J. A. Folger

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James Athearn ("J.A.") Folger (June 17, 1835 - June 26, 1889), was the founder of the Folgers Coffee Company.

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[edit] Early years

Folger was born in Nantucket, Massachusetts, the son of Samuel Brown Folger and Nancy Hill. His father was a master blacksmith who had invested in a try works and bought two ships. They had nine children of which James was the second youngest. On July 13, 1846 a 33 acre fire broke out in Nantucket's business section and burned the try works and ship. 11 year old James helped in the reconstruction.

[edit] Journey west

After the discovery of gold in California, James (14), along with his brothers Henry (16) and Edward (20) set out in the Fall of 1849 on a ship bound for the Isthmus of Panama. After a raft and hiking journey across the Isthmus, the brothers waited at Panama City for quite a while before catching the pacific mail steamer Isthmus on April 10, 1850. They entered the Golden Gate on May 5, 1850.

[edit] Work in San Francisco

Jim decided to stay in San Francisco instead of heading to the gold fields as a result of the high wages being offered. He helped reconstruct after one of San Francisco's many fires, similar to how he had in Nantucket. He helped build a spice-and-coffee mill for a man named William H. Bovee.

[edit] Founding of Folger's Coffee

In 1860 he founded the San Francisco coffee firm, known as the J. A. Folger Coffee Company, known today simply as Folgers Coffee.

[edit] Legacy

He is the great-grandfather of Peter Folger, and the great-great-grandfather of Abigail Folger.

He is buried in the Folger family plot at Mountain View Cemetery in Oakland, California.

[edit] External links


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