Blume Family

HISTORY

The Blume House. Home to Heinrich [1837-1895] and Fredericka Johanning Blume [1841-1925], immigrants of Prussia (Germany). Heinrich immigrated to the United States from his village of Wingertshausen (approximately 49 miles from Frankfurt) in 1856 and married Fredericka Johanning from the village of Spenge (Prussia) in 1867. The Blume Family arrived in San Pablo in 1858 and purchased a large section of land. They were like many other farm families in Rancho San Pablo. Hay and grain were the main crops. They also kept milking cows and many chickens. However, the family raised both beef and dairy cows. Butter, made from the cows' milk and chicken eggs were sold. The cream, separated from the milk and turned into butter, was always sold at a much higher price than milk. 

Farmers and their families had to be self-sufficient. The Blume family was often isolated from the town due to muddy roads from winter rains. They had to be able to do their own maintenance on the farm buildings and equipment.

After Heinrich died in 1895, Mrs. Blume kept farming the land, and in 1905 built this luxurious home where she raised her five sons while maintaining the 1,000-acre farm in San Pablo (in the Hilltop Mall area). By 1911 she had sold most of their land to Standard Oil but leased back 400 acres for farming and kept 36 acres around the home.

Fredericka Johanning was born on 22 May 1842 in Prussia [Germany]. She arrived c1866 and married Heinrich "Henry" Blume in November 1867. Henry, also an immigrant of Germany, had arrived in San Francisco in 1856. Henry first settled near Pinole but sold out and moved to his residence and farm in San Pablo, consisting of three hundred and fifty acres where he engaged in dairying and farming. After marrying Henry, they settled in San Pablo and continued farming and ranching. He was a prominent member of San Pablo Lodge No. 86 of the A. O. U. W. (Ancient Order of United Workmen). They had five sons, Henry, Frederick, William, Carl and Albert; and one daughter, Frederica who died as a child. Their home was host to many social events and celebrations attended by local pioneering farming families of the county. Unfortunately, Henry Blume died in 1895 at age 58.

After the death of her husband in July 1895, Fredericka, now a widow at age 54, kept farming the land. Their main cash crops were hay and grain, but they also had beef cattle, milk cows and chickens, from which they sold butter and eggs. An orchard and garden provided much of the family's food. She also has pigs, rabbits, guinea hens, pigeons, peacocks and bees on the farm. Left with five sons to raise, she took in boarders; in the 1900 Census, 2 are listed as farm laborers, and 2 others as well drillers. Fredericka purchased 996 acres of Rancho San Pablo for $29,000 from Elizabeth Emeric in November 1899.

In 1905, Fredericka built a new luxurious home while maintaining the now 1,000-acre farm in San Pablo with the help of her five sons. It was unusually large and luxurious for a farmhouse having seven bedrooms, a parlor, kitchen, dining room, two bathrooms and running water. The original house was used as a chicken house. The water was provided from a 6,000-gallon water tank and windmill. Heat was provided by the fireplace and the kitchen stove.  The original lighting system, acetylene gas, was replaced by electricity in 1929.

During that time, there was speculation of oil on the Blume property and the surrounding land. In November 1911, the Standard Oil Company purchased 127 acres of land from Fredericka Blume for $125,000; equivalent to $4 million today. Although she had sold most of the land to the Standard Oil, she leased back 400 acres for farming and kept 36 acres around the home with her sons continuing to farm the land.  After that, a series of renters raised horses and sheep on the property. 

By November 1913, Standard Oil was in negotiations with A. C. (Carl) Blume to purchase 800 acres of the ranch at $210 per acre for the purpose of establishing an enormous "tank farm." By now, Fredericka had also become a stock owner in the Central National Bank and the Central Savings of Oakland.

Fredericka died on 15 December 1925 at age 83, and unfortunately, she had no proper Will in place. Half of her estate was valued at $140,000 in cash on deposit in various banks in Richmond and Oakland. In addition to the cash, the estate consisted of $40,000 in stocks in the Central National and Central Savings Banks of Oakland; $7,000 in Liberty Bonds; $47, 570 in promissory notes and $3,000 in incidental assets totaling $237,570 ($4M today). Her four surviving sons, Henry, Fred, William and Carl inherited and shared in her estate equally and continued to run the family farm until the late 1940s.

Frederick "Fred" August Blume [1870-1956]

Frederick, son of Heinrich "Henry" and Fredericka Blume lived on a section of property south of his parent's original ranch which bordered San Pablo Creek. The California & Nevada Railroad ran through the outer edge of his property. Some obituaries for the sons of the Blume's indicate they were "born in the family ranch house which was located on 'Fairmead' Road No. 24, which extended from Tank Farm Hill to El Sobrante. The family home stands behind a hill near what was once a golf club."

The Blume House Museum

The Blume House Museum is refurbished and furnished to represent the Blume's early 19th century farmhouse. The most popular room with visitors is the kitchen, with its original cast-iron stove and gadgets of the period.