USA > California > A memorial and biographical history of the coast counties of Central California > Part 53
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Our subject has proven himself worthy of the brave ancestors and is a true descendant of them. If either father or grandfather could see him now they would have no reason to feel anything but proud of the representa- tive who so honorably maintains the credit of the old and honored family of Duckworth.
B. NASH, one of the pioneers of Cali- fornia, came to the State, in 1853, 0 via the Isthmus of Panama, from the Pine Tree State, Maine.
Mr. Nash was born in Columbia, Wash- ington county, Maine. March 3, 1834. His father, Jesse Lee Nash was a lumberman and shipbuilder, and of the four sons and two daughters born to him, our subject is the youngest. Upon coming to California our subject proceeded to the mines where he spent six months. He then went to Astoria, Oregon, and spent a year in the pine lumber- ing mills of that place, from which section he went to Redwood City. Mr. Nash then spent nine years in the lumber regions of San Matio and Sierra counties, after which he made a trip of about six months to the East- ern States.
January 15, 1865, he married Miss Abbie W. Dorman, a daughter of L. Dorman, of Addison, Washington county, Maine. Her father was a ship-carpenter. In 1869 Mr. and Mrs. Nash settled on their present home of 112 acres, adjoining the city of Hollister, of which city Mr. Nash is a prominent and esteemed business man. Mr. and Mrs. Nash have six children, namely: Warren G., born November 11, 1865, married Eliza M. Wood, November 13, 1889, at San José; Minnie A., born February 9, 1867, now Mrs. James A. Cushman of San José, married November 28, 1889; Edward L., born August 19, 1868; Wilber D., born February 15, 1871 and died May 30, 1872; and two others.
ATRICK BREEN, deceased .- This fam- ily name is a most familiar one to the residents of Monterey and San Benito counties. It also has an honored place in the early annals of California's history. Pat- rick Breen was born in Ireland. He came to America in 1828. He lived for a time and married in Upper Canada. In 1834 he re-
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moved to Iowa and located near Keokuk, where he engaged in farming, and where several of his children were born. In the spring of 1846 he decided to emigrate to California, and with his family, then con- sisting of his noble helpmate, Margaret, and John, Edward J., Patrick, Jr., Simon P., James F., Peter and one daughter, Isabella M., took up the journey and proceeded as far as Independence, Missouri. Here they joined the historic Donner party, a train made up of about 250 wagons, making one of the largest and best-equipped trains that ever left that frontier town for the overland trip to this coast. The party proceeded on their journey across the plains, was without notable happenings as far as Fort Bridger in the valley of Salt Lake. Eighty-seven of the party there determined to leave the estab- lished route over the Rocky mountain range and took a more recently explored trail known as Hastings' cut-off, a portion of which lay through the Weber canon, which was thought to intersect the old road again on the Humboldt, making a cut-off of about 300 miles. Patrick Breen and his family cast their lot with this ill-fated party. The new ronte proved to be in poor condition, the journey slow and their ox teams became wearied and exhausted, and their stock of provisions ran low. They became appre- hensive of serious troubles and delays, which soon proved well founded. They pushed on under various difficulties. Hungry and foot- sore they felt compelled to take a few days' rest at the point where now stands the town of Reno, Nevada. During the four days' delay here storm clouds were seen to gather and the party resumed their journey. The storm came, and on October 28, 1846, they found themselves about three miles below Truckee, on Prosser creek, in about six inches of snow.
They were dismayed, but faltered not, and in a somewhat disorganized condition they reached Donner lake. All attempts to make further progress were baffled by the storm and camp was struck at this point. The storm raged in relentless fury for days; three ox teams were frozen and other stock were buried beneath the snow and frozen to death. The details of the starvation and suffering that this party endured during their long, tedious and cold weeks of confinement beggars de- scription.
The Breen family found and occupied a rude cabin standing about one-fonrth mile distant from the lake, which they occupied. The Murphys built another about 300 yards distant, and the Groves family built theirs near Donner creek and about 150 yards dis- tant from the lake, and the Donners con- structed a brush shed in Alder Creek valley, seven miles from the lake.
About six weeks passed in these terrible prisons, when a party of five women, eight white men and two Indians started out on snows-hoes over the mountains to obtain a relief if possible. Of this party one only succeeded in reaching Johnson's ranch on Bear river, and this on his thirty-second day after leaving Donner lake. The others, save four, who were rescued a day or two later, perished on the way.
