Santa Clara County
Biographies
JOHN BALBACH
Surnames: Balbach, Berner
John Balbach a '49er - a Prominent Citizen of this City
The Pioneer, San Jose, California, December 17, 1881
contributed by jchavnar
This old and much esteemed settler of Santa Clara county, was born in
Mergentheim, Germany, February 13, 1820. Emigrating to the United States at
twenty-eight years of age, he landed in New York City in May, 1848, and almost
immediately proceeded to Cincinnati, Ohio, where, remaining but three months, he
moved to Harrisburg, Owen county, Kentucky, and obtained employment in a
carriage manufactory.
On March 28, 1849, in company with nine others, Mr. Balbach left Harrisburg for
California, their outfit consisting of horse-teams and wagons. On arrival at a
point about one hundred miles west of Fort Smith, the drifting snow and
inclement weather compelled them to exchange their animals and vehicles for
mules, which they obtained from an Indian trader there located. The barter
effected, such articles as were thought to be most requisite were disposed on
the pack-saddles, and the march taken up, but now serious troubles commenced,
for the mules, which had never been worked, here proved unruly, one with all the
sugar on his back bolted and never returned, while another broke his neck while
hitched to a tree, necessitating the abandonment of his burden. Notwithstanding
those mishaps, as well as the enduring of hardships such as have been
experienced only by the earlier voyagers to this State, our subject and his
comrades arrived safely at Santa Fe, whence they started by the middle route for
California, but were obliged to retrace their steps owing to the melting snows
and swollen mountain torrents causing a detention of nearly two weeks. Once more
a start was effected and the Gila River route to Colorado taken, thence to the
place on which Fort Yuma now stands.
The crossing of the swift-rushing Colorado was not without excitement, therefore
let us relate the experiences of this company of pioneers, which had now
augmented to thirty-five men. The stream was found to be much swollen and
therefore the crossing hazardous, but it must be made. Indians were hired to
construct rafts, which were to be paddled, the mules meanwhile being swam to the
opposite bank, and a return voyage for the men. Let us see what were Mr.
Balbach's experiences. The raft on which he and two of his companions took
passage, was composed of three logs lashed together but so carelessly fastened
were they that when half way across they broke adrift, leaving an Indian and one
man on one log, a second man another, and the subject of our sketch being
carried away with the current on the third. Finding himself quickly swept from
the shore, Mr. Balbach plunged into the swirling waters and happily reached the
bank, but so enfeebled was he from the effects of a recent fever, that he had no
sooner joined his friends than he swooned away, to find on awakening to
returning consciousness, that the Indians had stolen their mules. Here indeed
was a dilemma! He who is acquainted with the burning sun, the scorching sand and
seared sage-brush of that inhospitable region, will readily imagine the feelings
of our pioneer, as he fully realized that this desert must be crossed on foot,
with but little food, and a scant supple of water, and he exhausted by a long
illness. It was confidently asserted that he would never reach California. "What
I suffered on that march," says Mr. Balbach, "no one but myself can ever know.
How I reached the spot where Fort Yuma has since been built it is impossible for
me to say, and yet I have been trying to solve the riddle for the past
thirty-one years."
On August 10, 1849, he arrived at Rowland's ranch, and in the following December
came to San Jose. On arrival he applied at an abode house (situated on the lot
next to that on which he now resides), occupied by a Spaniard, for permission to
remain over night, which was granted, he therefore removed his blankets from off
his horse and proceeded to picket the animal on the ground now occupied by
Joseph Enright's foundry, at the corner of First and William streets. This
effected he returned to the house to find that his blankets were nowhere to be
traced - they had been stolen. Weariness, however, brought sleep. In the morning
he awoke to discover that his horse had gone, presumably to keep company with
his blankets, for neither have since been seen by their legitimate owner. It is
this fortuitous circumstance that determined him to make his home in San Jose,
where he has been a resident from then to now. Married, November 15, 1854, Minna
Berner, a native of Germany, by whom he has nine children.