Agoston Haraszthy Historical Marker

This historical marker commemorates the remarkable life of Hungarian immigrant Agoston Haraszthy (1812-1869) who became a leading winemaker in Wisconsin and California and earned the nickname the "father of California wine." Haraszthy was also the first sheriff of San Diego, served one term in the state assembly, and in 1857, he founded the second oldest winery in California, the Buena Vista Winery (the first was D'Agostini Winery established in 1856). The marker is located in front of the House of Hungary at the House of Pacific Relations International Cottages in Balboa Park.

Agoston Haraszthy was born in Pest, Hungary on August 30, 1812 to one of the oldest noble families in Hungary. They were not very wealthy, however, as they did not own large amounts of land and were not titled. As a child, Haraszthy received a classical education and learned five languages. He was also exposed to winemaking. His father operated a vineyard on the family estate, which was located in southern Hungary. What types of grapes were grown is unknown but Italian Riesling, Cirfandli (a red grape that was possibly Zinfandel), and Kadarka were grown in the area. Interestingly, the family also raised silkworms. In 1833, Haraszthy married his wife, Eleonora, who was Polish. They would go on to have six children, three of whom were born in America.

Haraszthy was ambitious. He wanted a future where he could forge his own path and obtain wealth but Hungarian aristocratic customs were entrenched and rarely deviated from. In short, there was little chance of upward mobility for Haraszthy in Hungary. He decided to immigrate to America after learning about the United States from books and encounters with an English naval captain and two Americans. He departed Hungary in 1840 and in April reached Wisconsin where, with the backing of an investor, he founded the present-day village of Sauk City, which is around 26 miles northwest of Madison, the state capital. He named the town Szeptaj, which means "beautiful view" in Hungarian. Eventually, it was named Sauk City and became the first incorporated village in the state in 1854. Haraszthy established a number of businesses (a sawmill, gristmill, general store, hotel, a steamboat and ferry, and a brickyard). He also established a farm and vineyard, where he experimented with the grapevine vitis lambrusca, which is native to America, and others.

Haraszthy returned to Hungary in 1842 to bring his family to Wisconsin. Around this time he also wrote a 550-page book called Travels in North America to promote his new village and America in general. It was the second book written in Hungarian about America. His parents came to America as well. Sadly, his mother died around this time but his father remarried an American woman. He spoke 12 languages and was chemist, which enabled him to become the village's pharmacist.

Haraszthy and his family did not stay in Wisconsin long as winters took a toll on the family and the grapevines. Upon learning of gold discovered in California and about the state's much more favorable climate for growing grapevines, he decided to head west. It appears his main motive for moving there was to settle there rather than to seek his fortune in gold mining. He sold his businesses and packed his belongings in five large wagons and set out in April, 1849. They finally arrived in San Diego in December. Haraszthy established businesses including a stagecoach line, livery service, fruit orchards, and a butcher shop. He planted a vineyard near a mission near San Diego but the weather was too warm. He was elected sheriff and city marshal on April 1, 1850, and the next year was elected to the California State Assembly. Two years later, Haraszthy once again sold his business interests.

During the next few years, Haraszthy's attempted to establish vineyards but failed due to various reasons, mostly due to poor climate conditions. He did, however, become the first assayer in California in 1854 when the government established a mint in San Francisco (his father became assistant assayer). Two years later, Haraszthy's vineyard prospects improved when he bought a failed winery in the Sonoma Valley in 1857. He acquired additional land, eventually owning 5,000 acres (not all of it was for vineyards), built a large villa, and named the property Buena Vista. Eleonora and their young children, who had lived in New Jersey for the previous five years so the children could receive an education, moved back to California at this time. Haraszthy was the first in the state to build a gravity flow winery, meaning that he planted grapevines on hillsides. The new winery was initially successful and produced wines that won first and second place at state fairs.

In 1861, the governor appointed him as part of a three-person commission to promote wine making in California. He embarked on a trip to Europe to acquire vines and wine grapes and returned with 100,000 cuttings and 350 different varieties of grapes, all of which he shipped to California. Unfortunately, he assumed the state legislatures would reimburse him for the expenses he incurred. This was not the case and a big financial blow Haraszthy that he would not recover from. In 1867, he filed for bankruptcy and in 1869 left for Nicaragua where he thought he could become a successful sugar cane planter and rum distiller. He acquired rights from the government to produce brandy and rum for 20 years. Tragically, however, he disappeared in 1869. Some clothes and his watch were found laid next to a river, which he may have attempted cross by climbing on a tree branch that had broken off. It was assumed that he fell in and was eaten by an alligator, which had been seen a few days earlier dragging a cow into the water. His remains were never found.

"Agoston Haraszthy de Mokcsa." Britannica. Last Updated July 2, 2023. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Agoston-Haraszthy-de-Mokcsa.

"Haraszthy (De Moksca), Agoston 1812-1869." Wisconsin Historical Society. Accessed August 7, 2023. https://www.wisconsinhistory.org/Records/Article/CS2283.

Murnan, Tom. "Agoston Haraszthy: American Entrepreneur and Founder of California's Oldest Premium Winery." Accessed August 7, 2023. https://www.iwfs.org/americas/wine-food---friends-1/agoston-haraszthy--american-entrepreneur---founder-of-california-s-ol.

Ralston, John. "Agoston Haraszthy, 1812-1869, Aristocrat, Entrepreneur, Official, Winemaker." Encyclopedia of San Francisco. Retrieved from the Web Archive on August 7, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20080724040504/http://sfhistoryencyclopedia.com/articles/h/haraszthyAgoston.htm.