of Sacramento County coroner George C. McMullen.
McMullen was quoted in the March 14, 1904 edition of The Bee, as follows: “While I have not given the proposed new cemetery full consideration as yet, still it must be obvious to even a casual observer that Sacramento requires a new burying ground – and that badly. The city itself has practically no more lots for sale in the old (city) cemetery. Under political influence, the tendency is productive of inferior results. Unquestionably, the (former) Twin Oaks Farm property is the very best available for a burying ground. The proposition advanced is quite feasible. With the enterprise of those behind the project, I believe satisfactory results will follow. I have every confidence in them and understand they are going ahead, if they can secure sufficient encouragement from our citizens.”
McMullen added that even if the city desired to enlarge the old city cemetery, little space was available for such a project.
Also among those in support of the proposed cemetery was Leon H. Jacox, proprietor of Jacox Bros., a new and used furniture and upholstery store at 920 K St.
Jacox, who resided at 1901 P St., was quoted at the time as saying, “I believe a modern lawn cemetery, with a good crematory, will be a necessity within the next few years. Recent high waters has (sic) shown that all the desirable portion of the city cemetery is already occupied. No finer location could be secured than the one under discussion. It is far enough from the city, yet near enough for the purpose.”
Even at the planning stages of East Lawn Cemetery (the original name of the cemetery), many well known Sacramentans, as well as notable San Francisco residents, had arranged for lots at East Lawn.

A Christmas tree accompanies the gravesite of some loved ones in this recent photograph taken at East Lawn Memorial Park. Photo by Lance Armstrong

Among these people were: McMullen, William E. Gerber, vice president of the California State Bank and president of the Earl Fruit Co.; George Peltier, manager of the California State Bank; Daniel W. Carmichael, proprietor of the Curtis, Carmichael & Brand insurance company; and H. Edward Yardley of the Clark & Booth Co. funeral home at 1017-1019 4th St.
After the proposed cemetery site gained its necessary approval and the cemetery was established, the first burials occurred on Dec. 24, 1904.
It was then that the William F. Gormley funeral home, which was located at 912-914 8th St., disinterred the remains of seven people from a lower, flooded section of the city cemetery and relocated them to the East Lawn property.
These people were Katie, Arthur W. and Theodore Bowles of Brighton, John Bowles of Sacramento, John D. Winters of Stockton, Elizabeth Winters of Brighton and Earle A. Dudley of Arizona.
East Lawn Cemetery was dedicated on Easter Sunday, April 23, 1905.
The event, which began at 3:30 p.m., was presented from a platform that had been constructed for temporary use on the cemetery’s grounds.
Participating in the ceremony were the Rev. H. K. Booth of the Congregational Church (opening prayer); the Rev. Charles F. Oehler of the German Lutheran Church (benediction); Frank D. Ryan, president of the East Lawn Cemetery Association (short address); and Judge Carroll Cook of San Francisco (oration).
The gathering also included music by an 18-member chorus and an eight-piece orchestra.
At the time of this dedication, the cemetery included about 50 burials, which is in stark contrast to its present 99,661 burials. This latter figure does not include the 4,691 unidentified human remains that were relocated to East Lawn from East Sacramento’s old New Helvetia Cemetery in the 1950s.

