Another find from yesterday

[CALDIGR2]

A friend had called me about this Ruhstaller ice box handle and I told him that I would take it. It has Capt. Frank Ruhstaller's head and an "R" on the bottom. These are quite rare and usually sell for around $400, but this was a 10th of that. Just as cruddy as it was used, it'll stay as-is. No polishing the aged patina and greasy hand prints off.

 

[epackage]

Nice find, did you let him know the value after the sale...[]

 

[surfaceone]

Hey Mike,

Great piece, sir.

Here's a brief history of Captain Frank Ruhstaller.

From the New Micro-Brew.

Have you dug the old Ruhstaller Home?

"One name that rose above many others was that of Frank Ruhstaller, a Swiss immigrant who rose to prominence as the founder of City Brewery and Ruhstaller Brewery. Ruhstaller was smart and ambitious, and his brewery operations were ahead of their time.

He passed on those skills to a son, Frank Jr., who began his apprenticeship at age 15 and eventually took control of the Buffalo Brewery, which was started by Herman Grau in 1890.

"On paper," Carroll, writes, "this company represents the pinnacle of German capitalist achievement in Sacramento and, on a larger scale, the entire state."

The brewery used hops grown in Yolo County and water from the Sacramento River. Under the young and dynamic Frank Ruhstaller Jr., the company grew to be the largest brewery in the West, and it shipped its beer internationally.

The contributions of Ruhstaller senior and junior were destined to go largely unheralded by today's bar crowd – until a young businessman, J-E Paino, got the idea to pay tribute to their legacy." Sac-Bee.

Have you tried to dig the cannon? Has it ever been found?

 

[surfaceone]

 

[surfaceone]

"First Sports Team

Despite the fact that country was in a recession at the time – or maybe because of it – Sacramento’s first and second professional sports teams were formed within a few months of each other in 1886. 125 years ago on June 26, The Capitol City Wheelman bicycling team was formed. They held races at Agricultural Park between B & G and 20th &22nd and also competed in Stockton and San Jose. They were a politically active group whose main focus was road improvements. When pavement came to town, 105 cyclists (20% of the estimated riders at the time) rode around downtown carrying lanterns in celebration. They however, were not Sacramento’s first sports team. That honor belongs to the Sacramento Gilt Edge Base Ball (two words back then) Team, who had begun playing games a few months earlier that spring. They were sponsored by Ruhstaller Brewery and named after Gilt Edge Beer. They played also played at Agricultural Park until the games moved to Snowflake Park (between S and R, 28th and 30th) which was named after a whiskey. Drinking and bball what a nice way to spend a hot Sacramento night! Especially if the home team is winning and they did - the Gilt Edge were California league champs in 1898, ’99 and 1900." From.

 

[CALDIGR2]

Ruhstaller was not the founder of the City Brewery, my great great grandfather, William Borchers and his partners Benedict Hilbert and Charles Schwartz were. They responsible for the success of the City Brewery. It opened in 1856 and was a successful keg and bucket operation. Hilbert died in 1866, leaving Borchers and Schwartz as sole owners. Schwartz retired from the business in 1878, leaving William Borchers as the sole owner and proprietor. Frank Ruhstaller was an employee of the City Brewery and and Borchers elected to sell the very successful operation to Ruhstaller in 1881. W.F. Borchers was killed in a hunting accident in 1887, but his wife, Bridget, lived in Sacramento until 1911, when she passed of flu. My great aunt Lois, born in 1891, regaled us with stories of "Gramma Borchers" and her home on H St. I have some great photos of her and her husband in our family album.

Be careful what you read in so called "history books". Many are contrived and bent toward the prejudices of the authors.

 

[surfaceone]

Hey Mike,

Sorry to have passed on this particular bit of hoo-ha:

"One name that rose above many others was that of Frank Ruhstaller, a Swiss immigrant who rose to prominence as the founder of City Brewery and Ruhstaller Brewery." that was courtesy of the Ed Carroll / Sacramento Bee Article by Blair Anthony Robertson.

Good to hear the history from kin.

From.

 

[CALDIGR2]

ORIGINAL: surfaceone

Hey Mike,

Sorry to have passed on this particular bit of hoo-ha:

"One name that rose above many others was that of Frank Ruhstaller, a Swiss immigrant who rose to prominence as the founder of City Brewery and Ruhstaller Brewery." that was courtesy of the Ed Carroll / Sacramento Bee Article by Blair Anthony Robertson.

Good to hear the history from kin.

From.

I had to correct Ed and he later completed a book on Sacramento Breweries that is rather well researched and complete. I do not have much Ruhstaller stuff, but have retained a bunch of Sacramento beer and liquor advertising. One piece in particular is unique and the only piece remaining, other than two beer glasses, from the Pacific Brewery. Pacific operated as a keg only brewery from 1858 to about 1897.

 

[surfaceone]

Hey Mike,

Thanks for showing the Pacific bathing Beauties. Is that a heavy card portion of a calendar? I remember you showing the occasional piece of very significant Sacramento breweriana. I always appreciate seeing those. Thanks

 

[CALDIGR2]

ORIGINAL: surfaceone

Hey Mike,

Thanks for showing the Pacific bathing Beauties. Is that a heavy card portion of a calendar? I remember you showing the occasional piece of very significant Sacramento breweriana. I always appreciate seeing those. Thanks

It is most likely a calendar and complete with top and bottom tin pieces. I can see no staple holes for a calendar, so it may have been just a advertisement for the brewery. The is a "509 O'Farrell" and '89 beneath it. It probably indicated the address of the maker and the date of the piece. I owned one of those topless Indian maiden riding the buffalo pieces a while back but traded it to a friend. Here is another fine Buffalo Brewing calendar for 1902, the Gypsy Girl. The calendar is perfect, it's the reflection of the flash that contorted it.