William Westerfeld

William Westerfeld (September 12, 1842 – February 18, 1895) was a German baker and confectioner who lived in San Francisco, California. He came to America and learned the confectionery trade, and then opened his own bakery; he became prosperous. He is known for the house that he built in San Francisco which is now referred to as the William Westerfeld House.

William Westerfeld
William Westerfeld
Born(1843-09-12)September 12, 1843
Bremen, Germany
DiedFebruary 18, 1895(1895-02-18) (aged 51)
San Francisco, US
Resting placeCypress Lawn Cemetery
OccupationConfectioner
Years active1859–1895
Known for
SpousePauline
Children4

Early life

Westerfeld was born in Bremen, Germany in 1842. He moved to California in 1859 and he did work for his uncle Louis Westerfeld. He learned confectionery from his uncle who was a baker for Schroth & Westerfeld on Kearny Street in San Francisco.[1]

Career

In the 1860s Westerfeld started his own confectionery business with a partner named G.T. Page.[1] He went on to become a noted baker and confectioner operating on Market Street in San Francisco, California.[2][3]

In December 1880, Westerfeld was elected president of the 64-member "Boss" Bakers' Association", when it became a permanent organization.[4][1]

In 1891 the Bakers' Union No. 24 organized a boycott of Westerfeld's business because he refused to allow the bakers to have Sunday off. The other bakers came to his aid publishing a response in San Francisco Chronicle.[5] In 1892 another boycott of Westerfield bakery was organized because the bakery required employees to work seven days a week instead of six.[6]

Personal life and death

He was married to Pauline and he was the father of Otto, Paul, Ella and Walla.[7]

In 1895 he had been in poor health and he had several surgeries. He died in his home which is now known as the William Westerfeld House on 1150 Fulton Street in San Francisco California.[1] He died on February 18, 1895.[7] He was cremated and interred at Cypress Lawn Cemetery. The San Francisco Call stated that Westerfeld was "very prosperous" and "leaves a comfortable fortune".[1]

Legacy

After he died, Pauline and his son continued operating the business until 1906.[3] He was remembered for his Italian Villa style house which was designed by Henry Geilfuss and built in 1889. The home was added to the National Register of Historic Places listings in San Francisco in 1989.[8]

References
  1. "An Active Career Ended". The San Francisco Call. 19 February 1895. Retrieved 11 May 2023.
  2. McGrew, Patrick (1991). Landmarks of San Francisco. New York: H.N. Abrams. p. 198. Retrieved 11 May 2023.
  3. Pomada, Elizabeth (1989). The Painted Ladies Revisited : San Francisco's Resplendent Victorians Inside and Out. New York: E. P. Dutton. p. 54. ISBN 0-525-24812-9.
  4. "Boss Bakers". The San Francisco Examiner. December 18, 1880. Retrieved 2023-05-13 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. "The Boycott Against William Westerfeld". San Francisco Chronicle. 2 May 1891. Retrieved 11 May 2023.
  6. "The Labor Unions: Another Boycott Levied on Westerfield's Bakery". San Francisco Chronicle. 21 January 1892. Retrieved 11 May 2023.
  7. "Westerfield". The San Francisco Call. 20 February 1895. Retrieved 11 May 2023.
  8. "Westerfeld, William, House". npgallery. United States Department of the Interior National Park Service.
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