From Johnson's ranch the story of distress flew swiftly down the Sacramento valley and Captain Sutter fitted out a relief train of men with innles and provisions. San Francisco city raised a fund of $1,500 and fitted out a second expedition, and the naval commander of the port of San Francisco started out a third. It was this last party that, late in April, 1847, found and rescued the Breen and Graves families from the clutches of death by starvation in an icy prison of a full
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six months' confinement. One John Stark, a brave, true-hearted and conscientious man, stood firm for a complete rescue against the judgment of a possibility of two other members of the rescuing party of three. John Stark piloted this famished party out of danger, carrying all the provisions, blankets and utensils on his back and at times one or two of the weaker children. The names of this company were Patrick and Margaret Breen, John Breen, Patrick Breen, Jr., James F. Breen, Peter Breen, Isabella M. Breen, Nancy Graves and Mary Donner. Stark was a man of great physical power and endurance: he also had a stout lieart and an abiding sense of duty. Thus he was the only one of this rescuing party who had the bravery to un- dertake the great task of taking this cold and starving company out of their bondage. The others of the rescuing party strongly favored taking a portion of the party first and leaving the Breens for another expedi- tion, which meant certain death to all who were to be left. All finally arrived at Sut- ter's Fort in safety, however, James F. Breen having had his feet badly frozen.
Patrick Breen lived at Sutter's Fort from March until September, 1847, and at San José until February, 1848, when he located with his family at San Juan, where he reared his family, took an active and honorable part in local affairs. He died at his home in 1868, and Margaret, the widow, who was a woman of great force of character and Chris- tian fortitude, died in 1874. Portraits of these esteemed pioneers appear in " Mc- Glashan's Donner Party." The Breen fam- ily in San Benito is honored and influential.
John Breen, the oldest of the children of Patrick and Margaret Breen, is a resident of San Juan, a prosperous farmer and stock- raiser. He was born in Upper Canada, Feb-
ruary 21, 1832. In June, 1848, he, in com- pany with James Enright, of San José, engaged in placer mining at Mormon island on the south fork of the American river. He spent the fall and winter of 1848-'49 at Hangtown, now Placerville, in El Dorado county. He there witnessed the lynching of three men, the first occurrence of the kind in the mines, which affair gave the mining town its early-day name.
In March, 1849, he returned to San Juan, where he has, for the greater part of the time, since lived. He married at Monterey, in October, 1852, Mise Leah Margaret Smith, who came with her parents across the plains in 1848, from Illinois. A sketch of licr fa- ther, Judge E. Smith, who was the first Postmaster at San Juan and held other local offices, appears elsewhere in this work. Mr. and Mrs. John Breen have eight children.
In 1860 Mr. Breen held the office of " Su- pervisor at Large " of Monterey county be- fore its segregation, when each supervisor district had a representative on the County Board, and one at large was elected, and as such was ex-officio Chairman of the Board. He has for thirty years continuously served on the Board of School Trustees of San Juan district. He has cast his vote at every general election in San Juan since he was twenty-one years of age. He voted the Democratic ticket until Lincoln's second can- didacy for the presidency, since which time he has voted with the Republican party. He was elected to a seat on the Board of Super- visors of San Benito county at the last elec- tion (1892). John Breen is a man of broad intelligence, practical sense and good judg- ment. Bancroft mentions his " Pioneer Mem- oirs," of eighty manuscript pages, as among the most valned in his extensive collection
Edward J. Breen, deceased, the second old.
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est of the family, was known throughout Monterey and San Benito counties as an en- ergetic and successful business man.
He was born in Upper Canada, September 3, 1833, and was consequently thirteen years of age when the family came to the coast. He spent his youth in the valleys and the mountains of Monterey and San Benito coun- ties, where he gained a practical knowledge of stock-raising. His industry, frugality and aptness for business were potent factors in his early success, and in due time found him in possession of bands of sheep and cattle of his own on the open ranges.
He married Kate Sullivan, in 1856; she survived only until 1862, leaving him three sons. Mr. Breen was married again October 25, 1881, to Mary J., a daughter of Patrick and Mary Burns, pioneers of San Francisco, where Mrs. Breen was born. Mr. Breen was an active, thoroughgoing business man. He was generous and open-hearted, and very so- cial in his nature, consequently widely known and had an army of followers who were proud to claim him as a personal friend.
By his last marriage there are three sons, William A., James Edwin and Henry J. He died August 3, 1890, leaving a valuable es- tate and an honorable name to the widow and his sons. The family home, one of the most substantial in San Benito county, is lo- cated at San Juan.
