Peter was the oldest son of Daniel Heinrich Rheiner (1794-1862), and Maria Elizabeth (Schlock)Rheiner (1796-1872). The Rheiner Family had been located and remained in St. Gallen, Switzerland since 1272.Educated in St. Gallen, Peter trained to be a locksmith. The family wanted him to study medicine as he exhibited unusual intelligence in school, but Peter did not want to pursue medicine as he felt medical education was only for wealthy families. After finishing finishing as an apprentice in St. Gallen in 1850 he worked succesively in Zurich, Lucerne, Berne, Geneva and Basel. As part of his attempt to broaden his background he then worked in Strausberg, Frankfort, and Hamburg, Germany. He was in London for a time in 1852, apparently in an effort to improve his English. Upon returning to the continent he worked in Veviers, Belgium, and Paris, France.
Peter then traveled on the sailing ship Manchester on Sept. 3, 1853 and arrived in New York on Oct. 22, 1853 where he met up with his brother Daniel.
At this point Peter's adventurous spirit took over. Like many in the world he had heard of the discovery of gold in California and decided to seek his fortune there. He left on a sailing ship to Colon on July 24, 1854, and crossed the isthmus by rail and on foot. He arrived in San Francisco on August 20, 1854, prepared for his adventure "in the mountains" washing gold. Peter then went Sacramento to work in a mill as an engineer and made contact with General Sutter.
Then Peter embarked from San Francisco on April 3rd, 1858, with a cheap passage back to New York. When the boat was sold out from under the passengers in Los Angeles, a group of determined men, including Peter, then undertook to cross the western lands by horseback. Peter arrived in San Antonio, Texas on July 3rd, 1858, and showed up in the 1860 Census for Uvalde County.
Reference for above story came from the book, Ettie Rheiner Garner: Blanco Creek Orphan: Within a Heartbeat of the White House By Robert A. Graham and Rauni Leilani McClure
He married Mary Elizabeth Watson the daughter of William & Mary Watson on March 24, 1864.
They had two children, William Henry Rheiner (1866-1939) and Mariette Elizabeth (Ettie) Rheiner Garner (1869- 1949)
His wife Mary drowned trying to save her daughter Ettie who had fell in flood waters on the Blanco Creek on August 28,1870 at the age of 21.
He then married Mary Josephina Santleben, daughter of Christian & Sophia Santleben of Castroville on January 5th, 1872.
They had four children, Peter Christian (1874-1885), August Daniel (1875-1943), Ferdinand John (1877-1960), & Minnie (1879-1880)
Peter Rheiner passed away suddenly on Oct. 2nd, 1979 at the age of 47.
Peter then traveled on the sailing ship Manchester on Sept. 3, 1853 and arrived in New York on Oct. 22, 1853 where he met up with his brother Daniel.
At this point Peter's adventurous spirit took over. Like many in the world he had heard of the discovery of gold in California and decided to seek his fortune there. He left on a sailing ship to Colon on July 24, 1854, and crossed the isthmus by rail and on foot. He arrived in San Francisco on August 20, 1854, prepared for his adventure "in the mountains" washing gold. Peter then went Sacramento to work in a mill as an engineer and made contact with General Sutter.
Then Peter embarked from San Francisco on April 3rd, 1858, with a cheap passage back to New York. When the boat was sold out from under the passengers in Los Angeles, a group of determined men, including Peter, then undertook to cross the western lands by horseback. Peter arrived in San Antonio, Texas on July 3rd, 1858, and showed up in the 1860 Census for Uvalde County.
Reference for above story came from the book, Ettie Rheiner Garner: Blanco Creek Orphan: Within a Heartbeat of the White House By Robert A. Graham and Rauni Leilani McClure
He married Mary Elizabeth Watson the daughter of William & Mary Watson on March 24, 1864.
They had two children, William Henry Rheiner (1866-1939) and Mariette Elizabeth (Ettie) Rheiner Garner (1869- 1949)
His wife Mary drowned trying to save her daughter Ettie who had fell in flood waters on the Blanco Creek on August 28,1870 at the age of 21.
He then married Mary Josephina Santleben, daughter of Christian & Sophia Santleben of Castroville on January 5th, 1872.
They had four children, Peter Christian (1874-1885), August Daniel (1875-1943), Ferdinand John (1877-1960), & Minnie (1879-1880)
Peter Rheiner passed away suddenly on Oct. 2nd, 1979 at the age of 47.
