Solano County
Biographies
JAMES TOPLEY
proprietor of the Pioneer drugstore, Vallejo, has been a resident of California since 1852, and in the drug business in this town most of this time. He was born in Dublin, Ireland. While yet a boy he went to Canada, and lived with relatives in Kingston. He spent a short time learning to be a farmer, but gave that up and entered a store in Kingston, and began learning the principles of commerce. Later he moved into the United States, and lived most of the time in the State of New York until the breaking out of the Mexican war, when he joined the First New York Regiment of Volunteers, commanded by Colonel Ward B. Burnett and afterward called the Second Regiment. He served during the remainder of that struggle, being in the command of General Scott at Vera Cruz, Cerro Gordo, Contreras, storming of the Castle Chapultepec, Garepa de Belen and in the street fights in the city of Mexico.
Returning from the war with the regiment to Fort Hamilton, New York, in 1848, he was mustered out. Then, through the influence of Colonel Ward B. Burnett, civil engineer of the Philadelphia Navy Yard, he obtained employment of the United States Dry Dock Building Company, and remained with them until 1852, when he was sent to California, in company with others, to aid in building a dry dock at the Mare Island Navy Yard, arriving in September. After concluding his engagement there, he went to the mountains of Nevada County, and there engaged in mining. He soon returned to Vallejo, worked for a time for the United States Government, and later entered the employ of W. W. Chapman, who was the pioneer druggist of this village. Within two years he succeeded Mr. Chapman in the store, and has continued in that situation to the present time -- a long period for one position. He has been Coroner one term and half another, when he resigned on account of constant pressure of his business, and he has been School Trustee two terms. He is a member of Naval Lodge, No. 87, F. & A.M., of Vallejo, and of Naval Chapter, No. 35; also of Golden State Lodge, I.O.O.F., of Vallejo. He has been treasurer, and one of the trustees of the Presbyterian Church of Vallejo ever since its corporation.
He was married in 1860, to Miss Anna Igell, and has three children. His two sons, James Henry and Willie H., are engaged in the drug business with their father; they are both graduates of the Pharmaceutical Department of the State University. The daughter, Anna D., is now a pupil of the Irma Ladies’ Seminary at Vallejo.
Memorial & Biographical History of Northern California, The Lewis Publishing Co., 1891
pp 497-498
Transcribed by Kathy Sedler
F. DININGER
proprietor of the Philadelphia Brewery in South Vallejo, has been a resident of California for the past thirty-four years, and of Vallejo twenty-one years. His brewery was established in 1870, and has been conducted by him since that time. It has a capacity of thirty-six barrels at a brewing, and one, or if necessary even two brewings, can be made in a day. The building covers a space of 60x80 feet, part of it being of three stories and basement and the remainder two stories. A malt cellar and kiln are attached to the brewery, in which the malt is prepared from the barley, so that the operations of brewing are carried on in this establishment. The beer is manufactured by the steam process. The cellars are devoted to the storage of beer, the clarifying vats, fermenting tubs and preparation of malt. On the first floor are the boiler and engine, the brew kettles, a house for washing barrels, etc. On the second floor are the malt kiln, the cleaning machine, the malt-grinding machine, and mash machine and tank, the barley-soaking tank and a space for storing malt; and on the third floor are the cooling vats and apparatus and condensing tanks. The market for the product of this brewery is in Vallejo, Solano, Sonoma, Napa and Contra Costa counties.
Mr. Dininger was born in the city of Erlangen, Bavaria, where he learned the art of brewing. It is from this city and the neighboring city of Kulmbach that the heavy beers known in this country as the Kulmbacher are imported. After the completion of his school career Mr. Dininger served an apprenticeship as brewer in Heliger’s establishment in Erlangen, and he there learned to make that celebrated beer. Next he worked a year and a half in Berlin, in the Kunphmeyer Brewery. He came to California in 1856, direct from Germany, by the Panama route, and after three months spent in San Francisco breweries he went to Los Angeles, where he contracted to make beer for Mr. Mason at the Columbus Brewery, at a certain price per brew, and remained there about a year. Understanding by this time the ways and opportunities of the country, he decided to start a brewery for himself, and went to Long’s Bar in Yuba County, a large mining camp at that time started a brewery and conducted it to the year 1864.
In 1858 he purchased 300 acres of land, which he also managed as a ranch, raising his own barley, besides some live-stock. The brewery was about five miles below Smartsville, and the ranch about nine miles below. In 1864 the high water overflowed his land and covered it with “slickins.” He therefore sold out his ranch, and had to abandon his brewery. He next started a brewing establishment at Meadow Lake, Nevada County, near the summit of the Sierras, at that time a lively mining camp, and he continued there until 1869, running at the same time a hotel, which he purchased at $1,000, its building having cost over $40,000! On account of a rare peculiarity in the nature of the gold-bearing quartz, preventing its successful reduction, the mining there was discontinued, the town went down and Mr. Dininger had to abandon both his brewery and hotel, as well as a quartz mill in which he had invested.
He came then to Vallejo, which was on a boom at that time, and established his present brewery. For the last fifteen years he has had a good trade. He still has great faith in the future of Vallejo, and believes that all the Southern Pacific trains crossing the continent will yet pass near his property. He is a member of the San Pablo Lodge, No. 43, I.O.O.F., of Vallejo; he has been City Trustee for two terms, and he is now a member of the Board of School Trustees.
He was married in 1858, to Miss Madelina Young, a native of Baden, Germany, and they have nine children living: the son, Jacob, has now a half interest in the brewery; the daughters are Josephine, Louisa, Daisy, Mamie, Madelina, Maggie, Rosie and Emma.
Memorial & Biographical History of Northern California, The Lewis Publishing Co., 1891
pp 498-499
Transcribed by Kathy Sedler