History

HISTORY CORNER Mangels House

Mangels House is an elegant, Victorian, summer mansion in the Aptos hills, built by Claus Mangels, brother-in-law of Claus Spreckels, the sugar millionaire. It is the last remaining example of three nearly identical mansions built between 1872-88.

Claus Mangels was born Sept. 12, 1832, in Baderkase in the independent kingdom of Hanover,

before Germany became a country. Peter and Claus Spreckels grew up on a farm in Lamstedt, Germany. They all came to the U.S. as teenagers in 1846 and worked in the grocery business in Charleston, South Carolina.

Claus Spreckels soon owned the business. He married Mangels’ sister Anna, in New York City in 1852. They moved around the country and eventually worked their way to Hangtown (Placerville), in the California gold country where Claus Spreckels Claus Mangels and Peter purchased one-third Spreckels met twin of Rafael Castro's sisters from Westphalan, Aptos Rancho in 1872 (Germany), Agnes and built a modest, and Anna Grosse. The two-story home above sisters ran a small store the Aptos Creek estuary and eatery. They sold on today’s Bayview sandwiches made from Court of Aptos Beach old meat or discarded Drive. By 1874, he had butchers scraps. There By John Hibble built a modest lodge for was no refrigeration, Aptos History Museum guests near Claus Court. so they scrubbed the This would become meat in the creek to get the mold part of Spreckels grand Aptos of and make it nice and pink. Hotel the following year. They called it “used meat.” In 1877, Spreckels built a grand

They arrived in San Francisco summer home where Huntington by 1856. Claus Mangels and Peter Drive, Monroe Avenue and Spreckels married Agnes and Anna Soquel Drive intersect. The Grosse. Claus married Agnes on address today is 9565 Soquel Jan. 5, 1862. He was 29 and she Drive. The two magnolia trees was 17. In 1863, the three couples in the parking lot were at the started the Bay Sugar Refining entrance to Spreckels’ house. A Company in San Francisco and second home was prefabricated prospered. They built grand and shipped to Honolulu Hawaii houses on South Van Ness Avenue. for Spreckels to oversee his sugar They also founded the Lyons business in the Sandwich Islands. Brewery and the Albany Brewery, The railroad had come to and the grocery firms of Spreckels Aptos in 1875 with the assistance & Co. and H. Bruning & Co. of Fredrick Hihn and Claus

Mangels' other sister, Sophia, Spreckels, and by 1882, a rail married Claus Brommer in line was running up Aptos Creek Hanover. Brommer came to San Canyon to service the Loma Prieta Francisco in 1869 to work for lumber mill in which Mangels and Spreckels at the sugar company. Spreckels had an interest. By 1888 In 1874, the Brommers bought a they had built a sugar refinery in 130-acre farm near Schwan Lagoon. Watsonville. Claus Mangels was Brommer Street is named after him. Spreckels’ silent partner. ➝ 10

STILL STANDING Mangels House is an elegant, Victorian, summer mansion in the Aptos hills, built by Claus Mangels, brother-in-law of Claus Spreckels, the sugar millionaire.