Patrick Breen, the third son of Patrick and Margaret Breen, was born at Keoknk, Iowa, March 12, 1837, and came overland with the family, as heretofore stated, and suf- fered with them the excruciating mental and physical torture that fell to the lot of the Donner party. He was then ten years of age and has spent his youth and early man- hood in San Benito county. He early took
np farming and has continuously pursued the same.
In 1863 he married Miss Amelia Ander- son, a native of Australia, a lady of domestic tastes and social culture. They reside in the city of Hollister. Mr. Breen's farm, con- sisting of several hundred acres of the choic- est soil of the San Juan valley. Like all others of this pioneer family he is esteemed for his sterling traits of character.
Hon. James F. Breen, Superior Judge of San Benito county, is one of the most earnest men in law and literature in the State. He was born at Keokuk, Iowa, January 21, 1841, coming overland to California with his par- ents in 1846, as before stated; he was a small boy when they located at San Juan, where he grew up and received the rudiments of his education. In 1857 he entered Santa Clara College, graduating in 1861. He then en- tered the law office of Clark & Carpentier, in San Francisco, and in 1862 was admitted to practice in the Supreme Court. He then re- turned to San Juan and engaged in the prac- tice of his profession. In 1864 he was elected District Attorney of Monterey county, and was re-elected in 1866. In 1870 he was elected Judge of Monterey county, which position he held till 1874, when San Benito county was carved from Monterey, when he resigned to cast his lot with the county which included his home, San Juan. He was ap- pointed Judge of the new county by Gov- ernor Booth, but at the end of his term of office, declined re-election, and resumed the practice of law in Hollister. In 1877 he was elected Assemblyman, and while represent- ing this county, served on the Judiciary, Public Lands and Labor Investigation Com- mittees of the House.
In 1879, after the adoption of the " New Constitution," Judge Breen was almost
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unanimously elected Superior Judge, there being but thirteen votes cast against him. He was re-elected in 1884, and again in 1890, which position he now (1892) holds.
Judge Breen is a Republican in politics, a student of the law, an impartial and able jurist and with all a popular citizen. He is married and has for years resided in Hollister.
Isabella Breen, the only daughter of Pat- rick and Margaret Breen, married Thomas McMahon, Esq., a well-known citizen of Hollister.
Peter Breen, a member of this family, died, and the writer believes, next younger than James F., arrived safely in California. He died single in 1870.
Simon P. Breen, Bancroft mentions as be- ing the next younger than Patrick, Jr., or the fourth born. The writer is lacking data concerning him.
AMES L. MYLAR, one of the early pioneers of California, came to this State in 1850, from Gentry county, Missouri, although he was born in Madison county, Missouri, April 17, 1825, a son of James and Henrietta (Jette) Mylar, natives of South Carolina and Virginia, respectively. They were pioneers of Missouri, having lo- cated in Gentry county, about seven miles from Athens, the county seat. Twelve children were born to them, nine of whom lived to maturity, namely: Polly, Richard, Julia, Enoch, Frank, Israel, James L., Isaac and Thomas. Mention may be found of Is- rael and Enoch on another page of this vol- ume, by reference to the index.
Upon coming to California Mr. Mylar spent about six years in the mines of Placer, Toulumne and Mariposa counties, meeting
with average success in both quartz and placer diggings. In 1868 he left Mariposa county and located in San Juan, where he engaged in farming and stock-raising and here he still resides.
Mr. Mylar married Miss Mary A. Neal, the accomplished daughter of William Neal, on November 27, 1848. William Neal was a farmer and stock-raiser. Mr. and Mrs. Mylar have six living children, namely: William, who died when an infant; James L., born January 6, 1851, died 1868; Julia A., who died at the age of fifteen; John died when nine years of age; Dicie J., born August 21, 1856; Emma, wife of William Shaw, born March 29, 1859; Mary, born May 1, 1861; Carrie, wife of George Mc Intyre, of Salinas, born November 7, 1863; Fred J., born March 2, 1866; and Frank, born January 13, 1870.
Mr. and Mrs. Mylar have six grand-chil- dren of whom they are very proud. The Mylar home in San Juan cañon is one of the most picturesque and retired spots anywhere in the vicinity of the historic old town of San Juan. Mr. and Mrs. Mylar are estima- ble people and the family command the re- spect of the community in which they have lived for so many years.
