VIPS in San Francisco during the 1800s

 

July 10, 1852.

Marine Intelligence.

Port of San Francisco, July 12, 1852

Arrived: Brig Johanna Cristophe (Hamburg) Classen. 66 days from Panama; mdse to Cordes, Steffens & Co. 4 passengers. Wine Merchants from Germany arrived on that ship.

And also to California commission merchants Dupuy, Foulkes & Co

Dupuy & Foulke's imported wines came into the U.S. Warehouse at Union Street, which in April 1854 was greatly overloaded and fell by gross negligance on the part of the Collector of Customs.

Daily Alta California, Thursday Morning, April 13, 1854

FALL OF THE UNITED STATES BONDED WAREHOUSE

ANOTHER CRASH! Yesterday shortly after noon, a portion of the rear and south walls of the United States Bonded Warehouses at the corner of Union and Battery streets, fells with a loud crash, carrying a portion of the three floors into the cellar or ground floor. A large amount of bonded goods, chiefly liquors in casks and cases were precipitated in a confused mass below, causing considerably damage by breakage. About fifty feet of the south wall and twenty feet of the rear wall fell out from the base, carrying down about that area of tbe floors and roof. The adjacent portions of the building were heavily shored, which prevented a wider spread destruction

The cause of this disaster, as explained, is the result of raising the floors above the original level, they having some time previously settled down aboot four inches. In shoring this portion of the building up the floors were raised about two inches above tbe former level, causing a lateral pressure against the walls, which added to the immense weight of goods stored, forced the walls out. The destruction ol merchandise by this fall is much lighter than might have been expected, and will probably not exceed from five to eight thousand dollars. The damage to the building will exceed that sum.

The accident fortunately occurred in the absence of tbe men, who are engaged is tbe building. At the lime of the fall Mr. Dupuy and Col. Stamp, the officer in charge, were examining some goods about ten feet from the spot which gave way, but hearing the crash they made a hasty retreat through the front of the building, escaping without harm.

These buildings, which are three stories in height were erected about two years since, and were leased to the United States Government for ten years by the owner, G. K. Eldrerige, at tbe rate of $3,000 per month. From the care which bad been taken to secure the upper floors no accident of this kind was thought possible.

By May of 1854, Dupuy, Foulkes & Co. had relocated to Battery street between Pacific and Jackson.

Daily Alta California, November 20, 1855

Legal Notices

STATE OF CALIFORNIA--County of San Francisco--In the District Court of the Twelfth Judicial District: Alexis Dupuy, Edward Lloyd, and William B. Agard, doing business unde rthe style of Dupuy, Foulkes & Co., plaintiffs, vs. Daniel D. Page and others, defendants.

Action brought in the District Court of the Twelfth Judicial District, and the complaint filed inthe City and County of San Francisco, in the office of the Clerk of said District Court. The People of the State . of California send greeting: 'I o Daniel D. Page, henry D. Bacon, David Chambers, Henry Haight, Francis W. Page, under teh name and style of Page, Bacon & Co.

You are hereby required to appear in an action brought against you by the above named plaintiff, in the District Court of the Twelfth Judicial District, in and for the County of San Francisco, and to answer the complaint filed therein (a copy of which accompanies this summons) within ten days (exclusive of the day of service,) after the service on you of this summons, if served within this county; or served out of this county., then within forty days or judgment by default will be taken against you.

The said action is brought to recover the sum of thirty-seven thousand eight hundred and sixty two 42-100 dollars with interest thereon from the 4th day of August, 1855, at the rate of ten percent per annum, due said plaintifs on certain bills of exchange drawn by you on Messrs. Fred. Huth & Co., London, and protested for non-acceptance, and for other and further relief, and i you fail to appear and answer the said complaint as above required, the said plaintiffs will takejudgment for said sum $37,862.42 with interest as aforesaid and costs of suit.

Given under my hand and the seal of the District Court of the Twelfth Judicial District, this 20th day of August, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.

[L.S.] THOMAS HAVES, Clerk.
By Oymar Caleb, Deputy Cler
Bates & Lawrence, Attorneys for Plaintiffs Ry < i mar Caleb, Deputy Clerk. Bates 11 Lawrence, Attorneys fur I'l .iiiiiifs. au23-l aw :im Statk OF < A i,i Four*: t, county OP BAM FRANCIhCO,
au22-law3m

Dupuy, Foulkes & Co. were located at the corner of Jackson and Battery, SF, standing on piles and was accessible by a narrow side-walk over the water of the bay (description from Men and Memories of San Francisco: In the "Spring of '50" [1873 ] by T.A. Barry and B.A. Patten.

The merchandise of Dupuy (and other importers) was wholly lost and destroyed.

Therefore, in April 20, 1870 the Senate of the U.S. enacted a bill, that the Secretary of the Treasury has to pay 17,569 Dollars and 65 Cents in U.S. Gold Coin to Dupuy!

Daily Alta California, March 26, 1852

CONSIGNEES.

Per Legerdemain--Dupuy, Foulkes & Co.; Searle, Wilby & Calrk; J.B.Winn

Sacramento Daily Union, July 27, 1853

Arrived.

July 26--Bark Baroness, Clark, 185 days from London; mdse to Dupuy, Foulkes & Co.

San Mateo County Gazette, Redwood City, California, May 18, 1861

Mr. Meek, of the firm of Dupuy, Foulkes & Co., of San Francisco, is missing and is thought to be murdered. He was last seen about four miles from Martinez, Contra Costa county. It is supposed that he has been murdered by some person who believed that he carried about his person some very valuable gold specimens.

The Annals of San Francisco

Historical Atlas of California

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