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William Vollmers was born Sept.
8, 1858 in Weaverville. His father, Otto was in Trinity County in 1850
but returned to Hamburg to marry Catherine Helle. They made the trip around
Cape Horn from Germany. Becoming a father may be the reason Otto gave up
mining and became a hotel owner.
William attended the local school
and then was sent to McClure's Academy in San Francisco to finish his education.
As the oldest child he assisted in running the hotel while he worked as
copier at the Courthouse. He tried mining, banking and spent a year as
Postmaster. About the time of his marriage he became a partner in the hotel
in Trinity Center.
Lucy Jane Allison was born at
French Corral, Nevada June 9, 1859, but her family soon moved to Trinity
Center. She attended the local school and Mills Seminary (College). March
27, 1881 she and William Vollmers were married. They spent their lives
building a future for their six children:
| Arleto | b. 1881 | d. 1965 | m. Gus Peterson |
| Otto | b. 1883 | d. 1967 | Never married |
| Alberta | b. 1885 | d. 1982 | m. Tom Petersen |
| William Jefferson | b. 1887 | d. 1960 | m. Irene VanMatre |
| Adelia | b. 1890 | d. 1978 | Never married |
| Shelby | b. 1895 | d. 1956 | m. Sarah Ruth Miller |
The children were raised in
and around the Trinity Center Hotel and attended the local one-room school.
The oldest two were sent to Sacramento High School but both were brought
home when Otto had pneurnonia -- Arleto wouldn't have a chaperone. When
he recovered, Otto managed the cattle on the family ranch. Alberta attended
Etna High School and then U. C. Berkeley. In 1906, William sold both his
interest in the Bonanza King Mine and his hotel. The "06 Earthquake" cancelled
his plans, so the family moved to Berkeley where Adella followed Alberta
through U.C. and Shelby attended McKinley High School in Berkeley.
Four years later, when they
decided to come north, the Autenreith ranch was for sale and became home
for the family and Vollmers' Summer Resort. All of the kids returned but
Otto and Shelby never left. Otto managed the cattle and farming -- the
most and the best strawberries in the world -- plants and fruit. The smithy
became a Service Station.
Lucy died August 24, 1917, after
several years of declining health. William remained in the store until
1924 where Shelby joined him. He was fatally burned Sept. 8, 1928 when
a can of gasoline exploded at his feet. William and Lucy are buried in
Redding Cemetery.
Source: Shasta Historical Society - Nov 2002
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