Peter was the oldest son of Daniel Heinrich Rheiner (1794-1862), and Maria Elizabeth (Schlock)Rheiner (1796-1872). The Rheiner Family had been located and remained in St. Gallen, Switzerland since 1272.Educated in St. Gallen, Peter trained to be a locksmith. The family wanted him to study medicine as he exhibited unusual intelligence in school, but Peter did not want to pursue medicine as he felt medical education was only for wealthy families. After finishing finishing as an apprentice in St. Gallen in 1850 he worked succesively in Zurich, Lucerne, Berne, Geneva and Basel. As part of his attempt to broaden his background he then worked in Strausberg, Frankfort, and Hamburg, Germany. He was in London for a time in 1852, apparently in an effort to improve his English. Upon returning to the continent he worked in Veviers, Belgium, and Paris, France.
Peter then traveled on the sailing ship Manchester on Sept. 3, 1853 and arrived in New York on Oct. 22, 1853 where he met up with his brother Daniel.
At this point Peter's adventurous spirit took over. Like many in the world he had heard of the discovery of gold in California and decided to seek his fortune there. He left on a sailing ship to Colon on July 24, 1854, and crossed the isthmus by rail and on foot. He arrived in San Francisco on August 20, 1854, prepared for his adventure "in the mountains" washing gold. Peter then went Sacramento to work in a mill as an engineer and made contact with General Sutter.
Then Peter embarked from San Francisco on April 3rd, 1858, with a cheap passage back to New York. When the boat was sold out from under the passengers in Los Angeles, a group of determined men, including Peter, then undertook to cross the western lands by horseback. Peter arrived in San Antonio, Texas on July 3rd, 1858, and showed up in the 1860 Census for Uvalde County.
Reference for above story came from the book, Ettie Rheiner Garner: Blanco Creek Orphan: Within a Heartbeat of the White House By Robert A. Graham and Rauni Leilani McClure
He married Mary Elizabeth Watson the daughter of William & Mary Watson on March 24, 1864.
They had two children, William Henry Rheiner (1866-1939) and Mariette Elizabeth (Ettie) Rheiner Garner (1869- 1949)
His wife Mary drowned trying to save her daughter Ettie who had fell in flood waters on the Blanco Creek on August 28,1870 at the age of 21.
He then married Mary Josephina Santleben, daughter of Christian & Sophia Santleben of Castroville on January 5th, 1872.
They had four children, Peter Christian (1874-1885), August Daniel (1875-1943), Ferdinand John (1877-1960), & Minnie (1879-1880)
Peter Rheiner passed away suddenly on Oct. 2nd, 1979 at the age of 47.
Peter then traveled on the sailing ship Manchester on Sept. 3, 1853 and arrived in New York on Oct. 22, 1853 where he met up with his brother Daniel.
At this point Peter's adventurous spirit took over. Like many in the world he had heard of the discovery of gold in California and decided to seek his fortune there. He left on a sailing ship to Colon on July 24, 1854, and crossed the isthmus by rail and on foot. He arrived in San Francisco on August 20, 1854, prepared for his adventure "in the mountains" washing gold. Peter then went Sacramento to work in a mill as an engineer and made contact with General Sutter.
Then Peter embarked from San Francisco on April 3rd, 1858, with a cheap passage back to New York. When the boat was sold out from under the passengers in Los Angeles, a group of determined men, including Peter, then undertook to cross the western lands by horseback. Peter arrived in San Antonio, Texas on July 3rd, 1858, and showed up in the 1860 Census for Uvalde County.
Reference for above story came from the book, Ettie Rheiner Garner: Blanco Creek Orphan: Within a Heartbeat of the White House By Robert A. Graham and Rauni Leilani McClure
He married Mary Elizabeth Watson the daughter of William & Mary Watson on March 24, 1864.
They had two children, William Henry Rheiner (1866-1939) and Mariette Elizabeth (Ettie) Rheiner Garner (1869- 1949)
His wife Mary drowned trying to save her daughter Ettie who had fell in flood waters on the Blanco Creek on August 28,1870 at the age of 21.
He then married Mary Josephina Santleben, daughter of Christian & Sophia Santleben of Castroville on January 5th, 1872.
They had four children, Peter Christian (1874-1885), August Daniel (1875-1943), Ferdinand John (1877-1960), & Minnie (1879-1880)
Peter Rheiner passed away suddenly on Oct. 2nd, 1979 at the age of 47.
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