From the Pacific
Brewery to Klander’s
By Claudia East
Today
locals (and in-the-know out of town folks) will visit Klander’s Deli at 211
South Oregon Street to enjoy a great lunch!
Upon arrival folks will know by simply looking at the building that this
property is loaded with history for the city of Yreka. Some information about this location and
former businesses that have served the community is lacking, but we do know
some very interesting facts.
In 1854-55
a local brewery was established on this site, this would have been just 3 or 4
years after gold was discovered on the Yreka Flats. The original owner is not well documented,
but it is believed that a G. Gamble was the founder of this brewery. The building was built of brick as far back
as one can tell. There is also the name
of John Miller as an owner prior to 1865 located in title records at the
Siskiyou County Courthouse, but additional information about him is currently
unknown. On June 22, 1864, however, it
is noted in the Yreka Journal that Charles Iunker bought out the Pacific
Brewery from his former partner John Hessenauer. At the time Iunker owned the Yreka Brewery
and the Siskiyou Brewery and these were both consolidated into the established Pacific
Brewery. This information is also noted
in the History of Siskiyou County, California by Harry L. Wells
published in 1881.
Charles
Iunker was a long term and successful businessman in Yreka’s history. He not only owned the various breweries, but
also was the proprietor of the Bella Union Saloon located on the south side of
Miner Street in a location today known as 325 West Miner Street. [Originally
this was a one-story building during the Bella Union days.] It was natural for him to be involved as a
brew master as he came from Bavaria, Germany and while there he was schooled as
an artisan in the brewing and distilling trade.
He arrived in Yreka in 1855 and opened his first brewery, in 1858 he
purchased the Bella Union property, and in 1861 he built a two story brick
residence on Center Street that still stands today. It was reported in 1881 that about 300
barrels of beer were annually made in Yreka at his brewery.
The exact
year the brewery next changed ownership is unknown, but sometime between 1897
and 1901 Joseph Steinacher is listed as the proprietor of the Pacific Brewery.
Viewing the 1908 Sanborn map one can see that as well as operating a brewery
Steinacher also had a saloon in operation at this location and the building was
equipped with electric lights. It
operated under Steinacher until January 17, 1920 when prohibition began. What
transpired during the next seven years is unclear at this time, but by 1927
research shows us that the building was being used as a meat packing and
distributing plant. The next void in the
history continues until about 1945 or so when Theodore and Marjorie Klander
operate the Siskiyou County Distributing Company at this address. For many years Marjorie and her son, Robert
Klander, operated the business. It is
interesting to view old photos of the building, and although some of the basic
parts of the current building may be original it is not known when the building
was altered or rebuilt but it is roughly estimated to have undergone major
reconstruction or a rebuild between 1930 and 1945 to the configuration we are
familiar with today.
Copyright: Claudia East
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