Bachtold, Christian

Christian Bachtold, born at Schaffhausen, Switzerland, on January 20, 1853, was the son of Hans Kasper and Verena Meier. After learning the miller trade through a three year apprenticeship in Baden and working in Alsace-Lorraine and Belgium, he immigrated to New York in May 1873. He initially found employment at flouring mills in Syracuse, New York, before traveling west by rail to San Francisco in December 1875. He spent the next decade gaining valuable industry experience as a miller in Petaluma, California, and as a head miller for eight years in Winnemucca, Nevada. In January 1886, he was induced to move to Selma, California, where he took official possession of a prominent local mill property that April.

As the owner of the Selma Flouring Mills, Bachtold overcame a devastating twelve thousand dollar loss from a fire in 1896 by rebuilding the facility into a highly productive electric and steam operated mill within ninety days. His enterprise manufactured famous local brands like Charter Oak Flour and Magnolia, while also specializing in custom livestock and poultry feed using grain grown across Fresno, Madera, and Kings Counties. In addition to his commercial operations, he married Mrs. Libbie Hartman in 1888, with whom he had a son, John C. Bachtold, who later became his business partner. Bachtold also became a foundational civic leader, serving eight years on the first board of trustees after Selma incorporated in 1893, and acting as President of the Board and Mayor starting in 1897. Beyond his political contributions to the local fire department and his role as vice president of the Old State Bank of Selma, he maintained active leadership positions within the local Masons, Knights of Pythias, and Odd Fellows fraternities.