|
|
John Keys. Born in county Fermanagh, Ireland, in 1824. When but seventeen years old, or in 1841, he emigrated
from Ireland, settling in St. Louis, Missouri, where he had an uncle residing, and under him was educated in the
mercantile trade. In 1849, in company with a Mr. Agnew, he bought a quantity of dry goods, took them to San Francisco,
where they were disposed of, and the subject of this memoir went to the mines. There he remained for a time and
then returned to San Francisco and established a commission trade. This business he followed till the Spring of
1850, when he moved to Smith's ranch, Bodega township, Sonoma county. Here, in company with Alexander Noble, he
put in a crop of potatoes, the first of the kind ever grown in that section. They were raised on the head land
known as Bodega Point. After the crop was matured they had to get a vessel to take it to market. A small schooner
of about fifteen tons burden was purchased by Mr. Keys. It was called the "Spray." From the circumstances
it is presumable that Mr. Keys had, on his way up to Smith's ranch from San Francisco, discovered his future home
at Tomales, for, in the Fall of the year, 1850, Smith informed him that parties were about to jump his claim. He
therefore, in company with Alexander Noble, sailed from Bodega, entered the Tomales bay, and before the jumping
party arrived, had a tent erected on the east bank of the creek which now bears his name. His shanty, built near
the same place, was the first building ever erected in Tomales. Tamales owes much to the energy and perseverance
of John Keys. Not only was he interested in the welfare of the settlers of the township, fighting with vigour for
over fifteen years for their rights (and was successful) against a bogus land grant, but he at once engaged in
business, and not only brought goods to this market and sold them, but took the produce of settlers to San Francisco.
He disposed of his mercantile trade in 1871, but continued the shipping business till his death, which occurred
in August 14, 1873. He married a daughter of James and Mary Miller, February 14, 1860.
From:
History of Marin County, California
Alley, Bowen & Co., Publishers
San Francisco, California 1880
Privacy Policy for
OnlineBiographies
|
NAVIGATION
Marin County, CA
Biographies
Names A to L
Names M to Z
Online
Biographies
New York
Histories
New York
Biographies
Maine
Histories
Pennsylvania
Histories
Pennsylvania
Biographies
For all your genealogy needs visit Linkpendium
|