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Imagine you came to California, back in the gold rush days, you eventually married a guy from Germany and after having 10 kids he leaves you, going back to Germany for a business trip never to be heard from again. in this episode I will be telling you the story of Dorothea Zeisz

Dorothea Hartman was born in 1841, she came to California when she was 16 years old by the time she was 18 she married a man named Jacob Zeisz

Jacob had come from Germany to California to mine for gold but as many learned, mining was not a get-rich-quick deal, and instead opened the California brewery making bavarian styled beer.

Soon enough he met Dorothea and they got married.

For a long time, life was good. They weren’t rich by any means but satisfied and made themselves a large family having 10 kids. the brewery was fairly popular but Jacob decided one day to go back to Germany saying he had some business to attend to but never returned.

Leaving Dorothea to run the brewery herself

Until 1890 when it closed and she turned to more of a bed and breakfast type place which was more her style.

She never stopped working, Dorothea had her kids do chores and keep up the garden and she made sure guests were taken care of and food was made in the morning. in the evenings she could be found working on the porch knitting socks, sweaters, or braiding rugs that she would sell for some extra money.

Dorothea died in 1919 at 78 years old

Today she is remembered as the pioneer grandma who did what she could to survive and make sure her kids did well in life. Dorothea is one of the “miners” featured in the “Miners on Main” scavenger hunt coming soon on main street Placerville

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