Sierra County
Biographies
Henry H. Kennedy,
son of Maxwell and Eveline Kennedy, was born in Trumbull county, Ohio, December 19, 1837. He was reared at his father’s home until twenty-one years of age, when he left Ohio, February 5, 1859, and came, via the Isthmus, to San Francisco. He proceeded at once to Eureka, where he worked in a mill, summers, and mined the remainder of the year, until the spring of 1863, sinking what he made in the mill into a tunnel in the Wahoo diggings near St. Louis, where he is still interested. In 1863 he went to Oregon, intending to go to the mines at the head of the Columbia river, but taught school instead; and came back to California in November, 1864. After teaching one term of school in Sacramento county, he returned to Sierra county in the spring of 1865. In the fall he went back to Ohio, via Nicaragua, and lived there for nearly ten years. He was married January 8, 1870, to Miss Clara Harding, who was born in Mahoning county, Ohio, January 7, 1852, and was the daughter of John A. and Mary J. Harding. Mr. and Mrs. Kennedy have had four children, as follows: Harding, born December 28, 1870; Ellis, born September 2, 1873; Laura, born November 27, 1875; and Clara, October 16, 1881-all now living. In 1875 Mr. Kennedy returned to California with his family, landing in Truckee, April 15, 1875, and purchased his beautiful ranch at Goodyear’s bar of Jason Campbell, on which he erected, in April, 1880, their present elegant home, shown on another page. The ranch has reached a high state of development, and is a desirable piece of property as can be found, there being one thousand fruit trees in bearing and many other improvements. Mr. Kennedy is a member of Downieville Lodge No. 123, A. O. U. W.
Illustrated History of Plumas, Lassen & Sierra Counties, with California from 1513 to 1850. - Fariss and Smith, San Francisco, 1882. p 491-492
Transcribed by Craig Hahn, Nov. 2004
I. G. Jones,
the present county surveyor, was born in Ireland, November 25, 1832. In 1842 his parents emigrated to this country, and after stopping a short time in Ohio and Illinois, settled at St. Louis, in 1847, where our subject studied surveying. In 1850 he took the southern route to California, arriving at Los Angeles in November; soon after which, he went to Nevada county, and engaged in mining at Nevada City. In September, 1851, he came to Downieville, and bought the Washington claim on Durgan flat. In the following spring he reorganized the Jersey company, and flumed the river, which operations paid well. In December, 1853 he start for New York on the steamer Winfield Scott, which was wrecked on the Anna Cappa rock off Santa Barbara, where the passengers were seven days on the rock, when they were taken off by the California and continued the voyage. In July, 1854, he returned to Downieville, and resumed mining in the Jersey company. In the following year he commenced surveying, and has followed it since that time. Mr. Jones was appointed U. S. deputy mineral surveyor in 1872. He was elected county surveyor in 1872, which office he has held continuously since. In 1875 he organized the Bald Mountain Extension Gold Mining company. He was married in San Francisco, in October, 1877, to Miss Mary Tibbey of that place.
Illustrated History of Plumas, Lassen & Sierra Counties, with California from 1513 to 1850. - Fariss and Smith, San Francisco, 1882. p 490-491
Transcribed by Craig Hahn, Nov. 2004
Joseph Hutchison
was born in Scotland in 1828. When fourteen years old he started out for himself, and came to the United States, stopping in Jo Davis county, Illinois, till 1850, where he was engaged in lead-mining. At that time he came across the plains, arriving in El Dorado county in August. Shortly afterward he mined at Mokelumne hill. In 1851 he went back to Illinois, but in 1853 returned to California. After mining six months at Johnstown, he removed to Weaverville, Trinity county, and remained four years at mining. He then went to Tehama county, engaged in stock-raising till 1862, when he came to Sierra county, located at Sierra City, and, in company with S. N. Wilcox, built a hotel, which they ran till 1866, when Mr. Hutchison sold out, and followed the live-stock business till 1874, at which time he bought into a meat market with I. T. Mooney. In 1880 they dissolved partnership, and Mr. Hutchison opened the market he now owns. He was married in 1852 to Miss M. M. Goldthrop of Illinois, by whom he has had two children.
Illustrated History of Plumas, Lassen & Sierra Counties, with California from 1513 to 1850. - Fariss and Smith, San Francisco, 1882. p 490
Transcribed by Craig Hahn, Nov. 2004