In recognition of the indigents who died in Sacramento County during the past 160-plus years, an event sponsored by the Sacramento County Cemetery Advisory Commission, in conjunction with East Lawn Memorial Park, will be held at 4300 Folsom Blvd. this Saturday, Oct. 20 at 10 a.m.
According to the Webster’s New World Dictionary of American English, the word, “indigent,” is defined as “in poverty; poor, needy; destitute; (or) lacking; destitute (of).”
This dedication is the first of three annual events during October, which was designated as Cemetery Appreciation Month through the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors on the request of the county cemetery commission.
All three events will focus on remembering these aforementioned indigents, who at times have been referred to as “county burials.”
In speaking about this Saturday’s event, Dr. Bob LaPerriere, co-chair of the commission, said, “We should not stereotype an indigent. A common perception is that they are a homeless or street person. However, they could be someone affected by the Great Depression or the recent recession and were not able to afford the cost of a burial, or some may be ‘lost souls’ who left home and were separated from their families and had no one to attend to their final disposition. This situation was probably common during the Gold Rush.”
LaPerriere, who will give a speech at the Oct. 20 event, related an example of a wealthy person who was buried as an indigent.
“One of the ‘indigents’ buried in the Sacramento Historic City Cemetery discovered one of the richest silver mines in Nevada, but was buried as an indigent when his family was not available to pay for his interment,” LaPerriere said.
These October events are a continuation of the commission’s efforts, which began in 2003 with the creation and dedication of five memorials to honor more than 15,000 indigents who have no individual grave markers.
The Oct. 20 event will focus on an area at East Lawn Memorial Park that was provided to the county at minimal cost for interment of indigents from 1932 during the Depression to 1955. The total number of interments in that section is 703.
Alan Fisher, president of East Lawn Memorial Parks and Mortuaries, said, “We’re of the opinion that every individual deserves a respectable, permanent memorial, a resting place that is protected, that is cared for, and we think that regardless of circumstances in one’s life, we want to honor those who have gone before us and we’ve kind of established East Lawn as a place where that can occur.”
And in sharing his feelings about the indigents burial area at East Lawn, Craig Peterson, manager of East Lawn Memorial Park, said, “East Lawn wants to provide a respectable setting, so we’ve placed sod in that (indigents) area, we’ve cleaned the area and now we’re just happy to have the public come and see where these folks who are not forgotten, where their resting place is being cared for and respected, as well.”
Among the people who have a direct connection to an indigent burial in the capital city is Sacramento resident Nola Williams.
In an exclusive interview for this article, Nola shared a personal story regarding one of her deceased family members.
“About 16 years ago, I started work on a family tree,” Nola said. “I knew nothing about my grandfather (who was known as Ray Williams, although that was not his given birth name), my father’s father, when I started this project, as I was born in the later part of 1964 and my grandfather (who was born in 1888) died in the early part of 1964 and no one discussed my grandfather.
“When I learned that my grandfather was buried as an indigent and that he had no headstone, I started a quest to find out where, specifically, he was buried. I was determined to purchase a headstone for my grandfather to honor him as someone who was loved and who was important, and this was the only way that I knew to honor him.”
Nola said that her work to discover the exact location of her grandfather was not a simple task.
Although she knew that her grandfather had been buried in the old Bellview Cemetery on Elder Creek Road, she said that she had a difficult time discovering his plot number, as the cemetery was in poor condition and she could not initially find records for the cemetery.
“I took a week off work at the time in order to visit various county offices in my search to find my grandfather’s plot number in the cemetery, as well as a corresponding plot map,” Nola said. “At the time, no one could help me with this information. I was told that the cemetery had been bought and sold a few times and that the current owners had filed bankruptcy and apparently took all of the cemetery records.
“Earlier this year, when visiting (the Sacramento Historic City Cemetery) to locate the burial location of my great-grandfather, my aunt and I visited the information office for information regarding my great-grandfather. During this visit, I inquired about any possible Bellview Cemetery records, since this is where my grandfather is buried.
“To my utter amazement, one of the ladies in the cemetery office was able to produce a listing, which gave my grandfather’s plot number.”
Unfortunately, Nola still did not have a map of the burial locations of the Bellview Cemetery. Consequently, she was still unable to locate the precise burial site of her grandfather.
Nola said that her mission to find her grandfather’s burial plot was eventually aided by LaPerriere, who provided her with a map of the cemetery’s plots.
“Using (the map and) existing headstones in this area, and with the assistance of Bob (LaPerriere), my father and my brother, we pieced together the ‘grids,’ if you will, of the layout of the indigent area of the cemetery, and we were able to determine where my grandfather is buried,” Nola said. “The next critical piece was the headstone. Once that was ordered and arrived, it was time to, in my opinion, put my grandfather to rest properly. Permission was obtained from the owners of the cemetery to have a headstone placed, a local tombstone company laid the headstone I had made, and Matt Smith, a pastor with (The Table at Central) United Methodist Church (in Sacramento), provided a blessing of my grandfather’s grave with myself and several family members in attendance (on Aug. 8, 2012). While I can’t change (the) fact that my grandfather was buried (with remains of a person below him and remains of another person on top of him) or that he was buried without proper recognition, I finally feel that my grandfather is at peace and laid to rest properly.”
Nola expressed much gratitude for the volunteer at the Sacramento Historic City Cemetery, LaPerriere and Matt Smith of the United Methodist Church for their assistance in her efforts.
When asked about any other plans that the commission might have in regard to deceased indigents, LaPerriere said, “We are hoping to eventually have listings on the commission’s Web site of locations where indigents have been buried and also a listing of their names when available.”
LaPerriere added that it is very gratifying for himself and the commission to honor the indigents or “lost souls” of Sacramento County.
“I’ve been involved with several families, helping them to locate the final resting place of a relative who was buried as an indigent,” LaPerriere said. “I was always impressed by the impact and meaning the discovery of the location of their relative meant to them. Many (local indigents) were fathers or mothers, brothers or sisters and may still have relatives looking for them. These lost souls often were alone at death – a time when we all hope for the support of our loved ones. Please join us on Oct. 20 in paying respect to Sacramentans who have been forgotten for decades.”