UIS RAGGIO .- The subject of this sketchi was born in Italy, seventy-two years ago; but in spite of a life of great activity he is still well reserved and as capa- ble of work as most men of fifty. His fa- ther was a large farmer in his native land, bnt at the age of twenty-one young Luis ac- quired a longing for life in America and came to New Orleans, where he remained for five years, during most of which time he
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acted as pilot on the Mississippi river. From that city be came to San Diego, Cali- fornia, via Mexico, and from there went to San Francisco, where he remained one win- ter; thence returned down to the coast to Monterey, where he engaged in lumbering, and owned and operated a primitive whip sawmill, on the Polero, and later the San Francisquito ranch. He furnished the lum- ber for the old Washington Hotel and also the old Pacific hotel, at Monterey, two relics of the by-gone prosperous days of old Mon- terey. Such lumber as he was able to pro- duce at that time sold for $340 per M.
In 1849 he went to San Luis Obispo, opened a general merchandise store and operated it successfully. In 1853 he ob- tained a contract from the United States to supply the Indians and the army at Fort Miller, at the head of the San Joaquin river. When the garrison moved to Washington Territory, Mr. Raggio went to Visalia, where he built and conducted the Eagle Hotel. After three years he moved to San Luis Obispo, on account of sickness, and there he engaged in farming and stock raising. In the dry year of 1863-'64 he moved to San Juan, where he has ever since remained and has held an influential position in the com- munity.
At first he was engaged in the butchering business, but now is the owner of 1,200 acres of fine land near San Juan, which is devoted principally to the raising of cattle. In San Luis Obispo he was appointed the first Jus- tice of the Peace and was also Associate Jus- tice in the District Court of that county. He is an accomplished linguist, speaking fluently French, Spanish, English, Portu- guese and Italian. He was elected in 1890, to the office of Supervisor in the important district of San Juan; has faithfully attended
to the duties of the office intrusted to him and still retains that office, in 1892.
Our subject married Marie Einisa, whose father was a native of Spain, by this lady he has six living children, four sons and two daughters.
W. THOLCKE .- Mr. Tholcke is a fa- miliar figure on the streets of Salinas. This gentleman came to the Golden State in 1873. He is a native of Germany, and came to America, when about nineteeu years old. Landing at New York city he remained in the East about three years, dur- ing which time he traveled in the United States and British Columbia. In 1874 he came to Salinas valley, where he spent a few months on a ranch and then assumed the man- agement of the Gabilan House, on the creek of the sanie name, between Salinas and San Juan. Here he remained about six years and then came to Salinas, where he has since re- mained. Mr. Tholcke is now the owner of one of the most popular wine rooms in the city.
In 1880 Mr. Tholcke married in Salinas Miss Henrietta Markman, who bore him seven children, namely: Neta, Minnie, Frederick, Grover C., Etta and John. In politics Mr. Tholcke is an influential Democrat and a member of the local City Council.
H. MENKE, one of the most prosper- ous business men of Salinas, has been a resident of the State of California since 1869. He is a native of Hanover, Germany, and came to America in 1865. His first stopping place was New York city, where he worked for two years in a ship-
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chandlery store, but in 1869 he made his way to San Francisco, where he engaged in work in a grocery store. Later he removed to Santa Cruz, where he remained until 1874, when he purchased an interest in the brewing business of Messrs. Louis & Wagner. In 1877 he bought out Mr. Wagner, and in 1891 he erected a spacious and complete brewery, 50 x 112 feet in size, three stories in height, with a capacity of about twenty-five barrels per day. He ships the product of the Salinas brewery to adjoining towns, besides supplying a large local demand.
Mr. Menke married Emina Tholcke, of Sa- linas, in 1879, and they have six children, namely : William, Leta, Emma, Henry, Maria and Carl. Mr. Menke is serving his second term on the City Board of Trustees; is a popular officer and an enterpaising and suc- cessful business man.
ANIEL M. MCCARTHY, of Hollister, California, is a native of Saratoga, Santa Clara county, this State, born March 20, 1860. In 1874 he came to Hol- lister, and for eight months attended school here. After that he went to San José and learned the gas-fitting and plumbing busi- ness, at which he worked three years. The following year he was engaged in ranching there. He then worked in the paper mills at Saratoga, and again farmed. From 1879 to 1888 he conducted a winery and raised grapes, etc., at Hollister. He then rented his winery and ranch and engaged in the ex- press business, being agent for Wells, Fargo & Co. In 1890 he was elected Coroner of the county. While in Santa Clara county, he served as Deputy Sheriff and Constable.
In June, 1888, Mr. McCarthy was united
in marriage to Miss Mary L. Marsh, in his native town, they being the first native son and danghter to marry at that place.
