J. A. Folger
J. A. Folger Sr. | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth date Nantucket, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Died | June 26, 1889 (aged 54) |
| Occupation | Entrepreneur |
| Known for | Founder of Folgers Coffee Company |
James Athearn "J. A." Folger Sr. (June 17, 1835 – June 26, 1889) was an American entrepreneur and the originator of the Folgers Coffee Company.
Early years
Born in Nantucket, Massachusetts, Folger was the son of Samuel Brown Folger, who worked as a master blacksmith and invested in maritime enterprises. The Folger lineage can be traced back to English settler Peter Folger. When a fire consumed 33 acres of Nantucket’s commercial area in 1846, the then 11-year-old James took part in the restoration efforts.
San Francisco
After the California Gold Rush, at age 14, James traveled alongside his brothers Henry and Edward through the Isthmus of Panama, reaching San Francisco in May 1850. Drawn by lucrative wages, he chose to stay in San Francisco rather than engage in gold mining. He played a role in rebuilding the city following multiple fires and assisted in constructing a spice and coffee mill for William H. Bovee.
In 1860, he founded the J. A. Folger Coffee Company in San Francisco, which later became known as the Folgers Coffee brand recognized today.
Personal life
J. A. Folger was married to Eleanor Laughran and fathered four children, among them James Athearn Folger Jr., who wed Clare Luning. He was the grandfather of Peter Folger and great-grandfather to Abigail Folger, who was murdered in 1969. Additionally, he was the uncle of Henry Clay Folger, the founder of the Folger Shakespeare Library.
Death
Folger passed away on June 26, 1889, at age 54 and is interred in the Folger family burial site located at Mountain View Cemetery in Oakland, California.
External links
- Official website of Folgers Coffee
- The Folger Way – Coffee Pioneering Since 1850, Ruth Waldo Newhall (1961)
- "The Nantucket Coffee Connection", by Robert F. Mooney, Historic Nantucket, Vol 48, no. 3 (Summer 1999)