This German immigrant went from a tailor, to miner, to peddler and then a regular store merchant in a short period of time. At the age of 19, he arrived in San Francisco and set off for the mines of Oroville. After three years he figured out there must be better way to make a living than mining. The one item he learned from that experience, was that miner’s liked having their supplies delivered. The resourceful Knoch then became a peddler of goods visiting the mines of Northeastern California.

Seeking stability in May 1865 Knoch purchased a lot in Susanville at 722 Main Street for $100. There he opened his general mercantile business and within a decade became one of the leading merchants of Lassen County. Once again in expanding his horizons, like other successful merchants in a frontier town with no banks, he began lending money. In 1893, he turned the store over to his son, Ike Knoch and son-in-law, Jules Alexander. Knoch focused his energy on his investments and continued to do quite well. In 1908, he built a modest home at 100 North Roop Street where he resided until his death in 1911.

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