Mr. McCarthy's father, now deceased, was a Mexican war veteran. His mother is still living.
JON. E. C. TULLY .- This well-known pioneer of San Benito county is known throughout the State as a reliable, honest citizen. He came to California from Chi buahua, Mexico, in 1853, via Los Angeles.
Mr. Tully is a native of Tennessee, and was born on the banks of the Mississippi river, April 16, 1826. His father, L. B. Tully, was an Attorney at law, a Virginian by birth and his mother, Sarah Claffin, a native of Tennessee. Mr. Tully spent spent his boy- hood on a farm in Arkansas, but when only sixteen he started in life for himself. He spent several years in the western interior, joined the United States Army as an inde- pendent volunteer in 1847, at Santa Fé, New Mexico, and fought until the close of the Mexican war. He then engaged in mer- chandising at Chihuahua until 1853, when he sold the business, invested his capital in sheep and with a partner drove a herd of 20,000 sheep to California. These they sold, and from 1856 to 1861 engaged in stock- raising. In the latter year he located on his present ranch and for several years was the only settler in Bitter Water valley, his nearest trading post and post office being Gilroy, sixty-five miles distant.
Mr. Tully is a self-made man, never having had but eight months of common schooling, but ranks among his associates as a " many- sided " and most thoroughly educated person. In addition to his complete mastery of the English language and all its branches of
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literature, he reads, writes and speaks fluently the French and Spanish languages, reads and writes the Italian and Portuguese, and has somne knowledge of German and Latin.
Mr. Tully was married, in Chihuahua, Mexico, in 1849, to Miss Maria Gaudalupe Quintanar, and they have had eleven children : Louis B., Edward A., Frank P., Richard R., James B., John C., Lucrecia, Sarah E., General Lee, George W. and Henry C., the last four bnt one being deceased. The Tully family tie is a strong one. The estate is owned and managed in common, and the family live alinost as one. Their musical instinct is very great and the Bitter Water brass band, of several pieces and a full " string band " are almost entirely composed of members of the Tully family.
Mr. Tully is well read in legal matters, and is now the People's candidate for District Attorney of San Benito county. He is a licensed, but not now a practicing attorney, preferring his present farmer life. He has, on several occasions, declined nominations for Congress from his State, but has served his Assembly district in the Legislature of 1857-'58, 1868-'69, 1872-'73 and 1887-'88, and as a Legislator he has made an able officer. He is a clear, forcible reasoner; is logical, and, at times, even eloquent. He has left a clean record in his public career, and his pres- ent comparative poverty fully attests his honesty and integrity, which has never been questioned.
We quote entire the following extract from a bicgraphical sketch, written by a long-life friend of Mr. Tully: " His life has been one of inany interesting adventures, one of which, as illustrating the character of the man, or rather boy, was the leading of a party of four from Santa Fé, New Mexico, to Independence in the midwinter of 1846-'47, over the then
desert of 1,100 miles of unbroken, snow- covered plains, without the loss of a man,- a feat that, it is believed, had never before been successfully accomplished by a white man. Another was the 'piloting' of a ' prairie schooner,' as the huge Santa Fé traders' wagons were called, with six yoke of Missouri oxen attached, from Independence, Missouri, to the city of Chihuahua, Mexico, in 1847-'48, a distance of about 1,700 miles. And later, the driving of a herd of 20,000 head of sheep from the interior of Mexico overland to San Francisco, California, in 1853, 2,500 miles, through a country teaming with hostile Indians.
"Mr. Tully belongs to the ' Old School ' of gentlemen (now fast becoming extinct), the ' Southern type,' inheriting as he did from his father those ideas of social life and un- bounded hospitality common to the 'Old Virginia gentleman.' He has always kept ' open house,' and is known far and wide for his genial hospitality; in his own words, ' the latch string always hangs on the out- side.' As may readily be inferred, his varied experience and adventures in life, and especially, in the ' woolly West,' have furn- ished him with an almost inexhanstible store of anecdote and story, which make him a genial and interesting companion and a good conversationalist. Always 'at home,' what- ever the place or occasion, whether to respond to a toast, make an impromptu stump speech, or pull an unfortunate out of a mnudhole; frank and open handed; always ready and willing to help the distressed. It need scarcely be necessary to add that he is not a ' bloated bondholder' or millionaire, yet he has always contrived to ' keep the wolf from the door,' and is at present in ' good circuin- stances,' with a reasonable guarantee that his old age will be comparatively free from dan-
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