Sonoma County Biography
Americo Casarotti
The possibilities afforded by the west to men of untiring energy find and apt illustration in the lives of men who have come hither from lands across the seas and who have achieved competencies in spite of the handicaps of unfamiliarity with our language, our soil, our customs and our people. Such has been the experience of Americo Casarotti, who was born in the village of Maggia, Canton Ticino, Switzerland, March 18, 1882, and who immigrated to the United States in 1894, at the age of twelve years. The voyage was made in company with his parents, Martin and Carola (Guglialmoni) Casarotti, who were also natives of Switzerland, born in 1845 and 1850 respectively. Instead of following the usual course taken by the majority of his fellow-countrymen in setting out from their native land, the father first went to South America, remaining their eight years, after which he embarked on a vessel bound for the United States, California being his objective point, and he has ever since been a resident of Marin county. Besides the son whose name heads this sketch there were two sons and two daughters in the parental family, as follows: Peter, Marian, Americo, Victoria and Delphina. The eldest daugher, Victoria, is the wife of Goss Tinuzini and resides in Chileno valley.
Following closely in the steps of his ancestors in the choice of a life work Americo Casarotti is finding pleasure as well as satisfactory compensation in the tilling of the soil and in the dairy business, and he leased ranch of six hundred and twenty-six acres in the vicinity of Petaluma bears witness to the fact that he is in intimate touch with all departments of agriculture. Every acre of the ranch is utilized for one purpose or another, for the owner is methodical and practical and keeps posted as to the best methods of maintaining a ranch enterprise. Fifty acres of the land are under cultivation, while the remainder furnishes pasturage for eighty-five cows that constitute his dairy. Besides the dairy stock just mentioned he also has young stock which will ultimately be added to his dairy herd, also five horses and a number of hogs. He is equally successful as a poultry raiser, his flock of high-grade chickens at the present time numbering two hundred. Mr. Casarotti is one of the youngest agriculturists in this section of Sonoma county and his accomplishments compare favorable with those who are twice his age, which is equal to saying that the future holds twice the success in store for him that he has had thus far.
In the year 1909 Mr. Casarotti married Miss Clara A. Garzoli, the daughter of Peter Garzoli, who was born in Switzerland in 1847 and has been a resident of the United States since 1879. It was not until after locating here that he formed domestic ties by his marriage with Miss Chalasta Quanchi, who was born in Switzerland in 1850, and who came to California in 1863. Eleven children were born to this couple, four sons and seven daughters, Jerry, Henry, Marina, Charles, Clalia, Belinda, Lena, Olymphia, Clara, Louisa and Emma. The eldest daughter, Clalia, became the wife of Leo Genozzi, and is the mother of two children. Politically Mr. Casarotti is a Republican, and with his wife he is a communicant of the Roman Catholic Church at Petaluma.
History of Sonoma County, California
History by Tom Gregory : Historic Record Company, 1891
Los Angeles, Ca. 1911
Transcribed by Roberta Hester Leatherwood
May 2008
Pages 1081-1082
Sonoma County Biographies ~ Archive Biography Index ~ Archive Index
Copyright © 1996-2011; This Web page is sponsored by Supporters on behalf of the California portion of The USGenWeb Project by The Administrative Team of the CAGW. Although believed to be correct as presented, if you note any corrections, changes, additions, or find that any links provided on this page are not functioning properly please contact the Archive Coordinator for prompt attention to the matter.