Lance@valcomnews.com

For more information on the Sacramento Public Library Adult Literacy Services, visit www.saclibrary.org / Photo by Ian Wilson

Once a week, Sacramento resident Shelley Petazini spends more than two hours at the Arden-Dimick Library. She’s not there to check out the latest bestseller – she’s there to help a 54-year-old man learn how to read.
For the past year, Petazini has been a volunteer tutor through the Sacramento Public Library Adult Literacy Service.
Petazini said her student voluntarily signed up for the program after he quit his job as a cross-country truck driver – a job he held for 29 years – as the industry got more computerized and he wasn’t able to keep up.
“I’ve been amazed at how he’s been able to cope with his not being able to read,” Petazini said. “He’s very knowledgeable about politics, very knowledgeable about sports.He’s very articulate, but he can’t read and he can’t write. It’s just amazing what he’s been able to do and still keep that a secret for so long.”
Sadly, Petazini’s student is not alone.
According to Stephanie Allen, literacy and homework center supervisor for the Sacramento Public Library, about 13 percent of the adult population in Sacramento County – roughly 140,000 people – is at a below-basic or basic reading level.
And when you add in those that are at an intermediate level – that is, they can read but improvements are needed for higher-level critical thinking – that number jumps to 20 to 25 percent of the adult population, or close to 250,000 adults.
“(Adult literacy is) a big problem in Sacramento County,” Allen said. “It’s a big problem in California. It’s a big problem nationwide.”
To help combat this problem, the Sacramento Public Library has offered an Adult Literacy Service since 1984 that Allen says uses trained volunteer tutors to assist adult learners in either learning to read or with improving their reading level, Allen said.
She said the program serves about 250 adult learners each year through about 150 volunteer tutors.
Although the program is housed at the Central Library in downtown Sacramento, tutoring is available at all of the library’s branches throughout the city.
The program and its materials are free for learners and tutors, and according to Allen, it is funded mainly by the Sacramento Public Library, with a smaller portion coming from the California State Library.
Adults wishing to take part in the program are given an intake assessment and interview to determine their reading and writing level. From there, Allen said she works to connect the learner with a tutor that can meet at the time and location of their needs.
Once a learner and tutor are connected, Allen said a tutor and learner will meet an average of one to two times per week for one and-a-half to two-hour sessions, depending on individual availability.
“If they are able to, we like to see them meet twice a week just because the progress is quicker that way,” Allen said. “But if all they are able to do is once a week, then once a week is better than zero times a week.”
Although the program uses basic curriculum to help teach reading and writing, Allen said it is very much tailored to what exactly the student is looking to achieve.
“Many of our learners work on lots of similar types of goals, like being able to read a bedtime story to their child or being able to learn to do email,” she said. “We really do make an effort to tailor our tutoring sessions toward exactly what they are looking for.”
Speaking of goals, Petazini’s student is steadily working toward a goal of getting his GED, but the student/tutor pair are taking their time and working within both of their schedules.
“I would say we’ve got probably a few years to go yet, but he wants to keep working with me and I want to keep working with him,” she said. “So we’re not stressing out about how much we should do and far we should get at any given point.”
In fact, Petazini says she has enjoyed her time as a tutor so much she is considering taking on a second student.
“To me, it’s so liberating when someone learns to read, they have so much power,” she said. “And right now if you can’t read, you really don’t have a lot of power at all because you’re dependant on so many people. When you can start learning to read and enjoy reading, it really empowers you. And that’s really what I like about it a lot.”

For more information on the Sacramento Public Library Adult Literacy Services, visit www.saclibrary.org.

Editor’s Note: This is part one of a two-part series regarding the history of the Antone “Tony” Luiz Silva and Joao “John” Luiz Silva families and their descendents.

Among the many early Portuguese families of the Pocket area were the Antone “Tony” Luiz Silva and Joao “John” Luiz Silva families.

Both Tony and John, who were brothers, immigrated to the United States from Topo, Sao Jorge Island in the Azores Islands of Portugal. The brothers’ original surname was Avila, but they acquired the surname, Silva, after arriving in the U.S.

Tony was the first to arrive
The first of these immigrants was Tony, who arrived in America at the age of 17, and joined his brother, Joseph, who was herding sheep in Inyo County, around Lone Pine and Bishop.

In that county, Tony worked for two separate wages. One of these wages was $1 per day and for another employer, he was paid with food. However, Tony was not content working for food and after three days, using his broken English, he asked to be paid $3. The employer responded by giving Tony three kicks in his rear and ordering him off his property.

After leaving Inyo County, Tony, who was known to sign his name, “A.L. Silva,” because of his illiteracy in English, went to Sacramento County and became employed at the Elk Grove Winery in Elk Grove.

