Family

Victor Peter Traverso

Born 16 Jan 1898 in Middletown, Lake County, California

Died 01 Jun 1958 in Alameda, California

Married Grace Viola Mehrtens, born 13 Nov 1901; died Jul 1987 in Danville, California

Son, Victor William Traverso
Twin Daughters, Georgia and Gloria Traverso


Vic went into his father's retail grocery business. Jack helped out with the bookkeeping while he was still in high school. Jack encouraged Victor to go into the wholesale grocery business.



Vic was born in Lake County (Map) during the time his parents were mining and working a vegetable garden. They sold the vegetables to local markets and restaurants. The image above comes from cagenweb.com and includes the following information: Traverson, Male | 16 Jan 1898 | Traverson, Victor | Bassegalpo, Louisa.

Vic's father worked for the Great Western Mine Company west of Middletown. The superintendent of the mine was Andrew Rocca. Rocca's son, B. T. Rocca, later worked for the Pacific Vegetable Oil Corporation in San Francisco. B. T. remembering hearing the name Traverso as a child, responded to the closing of V. Traverso Co. in 1964 by adding a note to the announcement.

Robert Louis Stevenson merely visited, but the abandoned mining cottage at Silverado where he and his bride Fanny spent their honey- moon was "just over the ridge" from the Great Western Mine. Its almost equally legendary Superintendent Andrew Rocca claimed the couple often visited for dinner and conversation. Middletown History

Vic's father Vittorio had converted the original grocery into a saloon during the rebuilding in 1906 and 1907. Vic and Jack worked in the saloon after school and on weekends as they were growing up. By December 1922, they were doing $3,000 per month ($3,000.00 in 1922 had the same buying power as $41,866.82 does in 2017) at the new location at 506 Washington Street. (Map) The location was between Hotaling Place and Sansome Street. Today, that building is gone. There for two years, they moved again in order to expand to 443 Washington Street. (Map) Vittorio became ill in 1925 and had to retire from the hard work of keeping the store running. Vic had already taken over the management.

Later, they moved again to bigger quarters and were there for 10 years. In 1944 they were forced out of their warehouse at 170 Pacific Avenue due to the war and under Victor's encouragement, the three brothers bought the building at 1050 Battery Street (February 29, 1944). The brothers paid $47,500 (buying power today equals $659,081) for this property between Union and Green Streets. It included railroad spur track facilities and privileges.



Traverso Archives

Standing: Jack | Vic | Bill

On couch: Evelyn, Jack's wife | Grace, Vic's wife | Luisa | Ruth, Bill's wife

On the floor: Jaclyn, Jack's daughter | Georgia, Gloria, and Vic, Vic's children | Nancy, Bill's daughter

Newspaper Articles

Kinsfolk Attend Pair at Wedding
Oakland Tribune | 26 June 1949


Georgia Traverso Bride of Paul Hamilton Salsgiver
Oakland Tribune | 10 July 1949


Gloria Traverso Bride of James H. Pritchard
Oakland Tribune | 4 December 1955