Thomas H. Hansbrow's early life is a bit obscure, but he was born in 1826 and was a tinner before he traveled from Illinois to the gold rush in California. There he ran a stove and hardware store and invented a pump which won awards at the World's Fair of 1862. He was a rather important figure in Sacramento during the 1850s and 1860s, serving as the Superintendent of the City Water Works and as a member of the Board of Supervisors. He was a director of the California State Agricultural Society and served as a state assemblyman from 1865-1866. He died in 1868.
From the description of Papers of Thomas H. Hansbrow, 1852-1972 (bulk 1852-1881). (Huntington Library, Art Collections & Botanical Gardens). WorldCat record id: 535713135