He then went to the Grant area in today’s Carmichael area and worked on a hay bailing press and farmed hay and grain.

Tony and Mary meet
While in the Grant area, Tony met his future wife, Maria “Mary” Nevis, who was born in the Azorean island of Terceira on Aug. 5, 1881. Mary had then-recently immigrated to the Pocket with her cousin, Vera Bettencourt, and lived with one of the two Costa families of that area.

Tony and Mary were married – most likely at the St. Joseph Church in Freeport/today’s Clarksburg – in April 1899.

In about 1902, Tony and Mary moved to the Freeport area, where Tony farmed and had a small dairy, adjacent to where John also farmed and operated a dairy.

Together Tony and Mary had seven children, Mary, Joseph L., Olive, Rose, Hazel, Anthony and the first-born Rose, who died in infancy. As a father, Tony acquired the nickname, “Lavafraldas,” which indicated the “washing of diapers.”

One day, one of Tony’s friends was driving by his home and observed Tony hanging up his children’s diapers on the outside line next to his house. The friend rolled down the window of his vehicle and shouted, ‘Oh, Antone Lavafraldas.’ This name became Tony’s nickname and remained with him for the rest of his life.

Tony and Mary settle down in Pocket
Sometime after the 1904 Edwards Break, which flooded the Sacramento side of the Sacramento River, mostly south of Sutterville Road, Tony purchased 102 acres of swamp land in the Pocket.

Before Tony could even begin to farm this land, the property had to be drained of its river water seepage and cleared of tules and brush.

It was also on this property that, in 1909, Tony had a 10-room Victorian constructed for him by Manuel Valine, a contractor who was known as “Calisto.” As a protection against flooding, Calisto built the home on a knoll.

In order to continue his work as a dairyman, Tony established a dairy on his Pocket property. The property also included a large orchard and a family vegetable plot.

In about the early 1920s, Japanese families began residing in the Pocket area and, in many cases, leased land from Portuguese farmers. It was during this early period that Tony leased his Pocket property to Saichi Hironaka, who was an American citizen. Hironaka then subleased the property in three parts to the Tanaka, Ishimoto and Shirai families.

In 1934, Tony acquired an additional 100 acres from Joe Rico.

Tony passed away on Jan. 30, 1945 and his entire property remained with his family in the ownership of his widow.

What became of the property
From the early 1960s through the mid-1980s, Tony’s former property was sold at different times in individual sections for the residential redevelopment of the Pocket.

Twelve acres of Tony’s former Pocket property was donated in 1960 to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sacramento for the construction of a new church and parochial school. These 12 acres were exchanged for a 5-acre site on Florin Road, where the church was built and named St. Anthony Church in memory of Tony.

John immigrates to America
Tony’s previously mentioned brother, John, who was born on Jan. 10, 1879, immigrated to America in 1896. He arrived in New Bedford, Mass., where two of his sisters resided and then lived with them there for some time before joining Tony in California.

John was later hired to work at the Sacramento Brick Co. on Riverside Road (now Riverside Boulevard). He maintained this employment for several years.

On Dec. 17, 1904, John married a 20-year-old, Faial, Azores Islands-born woman named Inacia “Nancy” Silva at the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament. For their honeymoon, the couple traveled on a riverboat to San Francisco.

After returning to the Sacramento area, John and Nancy settled on rented property that was owned by the Glide family on Babel Slough in Yolo County. On this property, John operated a dairy with his brother, Tony.

The brothers grew alfalfa for feeding their cows and potato and beans to feed their families, which included John and Inacia’s eight children who were born on this property. Altogether, John and Inacia’s family included nine children: Mary, John L., Jr., Madeline, Tony, Anna, Joaquim (“King”), Manuel, Dolores and Emily.

In 1916, John purchased about 100 acres in the Pocket area from Frank Rico. Included with this purchase were two houses, three barns and a large orchard, which was located between the houses. Orange trees were among the trees of this orchard.

Also within John’s Pocket property were various crops, including alfalfa, beans, potatoes, tomatoes, sugar beets, spinach and milo.

John farmed his property into the 1950s, at which time he retired and his sons continued the operation of the farm.

Just prior to John’s death on July 7, 1970, part of his acreage was sold to developers.
Nancy died on Dec. 3, 1976, and the remaining part of the property was sold by her family in 1979.

The last few years have been very rough for everyone economically – every day families struggle just to put food on the table. And for many families, that includes a struggle to provide food for their pets also.

PETS IN NEED. As the economy stumbles, humans aren’t the only family members in need. Families are struggling to feed their furry children, too. Titanic’s Pantry exists to help. / Photo courtesy, Titanic’s Pantry

That’s where Sacramento’s pet food bank, Titanic’s Pantry, comes in.

