Is the fifth child of Antone and Katrina Wagner, of Alsace, Germany.  Young Wagner was reared by his parents on a farm until about sixteen years of age, when he hired out as a coachman and general laborer.  This occupation he followed for about five years, when he was seized with a mania to emigrate to the United States.  On the twenty-second of April, 1849, he sailed from Havre de Grace to New Orleans, landing June 8th of the same year.  Here he was employed by an omnibus line for nearly three years.  In 1852, on the twenty-ninth of February, he stared, via Aspinwall, for San Francisco.  This was a trip attended with much trouble, he being en route 105 days.  The ticket he purchased cost him $200, but it turned out to be a counterfeit and only carried him to the east end of the railroad.  He paid thirteen dollars for the ten miles by rail and then footed it from there to Panama.  From there he shipped again in the ship Russell, and paid $142.50, which liberal endowment got him to Acapulco.  Here he waited three weeks or more, when he took passage on the steamer Winfield Scott, from around the Horn, paying seventy dollars more, and finally landed in San Francisco with only one bit in his pocket, having lived on one pint of water and cracker per day for the last fourteen days.  he borrowed some money from friends at San Francisco and went at once to middle fork of the American river, where he worked at mining for two months, and then began to mine for himself.  He soon removed to Hangtown (Placerville) and mined there.  On the sixteenth of September, 1854, he started from San Francisco for Europe by steamer California.  He had been quite successful at mining, having accumulated $5,500.  Arriving at his native home in Germany he gave his father some financial help, remained a few months, and on the twenty-fourth of April, 1855, sailed for the United States again.  Proceeding to Placerville, in this State, he erected a hotel, which was consumed in the fire of July, 1856.  He then removed to Siskiyou county and mined three years.  In 1858 he began farming on the Swain place, now owned by Hans Hansen.  In 1874 he purchased his present place of residence, then containing 280 acres, to which he has since added 200 acres more.  It is one of the finest farms in the valley, being in a good state of cultivation, containing out-buildings for grain and stock, with good and close fences.  Mr. Wagner was married the fifteenth of October, 1865, to Miss Mary Lichtenthaler, daughter of George and Barbara (Fouchs) Lichtenthaler, also of Alsace, who emigrated to America in 1860, residing in New York two years, and subsequently in San Francisco, where their daughter was wedded to Mr. Wagner.  Mr. and Mrs. Wagner have had six children, born as follows: George I., December 26, 1866; Mary A., August 10, 1868; Frank R., October 4, 1869; William B., May 11, 1871; Emma K., April 22, 1873; John A., March 4, 1877.  All are yet living with their parents.

The above picture and text are from: History of Siskiyou County, Harry L. Wells, D. J. Stewart & Co., 1881; pp. 84C, 160C

Ignace Wagner is buried in Etna Cemetery

Copyright February 16, 2002

Siskiyou Cemeteries Online

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