Lassen County
Biographies
James McDermott
He was born in Clark county, Missouri, June 11, 1842. In 1859 he came overland with his brother Thomas, and spent that winter in El Dorado county. The next year he went to Virginia City, and teamed three years. He bought the stock ranch of Thomas Smith, eighteen miles south of Milford, Lassen county, to which he has added until he now owns 400 acres. He is engaged in the stock business. Mr. McDermott is a republican. He belongs to the Masonic lodge at Janesville. April 22, 1865, he married Miss Katie Gardner of Long valley. They have five children: Emma I., born February 19, 1866; Andrew J., January 4, 1868; James W., July 24, 1871; George T., May 4, 1873; Maud A. September 1 1880.
SOURCE: Illustrated History of Plumas, Lassen & Sierra Counties, with California from 1513 to 1850. –
Fariss and Smith, San Francisco, 1882. p 410
Transcribed by Craig Hahn, Nov. 2004
John C. Partridge
He was born in Whitefield county, Maine, May 12, 1837. He attended Kent’s Hill seminary until fourteen years of age, when he commenced clerking in a store in Gardner. He remained there until twenty years old, and then went to Illinois, and attended the Rock River seminary two years. In the spring of 1859 he came overland to California, arriving in Susanville in August. A few months later he went to Plumas county, and engaged in mining on Feather river. Two years later he returned to this county, and kept the Deep Hole station two years, when he sold out and kept books for a firm in Susanville, taught school, and was deputy in the clerk’s office until September, 1868. He then bought the Sage Brush, and published it nearly ten years. During that time he was county surveyor two years and U. S. surveyor five years. In 1875 he became postmaster at Susanville, and at the same time engaged in merchandising, and continued thus until his death, June 22, 1881. He was a member of Lassen Commandery No. 12, K. T. February 16, 1869, he married Miss Eva Slater, born in Batesville, Arkansas, in 1850. The union was blessed with six children; John S., born June 22, 1870; Karl C., August 7, 1872; Henry, January 14, 1874; Beatrice L., January 24, 1876; Jennie M., June 14, 1879, died October 18, 1879; Maria October 22, 1880.
SOURCE: Illustrated History of Plumas, Lassen & Sierra Counties, with California from 1513 to 1850. –
Fariss and Smith, San Francisco, 1882. p 411
Transcribed by Craig Hahn, Nov. 2004
John D. Kelley
He was born in Johnson county, Indiana, February 20, 1826. He went to Iowa in 1841, where he worked at blacksmithing. In 1846 he returned to Indiana, and in 1849 he sailed from New York for San Francisco, via Panama, arriving January 9, 1850. He assisted in laying out Nevada City. Here he was married October 3, 1853, to Mrs. Mary A. (Thrall) Minckler, born in Farifield county, Connecticut, September 17, 1829. That fall he went to Smith’s Flat, Sierra county, bought a hotel, and kept it four years. He then worked at blacksmithing. All this time he was interested in mining, and did some work in the mines himself. In the spring of 1860 he mined in Virginia City a short time, then went to Carson City for six months, and then teamed two years in Washoe valley. In the winter of 1863 he took stock to Honey Lake valley, and located the ranch now owned by A. Dill. In the spring of 1871 he sold it and removed to Dixie valley, and located a stock ranch which he sold out about a year later. He then bought 1,200 acres from French & Litch, twenty miles east of Susanville. It is chiefly hay and agricultural land, well improved. He is a member of the Masonic lodge at Susanville, and Odd Fellows at Janesville. In politics, he is a democrat. His son, Elburn C. Kelley was born at Smith’s Flat, June 30, 1854, the first white child born at that place. He was drowned in Honey lake July 8, 1864.
SOURCE: Illustrated History of Plumas, Lassen & Sierra Counties, with California from 1513 to 1850. –
Fariss and Smith, San Francisco, 1882. p 408-409
Transcribed by Craig Hahn, Nov. 2004
John Lowe, Jr.
He was born in Jefferson county, Iowa, April 2, 1848. When eleven years of age he started with his uncle, William Freeman, for California. In the fall of 1859 they arrived from their overland journey in Long valley, where John remained on a stock ranch about three years, and then came into Honey Lake valley, and has since worked at farming. In 1869 he bought a possessory title to 160 acres of land, four miles east of Janesville, where he has since lived. He has built a neat residence and commodious farm buildings. He has also forty acres of timber, 120 of swamp land, and 160 acres added to his farm. Politically, Mr. Lowe is a republican. May 28, 1878, he married Miss Sarah R. Barham, born in Butte county, California, February 18, 1859. They have one child, Florella Arvilla, born February 27, 1879.
SOURCE: Illustrated History of Plumas, Lassen & Sierra Counties, with California from 1513 to 1850. –
Fariss and Smith, San Francisco, 1882. p 410
Transcribed by Craig Hahn, Nov. 2004