Hog Pen Gold..Is There More

[Gypsy Heart]

From the California GenWeb Archives:
http://www.cagenweb.com/archives/

WILLIAM & GEORGE MENZEL

William and George Menzel, enterprising business men of Redding,
California, are natives of Polk City, Iowa. William was born January 26,
1856, and George, March 4, 1858, sons of William Menzel, a native of
Germany. The family came to Shasta County, California, in 1860, and
settled at Millville, where the father purchased a farm. In 1861, while
attempting to cross Cow Creek in a skiff, he was drowned.

After the death of their father, as soon as they were old enough,
William and George did ranch work and anything they could get to do to
earn an honest living. They subsequently learned the blacksmith's trade
and, in 1881, opened their blacksmith and wagon-making business in
Redding. Honesty and industry won for them success in this undertaking.
In 1886 they established the Redding Meat Market, and since that time
have conducted both enterprises. In July, 1890, their whole block and
meat market were consumed by fire. They were not insured and their loss
amounted to about $3,500. The day after the fire they rented a building
and opened their market, and are conducting the business with their
characteristic energy. It is their intention soon to erect a new and
better building.

The Menzel brothers are both single gentlemen. Both have passed all the
chairs in the I. O. O. F. They have acquired considerable property, and
are representative men in their line of business. They affiliate with
the Democratic party, and are liberal and excellent citizens.
Source: Memorial and Biographical History of Northern California, Lewis
Publishing Co., 1891 page 770
Transcribed by: Melody Landon Gregory August 2004

1885 Directory Shasta Directory

Menzel, George - blacksmith
Menzel, William - blacksmith





>Sacramento Evening Bee
>Thursday, December 1, 1904
>
> BUTCHER RAKES UP RICH TREASURER
>Nearly $1000 In Gold Coin Of Old Mintage Is Unearthed
>Money Was Probably the Hidden Treasure of an Old Miner Who Died Before Dug
>Up - Several $2.50 Gold Pieces Among the Coin.
>REDDING (Shasta Co.), December 1 - William MENZEL, proprietor of the
>oldest-established butcher shop in Redding raked up almost a thousand
>dollars in gold coin last Sunday from the hog yard surrounding his slaughter
>house on the outskirts of town. In the lot of coin was $6.50 in silver of
>various denominations. All of the coins, both the gold and the silver, were
>of a mintage of over thirty years ago, indicating that the money had
>probably lain secreted there about that length of time.
> About three months ago Mr. Menzel was keeping close watch of his slaughter
>house trying to capture some chicken thieves. One night he took a shot at a
>chicken thief on the run. The next day he examined the footprints in the
>yard very carefully, hoping to do some detective work. He then found about
>$30 in gold. Mr. Mensel thought the coin had been dropped by the chicken
>thief in his flight. He pocketed the coin, deeming himself lucky, but making
>no extensive search in the hog yard for more gold.
> The incident was almost forgotten until last Sunday, when he was amazed to
>see a $20 gold piece protruding from the ground where the hogs had been
>doing perhaps some extra deep rooting. Mr. Menzel called to his boy to bring
>his rake and shovel. They raked and scraped over a few square feet of the
>yard, digging perhaps to the depth of a foot, and were rewarded by
>recovering almost a thousand dollars. Mr. Menzel declines to state the exact
>amount for the fear that some imposter may lay claim to the treasure.
> Most of the gold was in double eagles. There are six $2.50 gold pieces and
>a few $5 gold pieces of the mintage of 1836, which are very rarely seen. The
>silver coins were all so tarnished as to be almost unrecognizable.
> How the coins came to be buried in the slaughter house yard is purely a
>matter of conjecture. They were probably buried on the spot before the
>slaughter house was built. The dates on the coins indicate that. It is only
>a surmise that some miner in early days secreted the coin in the soil,
>expecting to return and dig it up sometime, in the meantime dying and his
>secret being buried with him.
>
>




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