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William Benitz | Page last modified: |
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William Benitz | Page last modified: |
William Benitz
ca.1868
(Source: John C. Benitz)
In the table below we list William’s real estate transactions on file at the Alameda County Recorder’s Office (Oakland, California). His real estate transactions in Sonoma and Shasta counties (i.e. Fort Ross, Hermann, and New Breisgau) are found on the Sonoma Real Estate page (see above menu).
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We must be careful when speculating about William's net worth. We do not know how he managed his investments nor their full extent. Based upon the public records of his Oakland real estate transactions, he appears to have been an astute “capitalist”, almost doubling his net worth during the seven years he and Josephine lived in Oakland. He sold Fort Ross in 1867 for $64,000 (over 1 million USD-2000). It is probably safe to assume that the capital he invested in Oakland real estate came solely from the sale of Fort Ross for by the end of 1869 he had invested only $52,000. The remaining $12,000 was likely spent on moving expenses (Fort Ross to Oakland), living expenses, construction of the Benitz Building, and other investments unknown to us. In 1874 he sold all his Oakland properties for $105,300 (over 2 million USD-2000), most of it to Miller & Heaton, miners from Salt Lake — the final sale was large enough to cause comment in the local press.
Family Home
320 Eigth Street, Oakland
(Source: F.M. Benitz)
William purchased the lot and house at 320 8TH Street in 1865, and the rest of the block by the end of 1867 (block Nº 86, between Webster & Harrison streets, and 8TH & 9TH streets). He owned the entire block when he sold it in 1874. The house was torn down in 1901 and today the block is in Oakland’s China Town.
William bought the lots at the north-east corner of Broadway and 10th streets in 1867 and 1869 for $12,000 (block Nº 143, lots: 1-4, 27 & 28). Per the year on the building’s façade on Broadway, its construction was presumably completed in 1871. We have yet to determine how much it cost to build, but in 1873 the property was valued at $40,000.
Today (2010), a large modern seven story office and retail building occupies the block’s entire frontage on Broadway, across from the Oakland Convention Centre.
During 1998, Robin Benitz and Frank Watt visited the historical section of the Oakland, California, main library. They were able to glean a fair amount of information about William. Robin summarized what they discovered about the Benitz Building:
“Wm. Benitz’s building is a massive two-storey fireproof building on S/E corner (Broadway between 10th and 11th St.) having frontage of 100 ft. on Broadway and worth $40,000 (1873 History of City of Oakland). The building was torn down and today is replaced by a new large seven story building (offices, with ground floor retail) that occupies the whole frontage of the block. A block of similar type buildings to the Benitz block have been retained on 9th Street between Broadway and Washington Streets. It shows the Italianate, highly ornate features which would have been prominent on the Wm. Benitz building. It is assumed W.B. had the building built for him. As can be seen from the building’s façade the ground floor was occupied by a Bank and Real Estate offices. ... The 10th Street side had a wool and coal merchant.”
Benitz Building, ca.1871 |
Benitz Building, ca.1880 |
Broadway, 1875 |
Broadway, 2003 |
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1878
(200k file)
1878
(1 mb file)
2005
Maps of Oakland: The maps show the locations of the real estate William bought and sold in Oakland. The maps will open in a separate window so you can have them available while viewing the table. We have identified the Benitz office building, the family home, Lincoln Grammar School, and the Presbyterian Church we believe they attended (see Alfred’s biography, Chapters III and IV).
