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Description
Portrait of Adolph Pfister, 3/4 view of bearded man, moustache, short hair. Exhibited in 1978 as part of "19th Century San Jose Portraits" at the Pacific Hotel, History Park, with the following label: In the midst of the surge of "gold fever," Adolph Pfister was one of the few who realized that a larger profit could be made by staying home than by hoping for a strike in the mines. An Alsacian born in Strasbourg, Pfister spent considerable time traveling in Europe before sailing to New York in 1844. After two years there he joined the army and became part of Colonel Stevenson's regiment which was sent to colonize California. Bringing more farm equipment than guns and ammunition, the troops sailed in ships chartered by the U.S. Government. Discharged in 1848, Pfister spent the summer mining in El Dorado County wher he did reasonably well. He fully realized, though, that there was no guarantee of success in the gold fields. Winter found him in San Jose, where he anticipated a large population growth due to prospective miners stopping to gather provisions the next spring. When this happened, he was ready with San Jose's first hotel, The Washington, which he operated until 1854. Having learned the mercantile business by working in his father's store, Pfister then opened his own establishment. The success of his trade with local farmers and hopeful miners was due in large part to Adolph Pfister's reputation for honesty. In a day when there were no bank vaults, miners often left their money and valuables with him and always found them waiting no matter how many years passed before their return. This reputation led him to twice be elected Mayor of San Jose. In a typical gesture, Pfister used the salary from this position to found the San Jose Free Library. In 1850 he was married to Louisa Glein, the sister of a close friend from Europe.
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