“When you have to make a decision between paying your mortgage, your car payment or buying dog food, that’s a real conundrum,” explained Gina Knepp, acting manager of the City of Sacramento Animal Care Services. “It’s a terrible dilemma for anyone to have to face. If you find yourself in dire straits where you need pet food, come get it from us because we don’t want people to surrender their pets to the local shelters – that’s the last thing we want to do.”

The pantry is seeing an increase in need, just as local food banks for humans are seeing an uptick – at this time of year, especially. Every neighborhood in the region is affected.

Penny Cistaro, now chief operations officer for the Sacramento SPCA, started Titanic’s Pantry in November 2009. She got the idea for the pantry while in Washington State.

“When I came back to California, there wasn’t a (pet) food bank in the region, and having had a (pet) food bank up in Washington State at the shelter I had worked at and seeing the benefits there, I wanted to start one here,” Cistaro said.

A team effort

Now about two years later, Titanic’s Pantry is a collaborative effort of the City of Sacramento Animal Care Services, Sacramento County Animal Care and Regulation, the Sacramento Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA), and Happy Tails Pet Sanctuary.

According to Knepp, those in need of pet food can visit the city, county, or SPCA shelter once a month for a donation.

The City’s shelter has the biggest client base – more than 2,000 people come there each month and they distribute at least 3,000 pounds of food a week. Additionally, Titanic’s Pantry provides a number of other supplies that people may need for their animals; everything from cat litter and litter boxes to dog biscuits, leashes, collars, beds and even toys.

Who is eligible?

So who is eligible to receive assistance from Titanic’s Pantry?

Anyone who needs it, according to Knepp. There is no application to fill out or proof of eligibility.

“If they’re not registered with us, the first time they come in they show us a picture ID and we’ll put them in our computer system to keep track of how many people we’re helping,” Knepp explained. “Then once a month they can come back if they need to and get food from us. We have some people that come back several times. And then we have some people that come back and bring us a bag of food to thank us because we helped them when they were in trouble.”

Bags of food needed

And it’s those bags of pet food coming in to Titanic’s Pantry that are so desperately needed right now.

“One of the biggest challenges is to keep the shelves constantly stocked because you rely on donations,” said Shari Lowen, senior services coordinator for the Sacramento SPCA and volunteer that helped Cistaro start Titanic’s Pantry. “You may get a huge truckload of donated food and that might last a few weeks and then somebody comes in and there’s absolutely nothing to give them.”

Donations of pet food – dry cat and dog food – are how the community can help support the Pantry, Cistaro said.

“Buy a 20, 30, or 40 pound bag of food and bring it to the SPCA or take it to the county or the city (shelters) – whichever shelter is closest or whichever one is closest to your heart,” Cistaro said. “Just bring in food – even a 10-pound, 5-pound bag of dry food. It’s easy to transport, it lasts, that’s what will help.”

Participate in a pet food drive

According to Knepp, donations can be made on-site to the city, county, SPCA, or Happy Tails. She added that the community can pitch in to help by setting up pet food drives for the Pantry in their neighborhood.

EVERY BIT HELPS. Donations of bags of pet food – in 5, 10, 20, even 50 pound bags – can help to make a difference in the life of a family in your neighborhood. Grateful families often return months later with a donation of pet food…happy to return the favor for help during a “rough patch.” / Photo courtesy, Titanic’s Pantry

For example, Knepp held a drive in Hollywood Park, raising 800 pounds of food for the Pantry. She then passed it on to Curtis Park – which brought in over 3,000 pounds of food donations – and now is trying to get Land Park “to take up the gauntlet.”

Knepp said a pet food drive can also be a great project for groups, such as high schools.

Help pets by volunteering

Titanic’s Pantry is also always in need of volunteers to help with picking up donations of pet food. For example, a Save Mart store in Vacaville currently supplies the Pantry with donations of food from broken bags, which Knepp says can sometimes add up to about 7,000 pounds of dry kibble for the Pantry. Volunteers are needed to help bag the loose kibble for distribution using empty sand bags Knepp obtained from the Department of Transportation.

“Our volunteers will come in and fill the sand bags up with dog food and we tie the tops just like sand, but it’s dog food, and (we) give that out,” she explained.

Keeping Titanic’s Pantry going will continue to help enable people to keep their animals, Cistaro said.

“Animals play a powerful role in someone’s life,” she said. “People lose so much, the last thing they should lose is a family member and an animal is a family member.”

For more information on Titanic’s Pantry, including volunteer and donation information, visit www.sacpetfoodbank.org.

Editor’s Note: This is part one of a two-part history series regarding Manuel Silva Nevis and his local wineries.

