Written by Janice Cannon at the Paso Robles Historical Society Research Room. Previously published in part in the El Paso de Robles Area Historical Society Quarterly Newsletter, Summer 2019.

1144 Pine Street, located on the southeast corner of Pine at 12th Street, has been many things over the years. It is currently an Italian restaurant and formerly home to Villa Creek. Further back in time, to the year 1887 to be exact, the property housed The Wine House and Billiard Hall, owned and operated by E.J. Carpeaux.

Who was E.J. Carpeaux, and how did he come to be in Paso Robles and only for a short time? The answers may not be certain, but the research journey was fun and revealed some interesting facts!

Edmond Julius or E.J. Carpeaux was the brother of Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux, a famous sculptor and artist in France in the mid-19th century during the rule of Napoleon III. Jean-Baptiste was considered a genius in his field at that time and awarded the Cross of the Legion of Honor. E.J. Carpeaux’s other brothers, Charles and Emile, also followed careers in the arts: Charles would become a violinist and Emile, an architect. E.J. followed a different path.

E.J. Carpeaux was born in Valenciennes, France in 1836 to a working-class family. His father and grandfather were stonemasons. It was E.J.’s father, Joseph Carpeaux, who came to California first. He came in 1845 to seek his fortune mining for gold. Unfortunately, this venture did not pan out, and Joseph worked as a contractor of stone and ran a boarding house in San Francisco when some of his family, including E.J., joined him in 1850. In 1859 Edmond moved to Lassen County where he became a merchant and saloon keeper, and by 1875 he owned his own business, the Carpeaux Saloon, in Bullion, Elko, Nevada. He became ‘alcade’ or mayor of Bullion. It was in 1885 that he sold his business, left Nevada for Sonoma County where he was deeded land from his sister and brother-in-law, and he became part owner of a valuable vineyard in Glen Ellen. By May or June of 1887, however, he was living in Paso Robles where he died only a short time later, on 28 October 1888. Edmond Julius Carpeaux is buried in the Pioneer Section of the Paso Robles District Cemetery in the Masonic section.

The question remains, ‘Why did he come to Paso Robles when he had family elsewhere?’ While in Paso Robles, he became a member of the Masonic Lodge, purchased property, and was described as a prominent man of the town. According to E.J.’s obituary, he had suffered from pneumonia at one time while in Nevada, “which laid the foundation for the disease from which he died.” One may surmise that he came to Paso Robles for his health?! The waters were advertised to heal tuberculosis or consumption of which he died.

Sources
Mar 1836: E. J. born Valenciennes, France; father: Joseph Carpeaux 1800-1861; mother: Adele Wargny 1800-1882; brother Emile b 1832; brother Charles (violinist) 1825-1870

1845: father Joseph leaves for California to seek his fortune; mason & failed miner (The Passions of Jean Baptiste)

1850 census: New York; mother Adelia age 50, Charles 25 b.1835 (artist), Sophia 16, Edmond 14; family came to US, except for Jean Baptiste (& Emile?)

1852: SF Passenger Lists – Emile or Edmond & mother arrived in SF

22 Jun 1852 Daily Alta California ad, Vol. 3 #173 p.4: JH Carpeaux Contractor of stone & Brick Masonry

15 July 1854: Joseph sends 500 francs from San Francisco (The Passions of Jean Baptiste)

1856 SF Directory: (Emile or Charles?) Chas. Carpeaux, mason, Broadway in Stockton (not in 1858)

Emigration in 1859, E. J. Carpeaux mentioned in Fairfield’s Pioneer History of Lassen County: 1859

1859 SF Directory: Charles Carpeaux, Brick-layer, Stockton; Joseph Carpeaux – same

1860 Census: C Carpeaux and Adelle Carpeaux, ages 60 in SF; could be son Charles or the enumerator wrote C instead of J for Joseph – try to find on Heritage Quest

July 1860 SF Directory: Charles Carpeaux, musician, 103 Broadway; also ad on p. 373: Teacher of Music Carpeaux, C. 103 Broadway

15 Jan 1862: article mentioning Joseph Carpeaux, proprietor of house on Broadway

17 Jan 1862, Sacramento Daily Union p.3: article on above topic

1867 Voters Reg. – Edmond in Lassen, age 31, saloon keeper (ancestry)

3 Aug 1868 Voters Reg.: E. J. in Susanville, Lassen, CA, age 31, saloon keeper

12 Apr 1870: Charles dies in France

Aug 1870 census: sister Sophia & husband in Susanville Twp. in Lassen Co.; E. J. not on census

1872: parents moved next door to Jean Baptiste in France; also there, his brother, Emile – The Passions of Jean Baptiste Carpeaux (when did Emile return to US?)

