Résumé

Partner, Salfield and Kohlberg, Architects, San Francisco, CA, c. 1889.

Professional Activities

Registered Architect, State of CA, Northern District, 1909.

Relocation

David Salfield was born in Keyesport, IL, on 04/25/1861. Situated in the southwestern part of the state, Keyesport was a rural hamlet when David was born. (It was platted in 1846 but not incorporated until 1897). His 1895 US passport application indicated that his birth occurred on 04/25/1861. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation National Archives and Records Administration (NARA); Washington D.C.; NARA Series: Passport Applications, 1795-1905; Roll #: 443; Volume #: Roll 443 - 09 May 1895-16 May 1895, accessed 10/04/2024.) The usually reliable Find a Grave.com listed it as 10/11/1861. The 1900 US Census corroborated the 04/1861 date. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1900; Census Place: San Francisco, San Francisco, California; Roll: 104; Page: 6; Enumeration District: 0179, accessed 10/04/2024.)

The family likely returned to Germany in 1865 or 1866 for a visit. A ship's manifest for the Norddeutscher Lloyd Linie's S.S. Hermann, listed his name as well as those of his parents August and Marie Salfield as sailing to the US from Bremen, arriving in New York, NY, on 09/10/1866. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation The National Archives in Washington, DC; Washington, DC, USA; Passenger Lists of Vessels Arriving at New York, New York, 1820-1897; Microfilm Serial or NAID: M237; RG Title: Records of the U.S. Customs Service; RG: 36, accessed 10/04/2024.)

In 1896, Salfield and his family lived at 618 Broderick Street in San Francisco, CA in the Alamo Square area. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation California State Library; Sacramento, California; Great Registers, 1896; Collection Number: 4-2A; CSL Roll Number: 99; FHL Roll Number: 977621, accessed 10/04/2024.) The Salfields remained at this address when the 1900 US Census was taken. The household included David and his wife Rose as well as their two sons August and Carl.

The Salfields had moved to 948 Lake Street in San Francisco's Presidio Terrace neighborhood by 1910. At this time, the household included a live-in domestic worker, Lilla Petrick (born c. 1893 in CA). (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1910; Census Place: San Francisco Assembly District 39, San Francisco, California; Roll: T624_100; Page: 18b; Enumeration District: 0222; FHL microfilm: 1374113, accessed 10/04/2024.)

Salfield and his family relocated to Stockton, CA, by 1920. The had a residence at 401 Mendocino Avenue in that city, where David, Rose and Carl dwelled. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1920; Census Place: Stockton Ward 6, San Joaquin, California; Roll: T625_143; Page: 1B; Enumeration District: 185, accessed 10/04/2024.)

The architect died at age 68 in San Joaquin County, CA.

Parents

Both of David Salfield's parents August D. Salfield (born c. 1832-d. c. 1904) and Minnie Salfield (born c. 1837) were born in Germany. (Minnie was from Prussia, at the time separate from other parts of Germany.) In 1860, August and Minnie lived in Saint Louis, MO, where David worked as a clerk. The couple housed a lodger, Martin McDonald (born c. 1841 in IA), a laborer. They had minimal savings of $200 at this time. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation The National Archives in Washington D.C.; Record Group: Records of the Bureau of the Census; Record Group Number: 29; Series Number: M653; Residence Date: 1860; Home in 1860: St Louis Ward 8, St. Louis, Missouri; Roll: M653_652; Page: 624; Family History Library Film: 803652, accessed 10/04/ 2024.)

August Salfield fought in the Union Army's 30th Illinois Infantry between 1861 and 1864. Records indicated that he worked as a farmer in Keyesport, IL. (See Ancestry.com, Source Information Ancestry.com. Web: Illinois, U.S., Databases of Illinois Veterans Index, 1775-1995 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2015, accessed 10/04/2024.)

It is possible that August and Minnie split up before 1869, as an August D. Salfield was listed as having married Justine L.W. Plinke on 04/21/1869 in Madison County, IL. It is also possible that Minnie passed away before 1869. August and Justine may have moved back to Germany by 1890, as the General Index to [Military] Pension Files, 1861-1934, noted that the Salfields applied for support from the US Government on 11/15/1890 and after his death on 10/10/1904 from Germany.

Spouse

He wed Rose Hund. Rose's father had been born in Germany, her mother in MO.

Children

He and Rose had two son, August Frederick Salfield (born 02/04/1891 in San Francisco, CA-d. 07/29/1965 in Minden, NV) and Carl Salfield (born c. 12/1898 in San Francisco, CA).

August worked as a carpenter and hardware merchant during his lifetime, and resided in Stockton, CA, at the time of his death. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation California State Library; Sacramento, California; Great Register of Voters, 1914, accessed 10/04/2024.) He passed away from a heart attack in Minden, NV. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Nevada Department of Health; Carson City, Nevada; Nevada Death Records, accessed 10/04/2024.)

In 1920, Carl lived at home and worked as a carpenter in Stockton, CA.

Biographical Notes

Architectural historian, Harold Kirker, said of Salfield (and his partner Hermann Kohlberg): "Both David Salfield and Hermann Kohlberg arrived in California in the eighties, the latter with some years service as a government architect and a too accurate memory of the Teutonic Beaux-Arts villas of Frankfurt or Stuttgart." (See Harold Kirker, California's Architectural Frontier, [Salt Lake City: Gibbs M. Smith Publishers, Incorporated, 1986], p. 116.)

On 05/08/1895, Salfield applied for a US passport to enable him, his wife and son to travel in Europe. They would be gone, according to this document for less than one year. As per this form, Salfield was Caucasian, with a “light” complexion and “ruddy” face. His features were described as follows: forehead, high; eyes, blue; nose, straight, mouth, ordinary; chin, Roman; and hair, blonde. At age 34, he stood 5-feet, 6-and-½-inches tall. It indicated that his father had been naturalized before 1895. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation National Archives and Records Administration (NARA); Washington D.C.; NARA Series: Passport Applications, 1795-1905; Roll #: 443; Volume #: Roll 443 - 09 May 1895-16 May 1895, accessed 10/04/2024.)

Salfield was a member of the Masonic Order.