Historically, one of the industries that stands out in the Sacramento area is wine manufacturing. Among the city’s wine manufacturing businesses were the Eagle, California and Pioneer wineries, which were associated with Manuel Silva Nevis.

The Eagle Winery

At the age of 33, Nevis became the first proprietor of the Eagle Winery, which opened in 1881. Nevis was an immigrant from the island of Pico in the Azores Islands of Portugal. He lived in the town of Freeport in the historic postal area of today’s Clarksburg in Yolo County. He resided at 1830 21st St. during the latter part of his life.

MANUEL SILVA NEVIS, an immigrant from the island of Pico in the Azores Islands of Portugal, was a proprietor of early day Sacramento wineries, including the Eagle Winery, which he founded in 1881. / Photo courtesy, Portuguese Historical and Cultural Society

The Eagle Winery was established on the south half of the block bounded by 18th, 19th, O and P streets.

According to the Portuguese Historical and Cultural Society, many Portuguese people who were residing in the Pocket area during this era made their own wine for general consumption.

Festa wine demands

But when it came to needing large lots of wine for the Holy Ghost Festas at the original St. Joseph Church on the Freeport/Clarksburg side of the river, they relied on wine from Sacramento – including wine produced at the Eagle Winery.

The main structure of the winery was a two-story, 66-foot by 120-foot, brick building with a corrugated iron roof and a basement. It was built by Nova Scotia native Nicholas Harvie, a notable local carpenter and contractor, at a cost of $9,000.

A Harvie-built sherry room with brick floors, concrete ceilings and walls and steam pipes throughout was located to the south of the main building.

Enter the father-in-law

Nevis’ father-in-law, Joseph S. Miller financed the construction of the winery. Miller was reputed to be the first Portuguese person to settle in the Freeport/Clarksburg area.

Miller was born Joseph Souza Nevis in São Jorge in the Azores Islands. He acquired the surname, Mello, when he was bonded to a John or Antonio Mello at the age of 13. Later, he changed it to Miller.

Like many immigrants in 1849, Miller heard news about the California Gold Rush, purchased mining equipment and headed out in search of riches.

This endeavor proved to be unsuccessful, but his early time in California led to other Portuguese, including members of his family, joining him in the Golden State. Among these Portuguese people were some of the earliest residents of the Pocket area.

Miller was a prominent landowner in the Freeport area and was a member of the Sacramento Society of California Pioneers – those who arrived in California prior to 1850. The society also included James W. Marshall, who is recognized for discovering the gold that led to the great California Gold Rush, James McClatchy, the second editor of The Sacramento Bee, and James Lansing, a former Sacramento chief of police, sheriff and county assessor.

MANUEL SILVA NEVIS resided in this 21st Street, Queen Anne-style house during the latter part of his life. The house, which was built in 1898, is presently home to the H.R. Edgar Institute. / Photo courtesy, Portuguese Historical and Cultural Society

Miller married an Italian immigrant, Josephine Therese Paravagna, who gave birth to Manuel Silva Nevis’ wife, Emma Nevis, on Aug. 3, 1865.

Desirable wine, brandy

During Nevis’ second year of operating the Eagle Winery, he placed an advertisement in The Sacramento Union, which noted that his winery had acquired “a very enviable reputation” and that his product was increasingly in demand.

The advertisement also described the winery as having various brands of wine and grape brandy that were offered at prices that would “defy competition.” Furthermore, the winery offered free deliveries to customers in any part of the city.

Failed expansion

The success of the Eagle Winery, which used wine grapes from Sacramento, Yolo and El Dorado counties, led to the June 5, 1884 establishment of a branch of the business at 420 J St.

An advertisement published in The Union regarding the opening of the branch noted that “Mr. Nevis’ knowledge and experience in the making of wine, in both this and other countries, places him in possession of advantages enjoyed by but few men engaged in the wine industries of California.”

To the disappointment of Nevis, the branch closed about five weeks later, because he felt a need to devote his working time exclusively to his main winery site.

State Fair recognition

The following year, the winery, which at the time offered port, sherry, white wine, Riesling, claret, zinfandel, Angelica and grape brandy, achieved additional notoriety when it was awarded a State Fair gold medal for “Best Display of Wines.”

Enter the cousins

Nevis remained the sole owner of the business until 1888, at which time he sold a two-thirds interest in the winery to his cousins, Manuel Joaquim Azevedo and Joaquim Leal Azevedo, who were immigrants from the Azores island of Faial.

Both Azevedo cousins arrived in the United States in the 1850s.