May 1872, Weekly Alta California, SF, p.3: E. J. in Bullion or RR town, Elko, NV – Letter from Elko

8 Oct 1875: E. J. visiting Elko – Weekly Elko Independent Sat 9 Oct 1875, p.4

1875: Jean Baptiste died; cared for by his mother

6 Nov 1875 Weekly Elko Independent article about Jean Baptiste’s death; E. J. mentioned – in Railroad District

14 May 1876: E. J. in Elko, NV, RR district – GenealogyBank.com

27 Oct 1876: E. J. In Eureka, NV – list of voters in newspaper, GenealogyBank.com

24 Dec 1876: E. J. departing Eureka on Eureka & Palisade RR to ??? (San Francisco?)

1876 SF Directory: (Emile) Charles in SF; range setter; office NW for Fourth & Folsom

1878 SF Directory: E. J. in SF – 352 Jessie (rear); range & engine setter/laborer

1878 SF Directory: E. Ch., lab, r. 352 Jessie, rear

14 Sep 1879: E. J. is Alcalde of Railroad District; arrived in Elko from Bullion – Weekly Elko Independent p.4 (alcalde = chief administrative & judicial officer or mayor of a town)

1880 census: E. J. in Railroad, Elko, NV; merchant; single

1880 census: (Emile) Charles Carpeaux, age 50; born France; in SF, married, salesman

Emile Charles naturalized by virtue of father’s naturalization (1880 voters reg., age 48)

31 Jul 1880 Eureka Daily Sentinel, p.4: E. J. In horse race; from Railroad district

11 Sep 1880: Railroad, NV at Carpeaux Saloon: E. J. appointed judge of elections – Weekly Elko Independent, Sun 12 Sep 1880, p.2

2 May 1880: E. J. in Railroad district (hotel arrivals in Elko, NV, source?)

15 Oct 1881: E. J. arrived in Elko from home in Railroad District; business regarding Blue Bell mine – Weekly Elko Independent, Sun Oct 16, 1881, p.4

1881 SF Directory: Emile C Carpeaux, builder, r. 630 1/2 Post

1882 SF. Directory: Emile C Carpeaux, builder, r. 72 Natoma

6 Feb 1882: Adele Carpeaux died in France (ancestry.com)

1 Apr 1882, Eureka, NV newspaper: E. J. in Bullion District, Elko County

2 Apr 1882 Weekly Elko Independent, p.4: E. J. returned from CA, visiting relatives; heard mother died in France (she was 82)

1884-1885 Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, Nevada, Wyoming, and Arizona Gazetteer & Business Directory vol I: Carpeaux, E J, general store at Bullion which was a PO in Elko county

4 Sep 1885: E. J. arrived in Elko, NV – Depot Hotel

29 Nov 1885, Weekly Elko Independent p.4: E. J. recovered from illness (pneumonia?); still in NV

3 Dec 1885: doing general merchandise business at Railroad Mining District; wants to remove to his old home in California; wants to sell business/camp?; PO Bullion- Elko Daily Independent, 12 Dec 1885, p.3

Jan 1886: same ad as above

31 Dec 1886: Deed: 10 acres more or less from Henry F. & Sophie Adele Tarrant to Edmond Carpeaux, originally part of Los Guilicos Rancho; recorded in Sonoma County – Petaluma Daily Morning Courier 20 Jul 1918 p.7 (part of a dispute about the property) Sophie is E. J’s sister & married Henry F. Tarrant
Obit states he was part owner of a valuable vineyard in Glen Ellen, Sonoma County

28 Jun 1886: E. J. arrived in NY from LeHavre, France, age 49; American; merchant – ancestry.com (his father died in 1886 – in France?!)

13 Jan 1886: ad to sell E. J.’s business in NV still in paper

May or June of 1887: E. J. arrived in Paso (obit from PR Leader, Sat. Nov 3, 1888); look for deed for purchase of property at County Recorders – may have purchased from Reed

4 Jun 1887: ad in Paso Robles Leader: The Wine House and Billiard Hall

8 Jun 1887: first mention of Mason, Bro. Eugene J. Carpeaux ???

21 July, 1887: E. J. sent or personally gave a copy of The Leader to Daily Independent in Elko, NV

6 Aug 1887: PR Leader – article about Mr. Carpeaux erecting a building in the rear of his store at Railroad and 12th streets which will be occupied by John W. Moore, blacksmith

10 Dec 1887: Daily Independent in Elko NV: article about E. J.’s Wine House

28 Oct 1888: died of consumption; he had previously had pneumonia; he had a will – left property to sister & children (obit in PR Leader, Sat. Nov 3)

3 Nov 1888 Daily Independent, p.4: Obit for E. J.; from Bullion
1892 tax assessment book: estate of E. J. Carpeaux shows owned Lots 1 & 2 of Block 44 in Paso

26 Oct 1901: estate of E. J. Carpeaux to Emily A. Tarrant, 10 acres, Los Guilicos Rancho, and land in SLO County – Petaluma Daily Morning Courier, 26 Oct 1901 p.6

Henry F. Tarrant 1830 – 1905 & Sophie A. Tarrant 1834 – 1905 (find a grave)

1910 Directory: Juliette Carpeaux, widow of Emile – Oakland