Sattler brothers leave lasting mark on Concord history
CONCORD, CA—The Sattler family was well-known in the early days of business in Concord.
It all started back in 1890 in San Francisco, when William Henry Sattler, from Germany, met Anna Buchter, from Switzerland. They married and became partners in a bakery in San Francisco. They worked hard and saved enough money to buy country acreage in Concord in 1913.
By 1918, they moved to the newly purchased 14-acre orchard with their three boys: William Jr., Henry (Hank) and Ernest (Ernie). The orchard is where Clayton Way and Concord Boulevard meet today.
When William Henry Sattler died in 1926, Anna, 17-year-old William Jr., 14-year-old Henry and 10-year-old Ernie worked together on their walnut orchard. To make ends meet, the boys took jobs at the steel mill and peddled berries, plums and peaches door to door in Avon, Port Chicago and Clyde.
Walnut Orchards
In 1939, through hard work and dedication, Henry and Ernest bought 23 additional acres of walnut orchards with a house that was a quarter of a mile away from the family ranch. Also in 1939, Ernest started a refrigeration service using the farm’s tank house as a shop. Henry worked with him and later became a partner.
As time went by, the Sattler brothers purchased William Eddy’s garage on the corner of Willow Pass and Colfax. It was 1945, and their new adventure was labeled Sattlers Appliance Store. After the war was over, William Jr., who served in World War II, join the company as a third party and served as their bookkeeper. It was a smart decision, as Concord was starting to grow. Construction was at its best, and everyone needed appliances for their new homes.
By 1955, they expanded to the corner building across the street and opened a furniture and television store. Again, the timing was perfect. Television was an up-and-coming necessary household commodity.
The boys were very successful and became household names. When the three of them decided to retire, Hank’s son Dennis took over the business.
They sold their acres as Concord grew, but the Sattlers left a little legacy next to Dana Estates. Sattler Drive has seven little courts coming off of it. If you turn into Sattler off of Concord Boulevard, you’ll see the first court is Southpark Court and the last is Northpark Court, with five other classic courts in between. The development had a sign at its entrance that said Park Mall.
Carol Longshore has been a Concord resident since 1950. She is a community leader and past president of the Concord Historical Society. Send comments and suggestions for future topics to editor@pioneerpublishers.com.