A PIECE OF POCKET AREA HERITAGE. The Manuel Silva Nevis house at 1822 21st St. is shown in this recent photograph. The house, which formerly had the address of 1830 21st Street, was relocated a short distance from the corner of 21st and R streets in 1907. / Valley Community Newspapers photo, Lance Armstrong

Manuel, after sailing as part of a whaling fleet out of Boston for two years, mined for gold for five years in Butte County. Through his success in mining, he was able to purchase property in Freeport – where he would eventually farm for 12 years.

Joaquim arrived in the Sacramento area in 1852. He also farmed in Freeport.

The Azevedos returned to Portugal, but made their way back to America to engage in the wine making business in the Sacramento area.

Azevedo-owned

Shortly after becoming the majority owners of the Eagle Winery, the Azevedos purchased Nevis’ one-third share of the business in 1889. At that time, about 20 different kinds of wines were manufactured at the winery.

Self-made success

According to the Aug. 20, 1888 edition of The Union, Manuel Silva Nevis, in the time since he established the Eagle Winery “without a cent in his pocket,” earned $200,000 through the winery and increased his business’s annual wine production from 35,000 gallons in its first year to 150,000 gallons in 1887.

The first phase of the renovation of Camp Mokitana – the old Camp Fire Girls camp located in River Bend (formerly Goethe) Park – was celebrated when the camp’s amphitheater was dedicated in memory of Rotarian Chandler Copps on Sept. 15.

DEDICATION. Members of the community gathered to dedicate the Clarence Copps Amphitheater at Camp Mokitana in River Bend Park. Those attending included Rotarians, representatives from SaveMart Supermarkets and the American River Parkway Foundation and former members of Camp Fire Boys and Girls. Rotary and SaveMart have committed to raise $500,000 for the restoration effort over five years. / Photo courtesy, Rotary District 5180

Dignitaries from the county, Rotary District 5180 and SaveMart Supermarkets were on hand for the dedication – as were members of the American River Parkway Foundation, which had voted just the night before to become partners in the restoration of the facility.

Located in the heart of River Bend Park, Camp Mokitana’s 10 acres are in the heart of the bend of the river. In effect, the rest of the park “barbells” around it. The restoration of the old camp by the Rotarians and their partners will restore this prime property to the Sacramento community, for use by scouting groups, Boys and Girls clubs, church youth groups and other family groups.

Rotary District 5180 and SaveMart have jointly committed to raise $500,000 to the restoration effort over a five-year period.

The camp site is significant and holds great sentimental importance to generations of Sacramento area children – now adults – who attended summer Camp Fire camps at Camp Mokitana for well over a half century.

The property was originally gifted to the Camp Fire Girls by Charles M. Goethe, a strong believer in conservation. The Sacramento-Sierra Camp Fire Council ran decades of successful day camp and overnight camp programs for Sacramento Valley youth there.

When the council closed in 2008, the property reverted back to Sacramento County – with the provision that it remain a camp for youth in the region, and that any future Camp Fire youth would have access to the camp.

At the dedication, eyes grew misty as a Dutchman’s Pipevine butterfly flew over the heads of those dedicating the renovated camp amphitheater in memory of Rotarian Chandler Copps, who saw the need to restore this resource to the community – and took action to make it happen. The butterfly’s caterpillar, called “Charley” by campers, can only survive on Dutchman’s Pipevine, which grows abundantly at Camp Mokitana. It is a precious habitat.

“We’ve become friends, working together on this project,” said Don Bean, director of community relations for SaveMart Supermarkets. “Our primary giving interests center around health, wellness and feeding the hungry. This project really fit into ‘health and wellness’ for young people and families. We’ve been here four years and we are doing our best to get involved with the community. We are proud to be working with Rotary, because they always take on the tough projects.”

“I want to acknowledge and thank to Rotary and SaveMart and others for supporting the renovation,” said County Supervisor Don Nottoli. “We now have an opportunity with a strong local cadre involved in the restoration and improvement, and hopefully once it is completed it will be an area in the American River Parkway where people can come enjoy the natural setting and get a better sense of what a crown jewel this really is. We tend to forget that young people in the area don’t get to experience something like this.”

“We are over 40 Rotary clubs in the area and almost 2,000 Rotarians strong,” said Jack Taylor, District 5180 governor. “Rotary has been successful because of the partnerships we’ve formed with SaveMart and others. Our theme for this year is ‘Share Your Rotary Passion.’ This is one example of the many, many ways Rotarians share their passion for the community.”

Elaine Copps, Chandler’s widow, perhaps summarized things best at the dedication.

“Not too long ago, I found a note in Chandler’s desk, in his hand,” she said. “It said: You do not get love. You give love. And it returns the favor.”

