Photo courtesy of Benicia Historical Museum

Pictured: In the late 19th and early 20th centuries there were several tanneries on lower First Street in Benicia and Kullman-Salz was the largest. It was not just the largest leathery tannery in Benicia, but the largest on the Pacific Coast and, in 1903, an employer of 200 men. At least one of the owners was purportedly a millionaire. The tannery closed down around the time of the stock market crash of 1929 and the buildings remained empty for 20 years, by which time all had been destroyed by fire.

Home

About Us

Member Benefits

Our History (short)

Our Mission

Our Projects

What We Do

Become a Member!

Members Only

Surname Research

Our Library

Genealogy Tips

Events Page

Gallery Page

Links Page

Richard Dunphy

Richard Downey Dunphy (1841-1904) was a native of Kilkenny, Ireland. He was a coal heaver aboard the USS Hartford at the Battle of Mobile Bay on 5 August 1864. Both of his arms were amputated as a result of gunshot wounds suffered during the battle. He was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for his courage. After the Civil War he worked at Mare Island Navy Yard. Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

Our History

THE GENEALOGY SOCIETY OF VALLEJO-BENICIA Genealogy Society of Vallejo was infomally started in March 1993 and officially established in October 1997. In 2001 the name was changed to Genealogy Society of Vallejo-Benicia. GSVB is a nonprofit California Association and our monthly newsletter Taproot is sent to our members and exchanged with other societies. We maintain contact and exchange schedules with other societies via e-mail as well.
If your research takes you to Vallejo, Benicia, or anywhere nearby, we can help. Our well-stocked reference library is located in the Vallejo Naval and Historical Museum, Second Floor, Room 9 (see: "Our Library" for days and hours). The library is open to both members and the public. Also available is the Vallejo Naval & Historical Museum's reference library.