Alameda County
Biographies
NEAL McCONAGHY
NEAL McCONAGHY. Prominent among the veteran agriculturists and the self-made men of
Alameda county is Neal McConaghy, who is a
prominent citizen of Eden township, residing about a mile from the village of
San Lorenzo. He is an honored representative of the early pioneers of that
section of the state, and as a man of unquestioned ability, strict integrity
and high moral principles has the respect and esteem of a wide circle of
neighbors and friends. His first visit to Alameda county
was made in 1853, and later, having spent five years at the mines, where he
made and lost money, he returned to San Lorenzo almost penniless. With heroic
courage, he began life anew, and by untiring industry, keen foresight, and
sagacious business transactions, he has since acquired wealth and distinction,
becoming widely and favorably known in the industrial and financial world.
Coming from sturdy Scotch ancestry, he was born, August 13, 1828, in
County Antrim, Ireland, where the days of his early childhood were passed.
Removing with his parents to Houston, County Renfrew,
Scotland, not far from Glasgow, when eight years old, Neal McConaghy was there brought up on a farm, and educated in the
common schools. When twenty years old he started for the
United States, embarking on a sailing vessel on August 13, 1848, and
after a passage of six weeks, landing in Philadelphia, Pa. After looking
about for something to do for a month, he secured a situation as clerk in a
grocery, where he remained a year. From 1849 until 1853 he was employed in the
express business in that city. Desirous of seeing more of his adopted country,
and hoping in some newer place to greatly improve his financial condition, Mr. McConaghy left Philadelphia, October 6, 1853, on
the steamer Brother Jonathan, and after sailing to Aspinwall
crossed the Isthmus, at Panama taking the steamer Republic, which landed him in
San Francisco November 7th. Immediately making his way to San Lorenzo, he
worked on a ranch for a few months, and then, in 1854, went to Sawyer’s bar, on
the north fork of the Salmon river, where he worked in the mines for about four
years, having among his fellow-workmen ex-United States Senator George Hearst
and John Daggett, afterward superintendent of the San Francisco mint. With the
proverbial miner’s luck, he had his ups and downs, having wealth one day and
losing it the next. At one time he was worth several thousand dollars, but lost
the entire amount, and for a while worked in a butcher’s establishment to get
enough money to pay his debts.
In 1858 Mr. McConaghy
returned to San Lorenzo with just $5 to his name, and when that was gone went
to work on a ranch by the month. Prudent in his expenditures, and wise in his
savings, he accumulated some money while thus employed, and in 1861 built a
small grist mill at San Lorenzo, and for three years or more was engaged in
grinding barley for feed, an occupation which proved remunerative. In 1864 he
rented land for a year and embarked in business as a grain raiser. Succeeding
well in his undertakings, Mr. McConaghy, in
1865, purchased one hundred and ninety-seven acres of
land near San Lorenzo, and continued his agricultural pursuits, raising grain
at first, later devoting a part of his ranch to the raising of vegetables.
Successful from the start, he enlarged his operations from time to time, and on
his original farm now has twenty-five acres planted to asparagus and a pear
orchard of twenty-five acres, and in addition to the raising of grain,
vegetables and asparagus, pays much attention to the culture of small fruits of
all kinds, managing the estate with the assistance of his son, John. In 1884
Mr. McConaghy bought the ten-acre ranch on which
he now resides, and on it has made valuable improvements, having erected a
commodious residence and set out a good orchard on which he raises fruit for
home use. In addition to the real estate which he owns in Alameda county,
Mr. McConaghy has considerable valuable property
in San Francisco, his wealth, which he obtained by his own exertions, being
considerable.
In November, 1864, Mr. McConaghy
married Sarah McCaw, who was born and reared in County Antrim, Ireland, emigrated to Philadelphia, Pa., in 1858, and came by way of
Panama to California in 1863. Of the union of Mr. and Mrs. McConaghy five children have been born: Archibald, who died
at the age of twenty-seven years; Mary, living at home; John, who died when
three years old; Neal Alexander, of Placerville, Cal.; and John, assisting
his father in the management of the farm. In politics Mr. McConaghy was a Whig until the formation of the Republican party, with which he has since been identified. He has never
aspired to public office, and has never joined any lodge, his whole attention
having been given to his own private affairs.
Transcribed by Marie Hassard 03 April 2016.
Source: History
of the State of California & Biographical Record of Coast Counties,
California by Prof. J. M. Guinn, A. M., Pages
1063-1064. The Chapman Publishing Co.,
Chicago, 1904.
© 2016 Marie Hassard.
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