The first phase of the renovation of Camp Mokitana – the old Camp Fire Girls camp located in River Bend (formerly Goethe) Park – will be celebrated when the camp’s amphitheater is dedicated in memory of Rotarian Chandler Copps on Sept. 15 at 10 a.m.

HAPPY CAMPERS. These Sacramento area children were among the last to attend traditional day camp at Camp Fire’s Camp Mokitana in Goethe (now River Bend) Park in 1999. / Photo courtesy

The renovation is the result of the hard work of the Sacramento area’s local Rotary clubs. Last year, Rotary District 5180 entered into a five year partnership with SaveMart Supermarkets for the purpose of raising funds to restore Camp Mokitana in Rancho Cordova.

The camp site is significant and holds great sentimental importance to generations of Sacramento area children – now adults – who attended summer Camp Fire camps at Camp Mokitana for well over a half century. Camp Fire was particularly strong in Sacramento from the 1910s up until the early 2000s, serving thousands of children and making many resources available to the community. In fact, in the early 20th century, Camp Fire Girls partnered with its “brother” organization, the Boy Scouts of America – as both organizations were founded in 1910. For example, scouting groups leased the property from Camp Fire for their outdoor programs from time to time.

It was at Camp Mokitana that children discovered “Charley” – the caterpillar who can only eat Dutchman’s Pipevine, who later spins a chrysalis (complete with hold-fasts) to later emerge as the Dutchman’s Pipevine Butterfly. Camp Mokitana is Charley’s habitat, and young people learned how threatening the habitat could threaten the life of the butterflies. Kids learned the importance of conservation. Many made “We camp with Charley!” their rallying cry.

Camp Mokitana campers made their first friendship bracelets, honed their archery skills, learned outdoor skills, hiked together…and made new friends as they ate their first s’mores and sang camp songs around the bonfire in the old amphitheater.

The Camp Fire Girls became co-educational in 1974, becoming Camp Fire Boys and Girls. During the 1990s, the council was headquartered in East Sacramento. A decline in membership and lack of community funding for Camp Fire programs eventually led to the sale of the Sacramento-Sierra Council’s other camp, Camp Minaluta, in 2004. Eventually the Sacramento-Sierra Camp Fire USA Council closed in 2008, ending nearly a century of service to the Sacramento region.

As the council declined, Camp Mokitana fell into a state of disrepair. Rattlesnakes were no longer the only hazard. Trails to the American River were overgrown, the block house was in shambles, the Climbing Trees needed a safety check and the camp sites all needed repair. A valuable resource for children’s education was lost to the community.

It is, in some ways, appropriate that the organization whose motto is “Service Above Self” – Rotary – would come to the rescue of a facility of an organization whose slogan was “Give Service” – the Camp Fire Girls. Rotary is a worldwide organization of more than 1.2 million business, professional, and community leaders. Members of Rotary clubs, known as Rotarians, provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and help build goodwill and peace in the world. To restore Camp Mokitana to serve the community made sense to one local Rotarian in particular.

Chandler Copps, the founding president of the Rotary Club of Rancho Murietta, saw the need to restore this outdoor resource to the children of the community. He spearheaded

MAKE NEW FRIENDS. Camp Mokitana was a place where children could learn new games, study the natural world and build friendships – as these children in 1999 did. Rotary District 5180’s efforts will restore the camp for use by youth organizations in the Sacramento regional community. / Photo courtesy

the effort to persuade members of Rotary’s District 5180 to support this effort. Funds would need to be raised, he realized, and strategic partnerships made with local authorities and businesses. Copps also reached out to SaveMart Supermarkets, which in turn stepped up to help.

A golf tournament held last October successfully raised over $57,000 for the restoration project. This money has helped the first phase of the restoration to near completion.

Phase 1 of the project includes the renovation of the camp’s parking area, the path leading to the river, and the amphitheater. When completed, Camp Mokitana will again be useable by scout groups, church groups, Boys and Girls Clubs, and other youth groups as a camping facility in a rural area within an urban setting. The property is now owned by Sacramento County.

Chandler Copps, a respected Rotarian and member of the Paul Harris Society, passed away in early 2011.

“Chandler was an outstanding Rotarian who was responsible for getting us involved with SaveMart and the partnership that made this project a reality,” said Clarence Parkins, Rotarian and past district governor. “The amphitheater will henceforth be known as the Chandler Copps Amphitheater in his memory.”

Members of Rotary District 5180 will continue to hold future work days at Camp Mokitana as their work to renew the facility continues. They will also host the 2011 SaveMart/Governor’s Cup Golf Tournament at the Rancho Murieta Country Club on Sept. 23. Funds from the tournament will help Rotary to continue to raise the funds necessary to rebuild this camping facility for the community. To purchase tickets, make a donation or for more information, visit http://tinyurl.com/rotarytournament.