Michel Dubs, of Mayfield, one of the old settlers of Santa Clara
County, is a native of France, born in Alsace on the
twenty-seventh day of September, 1824, his parents being Francis Joseph
and Teresa (Schembacher) Dubs. A brother of his father was a
soldier in the army of France, and was killed in Tahiti. His
father was a vineyardist, who died in 1857, and wife in 1868. The
subject of this sketch was reared in Alsace to vine-growing. In
1843 he went to Paris, and engaged at gardening. The Revolution
occurred during his residence at the capital. In August, 1848, he went
back to Alsace, but returned to Paris in July, 1849. In April,
1850, he went to Havre, and there took passage on the steamship Zurig (Captain Thompson). He landed on the twenty-fourth of May at New York, and remained there for three and a half years.
On the fifth of September, 1853, he set out for California taking the
steamer at New York, and making the journey by the Nicaragua
route. He landed at San Francisco about the middle of October,
and the following day started for the mines. It was his intention
to go to Stockton on the steamer New World, but mere chance caused him to take the Sophia
instead. On arriving at Stockton, it was noticed that almost the
entire population was at the landing, and he soon learned that the NewWord
had been blown up , and its passengers killed. He went into the
mines at Columbia and there remained between two and three months, then
returned to San Francisco. He had got down to his last half
dollar before he obtained employment. He remained in this city
until September, then came to Mayfield and bought out a squatter's
claim in that vicinity of the town. He resided on it two years,
but finding what he had supposed to be government land was claimed by
other parties under a grant, he left the place and went to the Santa
Gregoria Rancho, bought land, and settled on it in 1857. He then
engaged in dairying and general farming, with success, He bought
land where he now resides in 1868, and put up a substantial residence
in 1871. The family has resided here ever since. He has 1, 412
acres of the old Santa Gregoria Rancho, and has an interest in other
property besides his home, at Mayfield.
He was married, in San Francisco, in 1871, to Miss Lutringer, a native
of Upper Alsace, who came to America in 1864. They have four
children living, viz; Felicite, Adolph, Emma, and Xavier. Mr. and Mrs.
Dubs lost three children by death from diptheria, in 1879, within two
days. Their names were: Maria Teresa, Mathilda, and
Josephine. Mr. Dubs, while leaning to the Democratic party, is
yet substantially independent in his political view, being guided more
by his judgment of men and principles than by strict adherence to party
lines.
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 Carolyn Feroben , page 626