| Date | Block | Lots | Out-$ | In+$ | Net=$ | From/To | Other Party |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oakland | 44 | Tract 406, Oakland Point | |||||
| 27-Oct-68 | 44 | (1-4) | 2,100 | Seller:: | J.E. Freeman | ||
| 30-Jun-74 | 44 | (1-4) | 0 | Buyer: | Miller & Heaton (final sale below) | ||
| Totals: | 2,100 | 0 | -2,100 | ||||
| Oakland | 48 | ||||||
| 20-Jan-68 | 48 | 10, | 300 | Seller: | Edward Minturn | ||
| 08-Jan-68 | 48 | 11, | 400 | Seller: | Otto Paschwitz | ||
| 09-Mar-70 | 48 | (10-11) | 2,400 | Buyer: | WB Clement | ||
| Totals: | 700 | 2,400 | 1,700 | ||||
| Oakland | 53 | on the San Pablo Road - “Tuttle Homestead Tract” | |||||
| 11-Jul-68 | 53 | Lot | 415 | Mortgage from: | Ernst Mullër | ||
| 53 | 600 | Buyer: | ** Unknown ** | ||||
| Totals: | 415 | 600 | 185 | ||||
| Oakland | 86 | Dwelling | |||||
| 31-Jul-67 | 86 | (5-8) | 1,200 | Seller: | Warren Buck | ||
| (9-11) | 1,000 | Seller: | ** Unknown ** | ||||
| 08-Aug-67 | 86 | (12-25) east 1/2 | 2,400 | Seller: | Mysron J. Dusinbury | ||
| 01-Sep-65 | 86 | (1-4), (26-28) Dwelling | 675 | Deed of Trust | Warren Buck | ||
| 25-Aug-66 | 86 | (1-4), (26-28) | 2,500 | Deed of Trust | James de Fr…. et al | ||
| 19-Apr-67 | 86 | (1-4), (26-28) | 4,000 | Mortgage: | Warren Buck? | ||
| 12-Sep-67 | 86 | (1-4), (26-28) | 1,250 | Seller: | Warren Buck | ||
| 14-Apr-74 | 86 | (9-11) | 3,500 | Buyer: | Adam Menges | ||
| 22-Jun-74 | 86 | (12-13) | 1,800 | Buyer: | Adam Menges | ||
| 30-Jun-74 | 86 | (1-8), (14-28) | 0 | Buyer: | Miller & Heaton (final sale below) | ||
| Totals: | 13,025 | 5,300 | -7,725 | ||||
| Oakland | 87 | ||||||
| 01-Aug-68 | 87 | (1-4) | 2,800 | Seller:: | Cornelius & Desire Koopmanschap | ||
| 04-Apr-72 | 87 | (1-2) | 2,500 | Buyer: | F.W. Sohst | ||
| 07-Apr-73 | 87 | (3-4) | 2,000 | Buyer: | Edward Hackett | ||
| Totals: | 2,800 | 4,500 | 1,700 | ||||
| Oakland | 89 | ||||||
| 26-May-69 | 89 | (3-4) | 3,000 | Seller: | Order of Odd Fellows (trustees) | ||
| 30-Jun-74 | 89 | (3-4) | 0 | Buyer: | Miller & Heaton (final sale below) | ||
| Totals: | 3,000 | 0 | -3,000 | ||||
| Oakland | 120 | ||||||
| 11-Jan-68 | 120 | (19-20) | 900 | Seller: | Henry Jahn | ||
| 120 | 19, | 800 | Buyer: | ** Unknown ** | |||
| 29-Jul-68 | 120 | 20, | 800 | Buyer: | C.M. Bennett | ||
| 27-Mar-68 | 120 | (5-10) | 4,500 | Seller: | Antoine Borel | ||
| 02-Nov-72 | 120 | (5-10) | 6,000 | Buyer: | George H. Barrett | ||
| Totals: | 5,400 | 7,600 | 2,200 | ||||
| Oakland | 143 | ||||||
| 01-Apr-68 | 143 | (19-22) | 4,500 | Seller: | Sarah Reynolds | ||
| 28-Sep-71 | 143 | (19-22) | 1 | Quit claim from: | Pointry, J.W. Martin, A.C. Henry | ||
| 28-Sep-72 | 143 | (19-22) | 0 | Mortgage to: | Note on Union Savings Bank (2%/month) | ||
| 07-Nov-73 | 143 | (19-22) | 6,600 | Buyer: | Andrew J. Snyder | ||
| Totals: | 4,501 | 6,600 | 2,099 | ||||
