William Westerfeld
{{Short description|German-American confectioner (1842–1895)}}
{{Use American English|date=May 2023}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2023}}
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| birth_date = {{Birth date|1842|09|12}}
| birth_place = Bremen, Germany
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1895|02|18|1842|09|12}}
| death_place = San Francisco, California, US
| resting_place = Cypress Lawn Cemetery
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| occupation = Confectioner
| years_active = 1859–1895
| known_for = {{plainlist|
- Westerfeld Bakery
- William Westerfeld House}}
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| spouse = Pauline
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| children = 4
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William Westerfeld (September 12, 1842 – February 18, 1895) was a German baker and confectioner who lived in San Francisco, California. He moved 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.
Early life
Westerfeld was born in Syke, a suburb of Bremen, Germany, in 1842.
In 1859, he moved to California where he worked with his uncle, Louis Westerfeld, who trained him in confectionery. Westerfeld's uncle Louis was then a baker at Schroth & Westerfeld, a "coffee saloon"{{Cite book |last=L. M. McKenney & Co |url=https://archive.org/stream/mckenneysgazette1872lmmc/mckenneysgazette1872lmmc_djvu.txt |title=McKenney's gazetteer and directory of the Central Pacific Railroad and its branches for 1872 : a guide and business directory complete in one volume |date=1872 |publisher=Sacramento : Directory Pub. Co., H. M. McKenney, L. M. McKenney |others=San Francisco Public Library}} and bakery{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IhxQAQAAMAAJ&dq=%22Schroth+&pg=RA5-PP2 |title=Bradstreet's |date=1881 |publisher=Bradstreet Company |language=en}} at 228 Kearny Street.{{Cite web |title=Read the eBook Northern Pacific Coast directory (Volume 1888–89) by Henry T. Williams online for free (page 98 of 131) |url=https://www.ebooksread.com/authors-eng/henry-t-williams/northern-pacific-coast-directory-volume-1888-89-fna/page-98-northern-pacific-coast-directory-volume-1888-89-fna.shtml |access-date=2023-05-23 |website=www.ebooksread.com}}
Career
In the 1860s Westerfeld started his own confectionery business with a partner named G. T. Page. He went on to become a noted baker and confectioner operating on Market Street in San Francisco, California.{{cite book |last1=McGrew |first1=Patrick |title=Landmarks of San Francisco |date=1991 |publisher=H. N. Abrams |location=New York |page=198 |isbn=9780810935570 |url=https://archive.org/details/landmarksofsanfr00mcgr/page/198/mode/2up?q=Westerfeld |access-date=11 May 2023}}{{Cite book |last=Pomada |first=Elizabeth |title=The Painted Ladies Revisited : San Francisco's Resplendent Victorians Inside and Out |publisher=E. P. Dutton |year=1989 |isbn=0-525-24812-9 |location=New York |pages=54}}
In December 1880, Westerfeld was elected president of the 64-member "Boss Bakers' Association", when it became a permanent organization.{{Cite news |date=December 18, 1880 |title=Boss Bakers |work=The San Francisco Examiner |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-san-francisco-examiner-boss-bakers/124544512/ |access-date=2023-05-13 |via=Newspapers.com}}
In 1891 the Bakers' Union No. 24 organized a boycott of Westerfeld's business because he refused to allow the bakers to have Sundays off. The other bakers came to his aid publishing a response in the San Francisco Chronicle.{{cite news |date=2 May 1891 |title=The Boycott Against William Westerfeld |work=San Francisco Chronicle |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/san-francisco-chronicle-william-westerfe/124429429/ |access-date=11 May 2023}}
In 1892, another boycott of Westerfeld bakery was organized because the bakery required employees to work seven days a week instead of six.{{cite news |title=The Labor Unions: Another Boycott Levied on Westerfeld's Bakery |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/san-francisco-chronicle-william-westerfe/124431954/ |access-date=11 May 2023 |work=San Francisco Chronicle |date=21 January 1892}}
Personal life and death
Westerfeld was married to Pauline and was the father of Otto, Paul, Ella and Walla.
In 1895 he had been in poor health and 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.{{cite news |title=An Active Career Ended |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-san-francisco-call-william-westerfel/124429609/ |access-date=11 May 2023 |work=The San Francisco Call |date=19 February 1895}} He died on February 18, 1895.{{cite news |title=Westerfeld |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-san-francisco-call-obituary-for-will/124431400/ |access-date=11 May 2023 |work=The San Francisco Call |date=20 February 1895}} He was cremated and interred at Cypress Lawn Cemetery. The San Francisco Call stated that Westerfeld was "very prosperous" and "leaves a comfortable fortune".
Legacy
By 1904, 228 Kearny Street was the location of Arfsten, Eicher, & Co. Bakers and Confectioners,{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=q6w0AQAAMAAJ&q=%22228+kearny+street%22+san+francisco |title=Crocker-Langley San Francisco Directory |date=1904 |publisher=H. S. Crocker Company |pages=191, 447, 1599 |language=en}} a bakery and restaurant.[https://www.library.sfgenealogy.org/directory/san-francisco-county-directory/1904/1904%20137.pdf Crocker-Langley Directory PDF, 1904] This would insinuate that Schroth & Westfeld either moved, was renamed, or was dissolved into the new confectionery.
After Westerfeld died, Pauline and his son continued operating the business until 1906. 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.{{cite web |title=Westerfeld, William, House |url=https://npgallery.nps.gov/NRHP/GetAsset/226ebb96-fb56-41e9-82fd-d6746ff21b13/ |website=npgallery |publisher=United States Department of the Interior National Park Service}}