California Chicory Works

Chicory was a family business here. C. A. Bachmann, a Prussian upholsterer, bought 327 acres on the San Joaquin in 1866 and was growing chicory on twenty-five of them by 1879. His only daughter married his partner, Charles Brandt, and his wife was named Dora, like the ship the company used to carry its product to market. The works were the country's largest chicory supplier in the 1890s and shipped until about 1911. The site is an event venue called the River Mill now, the bronze on a vine-covered wall beside its drive.

What the plaque says

California Chicory Works The partnership of C.A. Bachmann and Charles H. W. Brandt, formed in 1885, was the largest chicory supplier in America while operating at this site during the 1890's. Chicory roots are roasted, ground, and used as a mixture with or substitute for coffee. Using its own ship, The Dora, and the finest German equipment to process the chicory, the company shipped its product to market until about 1911. California Registered Historical Landmark No. 935 Plaque placed by the State Department of Parks and Recreation in cooperation with the San Joaquin County Historical Society, September 12, 1981.

Where it stands

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