| Oakland | 143 | Office Building | |||||
| 04-Nov-67 | 143 | (1-2),(27-28) | 5,000 | Seller: | Louis G. Braguire | ||
| 05-Feb-69 | 143 | (3-4) | 7,000 | Seller: | John C. Hays | ||
| 30-Jun-74 | 143 | (1-4), (27-28), 5 edge | 0 | Buyer: | Miller & Heaton (final sale below) | ||
| 1871 ? | 143 | Construction | 0 | Contractor: | ** Unknown ** | ||
| Totals: | 12,000 | 0 | -12,000 | ||||
| Oakland | 159 | ||||||
| 10-Feb-68 | 159 | 21, 22, 23 part | 2,000 | Seller: | B.A. Caryl | ||
| 14-May-68 | 159 | 23 part | 750 | Seller: | P.D. Wilcox & B.A. Caryl | ||
| 26-May-69 | 159 | 21, 22, 23 part | 3,300 | Buyer: | Order of Odd Fellows (trustees) | ||
| 29-Jul-69 | 159 | 23 part | 1,000 | Buyer: | Order of Odd Fellows (trustees) | ||
| 03-Dec-69 | 159 | (21-23) | 1 | Quick claim to: | Order of Odd Fellows (trustees) | ||
| Totals: | 2,750 | 4,301 | 1,551 | ||||
| Oakland | 160 | ||||||
| 27-Mar-68 | 160 | (1-3), 28 | 3,000 | Seller: | Frederick C. Weber | ||
| 03-Nov-71 | 160 | 1, 2 S-part, 28 S-part | 3,000 | Buyer: | William Streit | ||
| 18-Sep-73 | 160 | 3, 2 N-part, 28 C-part | 3,200 | Buyer: | Myron M. Tinkham | ||
| Totals: | 3,000 | 6,200 | 3,200 | ||||
| 01-Jan-68 | 160 | (4-9), 28 N-part | 9,000 | Seller: | Gustavus & Hermine Schulte | ||
| 30-Jun-74 | 160 | (4-9), 28 N-part | 0 | Buyer: | Miller & Heaton (final sale below) | ||
| Totals: | 9,000 | 0 | -9,000 | ||||
| Oakland | 3 & 4 | Mountain View Cemetery | |||||
| 11-Jan-69 | 3 | Plot 11 & 12 | 60 | Seller: | Mountain View Cemetery | ||
| 01-Dec-71 | 3 | Plot 11 & 12 | 60 | Buyer: | Mountain View Cemetery | ||
| 21-Dec-71 | 4 | Plot 260 & 261 | 73 | Seller: | Mountain View Cemetery | ||
| 4 | Plot 260 & 261 | 73 | Buyer: | ** Unknown ** | |||
| Totals: | 133 | 133 | 0 | ||||
| Oakland | Final Sale to Miller & Heaton | ||||||
| 30-Jun-74 | 44 | (1-4) | 2,100 | Buyer: | Miller & Heaton | ||
| 30-Jun-74 | 86 | (1-8), (14-28) | 12,525 | Buyer: | Miller & Heaton | ||
| 30-Jun-74 | 89 | (3-4) | 3,000 | Buyer: | Miller & Heaton | ||
| 30-Jun-74 | 143 | (1-4), 28, 5 edge | 12,000 | Buyer: | Miller & Heaton | ||
| 30-Jun-74 | 160 | (4-9), 1/4 of 28 | 9,000 | Buyer: | Miller & Heaton | ||
| 30-Jun-74 | Lump Sum: | 100,000 | Buyer: | Miller & Heaton | |||
| Totals: | 38,625 | 100,000 | 61,375 | Miller & Heaton | |||
| Grand Totals | Out-$ | In+$ | Net=$ | ||||
| All years: | 57,824 | 136,161 | 78,337 | ||||
| Activity 1866: | 3,175 | 0 | |||||
| Activity 1867: | 13,850 | 0 | |||||
| Activity 1868: | 30,665 | 800 | |||||
| Activity 1869: | 10,060 | 4,301 | Net invested: $52,649 | ||||
| Activity 1870: | 0 | 2,400 | |||||
| Activity 1871: | 74 | 3,060 | |||||
| Activity 1872: | 0 | 8,500 | |||||
| Activity 1873: | 0 | 11,800 | |||||
| Activity 1874: | 0 | 105,300 | |||||
| Missing: | 1,000 | 1,473 | (estimated) | ||||
| Office Building: | ?? | ||||||
© Peter Benitz (Benitz Family)