Jose Jesus (J.J.) Bernal

J.J. Bernal was born in California in 1859 to a well-documented ranching family in the San José / Santa Clara area. That family produced many men named José / Jesús / José Jesús across the 19th century and their records appear in mission and land-grant sources. From 1882 through 1885 Bernal is listed in the San Jose Business Directory as a blacksmith and by 1894 in the same source as a bit and spur maker. By 1899 he had joined the illustrious G.S. Garcia shop in Elko, Nevada but returned to the Bay Area in 1905 joining bit and spur makers Bill Drake and Rollie Van Buskirk in San Francisco until the 1906 San Francisco earthquake destroyed their business. Down but not out, J.J. returned to his home base in San Jose in 1907 working solo and in partnership with the renowned J.F. Echavarria in 1909 before ultimately succumbing to a fatal case of gastritis in Santa Clara County in 1913 at the age 54. Bernal’s work was heavily influenced by his time with Garcia in Elko as indicated by his use of the foliated leaf motif as well as snake and fish scale patterns. He was also one of only a handful of highly accomplished Garcia’s resident Elko bit and spur makers who were permitted to add their initial(s) alongside the G.S. Garcia maker mark on superior production.

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