BIO Pen-pictures, Lambert Dornberger, page 248-249
SURNAMES: WANZEL, KLEINCLAUS,
LAMBERT DORNBERGER, of Mayfield, was a resident of Mayfield
when this valley was but sparsely populated, and improvements on a
large scale had not been thought of. He is a native of Alsace, born
near Strasburg, April 3, 1828, his parents being George and Catherine
(Wanzel) Dornberger. His father, who was a farmer, died when Lambert
was but five years old. His mother died June 18, 1869, aged nearly
seventy-three years. Lambert Dornberger was reared in Alsace to rural
life. At the age of thirteen he commenced the shoemaker's trade, but
gave it up after an experience of two and a half years. He engaged in
dairying and was at the head of a dairy of one hundred cows. He
excelled in the business, and received from the Government for finest
dairying a silver medal and five hundred francs. He left the home of
his youth June 9, 1850, went to Havre, and took passage on the
sail-ship Marado, bound for New York, at which port he arrived
after a voyage of forty days. He went at once to West Point, where he
remained two and a half years.
On the fourth of November, 1852, he took passage on the steamer
Georgia, New York to Aspinwall, thence overland to Panama, and from
there to San Francisco, where he arrived December 6. He had acquired
the Panama fever in route, and remained in the city sick there for
some time. Early in 1854 he came to Santa Clara County and bought a
squatter's right to a piece of land near Mayfield. In 1857 he gave up
this right, owning to litigation, and bought a squatter's claim to
government land in the mountains along the line between Santa Clara and
San Mateo Counties. He set about improving the place, and was soon
engaged in his old business of dairying. In 1862 he began to devote
more attention to general farming, and this, with stock-raising, was
his occupation until November, 1869, when he removed to Mayfield,
having bought land where he now resides; and all the handsome
improvements about the place have been made since that time. In this
place there are some forty-eight acres, but his extensive mountain
ranch contains one thousand two hundred acres.
Mr. Dornberger was married in San Francisco, September 10, 1861, to
Miss Ann Kleinclaus, a native of Alsace, and daughter of Michel and
Mary (Remer) Kleinclaus. They have seven children, viz: Eugene, who is
on the mountain ranch; Gustave, Albert, Victor,
Julia, George, and Edward. Mr. Dornberger is politically a Democrat.
SOURCE: Pen Pictures
From The Garden of the World or Santa Clara County, California,
Illustrated. - Edited by H.S. Foote.- Chicago: The Lewis
Publishing Company, 1888. Transcribed by Carol Lackey-248-249
The Hollister Free Lance
20 May 1887
***********************
Born -- DORNBERGER -- near San Juan, April 25, 1887, to the wife of
Gustave L. DORNBERGER, of San Francisco, (formerly of Mayfield), a
daughter. transcribed by Dee S.
LAMBERT DORNBERGER
Bio-Coast Counties
SURNAMES: REMER, KLEINCLAUS, ROSS
In the days of this activity, general agriculture in the vicinity of
Mayfield has a stanch advocate in Lambert Dornberger, and now that
years of effort justify him in laying aside the mantle of labor, he
still retains an interest in the varied and always progressive life by
which he is surrounded. HIs farm of eighty acres is equipped with
modern machinery, and at all times under its present ownership has been
conducted according to the best known methods. That the seven
children to whom his success has brought better advantages than he ever
himself enjoyed, and that they are occupying positions requiring high
business and intellectual attainments, argues well for the spirit
of progress and ambition which has dominated his home and personal
guidance, and which has led him to espouse and encourage the best in
education, politics, and all around development.
Mr. Dornberger inherits the thrifty traits of the peasantry of eastern
France, where he was born in Alsace, near Strasburg, April 3,
1827. His father, George, born in the same province, since
conquered by Germany, died when Lambert was four years old in 1831, and
his mother, a native also of France, died about 1884. The four
sons and four daughters of the family were reared on a farm, and
Lambert, the fifth of the children, shared the hard daily tasks, and
had little time for either recreation or schooling. All of the
sons are now living in America. Lambert left home at an early age
and applied himself to the shoemaker's trade for a year , and in
August, 1850, boarded a sailing vessel bound for America. Until
November 5, 1852, he remained in New York City, and on that date took
passage for Panama, arriving in San Francisco, December 6, 1852.
He had started out with high hopes, and with expectations of a fortune
made in the mines, but his voyage was calculated to dim his ardor, for
he suffered from yellow fever after leaving Panama. For two years
he ws variously employed in San Francisco, and August 17, 1854, he came
to Santa Clara county, which he thoroughly investigated with the
expectation of making it his home. Settling in the vicinity of
Mayfield, he engaged in the stock and dairy business, and in 1857 went
in to the hills of San Mateo and engaged in the stock business
until 1869. December 4, of the same year, he bought his
present home near Mayfield, bringing hither his wife, formerly Anna
Kleinclaus, also a native of France, and born in February, 1837.
She died October 10, 1901. For many years the improvement of this
farm constituted the chief concern of Mr. Dornberger, but he gradually
passed its management to his children, and is now living in
comparative retirement. He is a Democrat in politics, and among
other offices has held that of school trustee for six years. He
is a member of the Catholic Church of
Mayfield.
Eugene A., the eldest son born to Mr. and Mrs. Dornberger, is a
business man of San Rafael, Cal.,; Gustave has found a useful and
profitable field of activity in New York City; Albert is using his
superior intellectual attainments as a professor in the high school of
San Jose; Victor is principal of the Mayfield public school; Anna, the
only daughter in the family is the wife of Dr. Ross, of Ferndale;
George makes his home in Seattle, Wash.; and Dr. Edward lives with his
parents on the home farm and practices dentistry in Palo Alto. To
his neighbors and business associated Mr. Dornberger has proved himself
considerate and conscientious, and his many desirable traits of
character have won him warm and lasting friendships.
History of the
State of California of Biographical Record of Coast
Counties, California- Guinn, 1904, page 967
transcribed- cdf
SANTA
CLARA COUNTY BIOGRAPHIES
SANTA CLARA COUNTY HISTORY