Josephine Kolmer-Benitz Page last modified:

Josephine’s Trip to California
1898-1899

In 1898 Josephine undertook a trip to visit her friends in California whom she had not seen in twenty-five years.  She was accompanied by her son Willie, his wife Clara and their children.  They sailed for England on the “Magdalena”, departing from Buenos Aires on March 18, 1898.  Willie returned in 1898, but Josephine stayed on in California, & Clara stayed on in Minnesota.  They returned together in early August, 1899.

Photos of her trip are found on three pages:

  1. this page contains the cabinet cards (& 1 post card) she collected;
  2. the page of “Cabinet Cards” (photos) includes any CDVs she was given; and,
  3. the “Album of Misc.Photos” page contains many photos taken during her visit to California, particularly of the Kolmer farm.

Fandango-1

Missing image.

Fort Ross Fandango, 22 April, 1899
Josephine KolmerBz (black hat, seated front center)
Katie Benitz (sitting on the ground left of & next to JKBz)
Hattie Burdell Benitz (seated directly behind Katie Bz)
(Source: Jane Watt/Baggott)

Fandango-2

Missing image.

Invitation to a Fandango at Fort Ross
in honor of
Seņora Doņa Josefina Benitz
(Source: Jane Watt/Baggott)

card 1

Missing image.

“Opposite side of the
vineyard looking south”
Rancho Olompali, California
ca.1898
(Source: John C. Benitz; id: Matt Thompson, 2014)

card 1, BACK

Missing image.

“Opposite side of the
vineyard looking south”
(Photographer: Frank Kuykendall,
from Santa Rosa, California.)

card 2

Missing image.

Rancho Olompali, California
(at left: large greenhouse, flagpole, & barn,
at right: the gables of the 1860‘s Burdell home)
Railroad tracks in foreground, ca.1898
(Source: John C. Benitz; id: Matt Thompson, 2014)

card 3

Missing image.

Russian Graveyard, Fort Ross, California
ca.1898
(Source: John C. Benitz)

card 4

Missing image.

Benitz-Kolmer Cemetery
Timber Cove, California
Headstone not yet installed, ca.1898
(Source: John C. Benitz)

card 5

Missing image.

Russian Chapel, Fort Ross, California
bef.1898 (post-card)
(Source: John C. Benitz)

card 6

Missing image.

“Our Home”
Possibly a house rented by Josephine
during her visit, 1898-1899;
or the home of a friend.
(Source: John C. Benitz)

card 6, BACK

Missing image.

“Oakland - Benitz home
as well as Fort Ross”
This is NOT where the Benitz family
lived in Oakland, 1867-1874.
See Josephine’s bio. page.
(Source: John C. Benitz)

card 7

Missing image.

“Manterey Church built 1794”
(Source: John C. Benitz)
[See: Cathedral of San Carlos Borromeo, the oldest serving cathedral in the U.S.]

© Peter Benitz (Benitz Family)