Sonoma County Biography
Thorwald Trondsen
In Christiania, Norway, Thorwald Trondsen was born November 27, 1859, the son of Tron Trondsen, who was an employe in the custom house in that city, and held this position until he retired from active business life on account of old age. He died at the age of ninety years, and his wife, Bergitta Mickelsen, died when in her sixty-eighth year. To these parents were born eight sons, three of whom are living at the present time, and of these, Thorwald is the youngest. As a boy he was sent to the public schools of his native place and there he received the rudiments of the education that has since stood him in good stead. Early in life he developed a love for the sea, and at the age of fifteen years we find him starting out as a sailor, commencing at the bottom of the ladder and working his way up gradually. His first adventure took him up and down the Baltic and White Seas in a trading vessel. Subsequently he went on the ship Marion to Brazil, then to St. Thomas and thence to New Orleans, at which place he left the ship to remain in the United States. This was in the year 1880. From year to year he grew more fond of the country which he had selected for his future home, admiring her freedom and the principles of democracy for which she stands. In 1894 he located with his family in Petaluma, which place he also made his headquarters, and where he owns a fine residence at No. 140 Howard street, as well as being the owner of other property in the same city. Before locating in California and settling in Petaluma, however, he made several trips that are worthy of mention in this record, in that they permit us to know something of the spirit of the man and something of the work that he did before he arrived at that stage of achievement that is his today.
Shortly after arriving in America in 1880, Mr. Trondsen went to New York City, and for four years worked on steamers plying between Sandy Hook and New York. He then took a trip to the land of his nativity, Norway, and visited his home city in Christiania. Several months were spent in this trip, after which he returned to the United States, going almost immediately to San Francisco, Cal. After arriving in San Francisco he was employed until 1886 on the Goodall Perkins’ steamer running out of San Francisco. In the ear mentioned he bought a scow schooner engaged in freighting on the bay between Sacramento and San Francisco. After selling his first boat, the Energy, he bought the Plow Boy, one hundred and ten tons, and later bought the Fourth of July, of two hundred tons, and ran the two boats until after the fire. He then sold the Plow Boy to advantage and purchased the tug Sentinel. He is at present engaged in the freighting business between Petaluma and San Francisco. Mr. Trondsen is so well known in this particular line of work, because of his honesty and general good character, that he has all that he can do between these two points without going elsewhere for freight.
Mr. Trondsen was married in Oakland, Cal., to Miss Olava Johnson, a native of Christiania, Norway, who came to San Francisco, Cal., in 1887. To this union three children were born: Ruth, a graduate of the Petaluma high school and Heald’s Business College, Oakland, and now private secretary to Col. Loveland, in San Francisco; Norman, who is taking an electrical engineering course; and Emily, at present attending Petaluma high school, being a member of the class of 1912. Mr. Trondsen is a member of the Master Mariners’ Association of San Francisco, and also a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Possibly no man of foreign birth in Petaluma, or in Sonoma county, has achieved such a measure of success as has Mr. Trondsen, and for many years to come his name will be actively associated with the business activities of this city and San Francisco.
History
of Sonoma County, California
History by Tom Gregory : Historic Record Company, 1891
Los Angeles, Ca. 1911
Transcribed by Roberta Hester Leatherwood
June 28, 2011 Pages 960-961
Sonoma County Biographies ~ Archive Biography Index ~ Archive Index
Copyright © 1996-Present; 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.