Alameda
County
Biographies
JAMES
McKEOWN
JAMES McKEOWN. In Washington township, two miles from
Alvarado, is located the valuable ranch of James McKeown,
who is numbered among the successful ranchmen of Alameda county. A native of Ireland, he was born in
Londonderry May 12, 1835, and until attaining his majority passed his
years upon the paternal farm. On leaving
home he went to Australia, and found employment in the mines, where he
continued from 1857 to 1861. He then
worked in the mines of New Zealand for about a year and met with fair success,
but was finally compelled to leave on account of his health. In 1862 he came to California and located in
Alvarado where a brother lived and was conducting a wagon and carriage shop, in
which he worked for about three years.
He then went to Philadelphia, Pa., in the capacity of engineer of a planing mill, remaining four years in the east, when he
returned to Ireland to visit his old home.
At the same time he went to London to have an eye removed which had been
injured while he was employed in the blacksmith shop. In the fall of 1870 he returned to California
and became the superintendent of his brother’s shop, and at the same time
operated the engine for a threshing machine.
In 1880 he bought a stock ranch of four hundred and forty-one acres in
San Mateo county, located on the coast, and engaged in
the raising of stock and general farming for ten years. In that year his brother died and he then
came to Alvarado to manage the affairs of the shop and six hundred acres at Warm
Springs, and another tract of two hundred and thirty acres, a part of which
Mr. McKeown now owns. He was appointed administrator of the estate
and inherited one-third of the property, as his brother had no family. He then rented his coast ranch and has since
made his home in this locality, caring for his own property.
September 21, 1881, Mr. McKeown married Annie McKay, a native of Cape Breton, Nova
Scotia, where she was reared to womanhood, coming to California in 1878. They are the parents of five children,
namely: Johanna Elizabeth, the wife of Edward Harvey, a merchant of Alvarado;
Joseph W., of Los Angeles; Alexander Wallace, at home; Nancy Moore, at
home; and Flora, also at home. The first
two are twins. In his political
convictions Mr. McKeown adheres to the
principles advocated in the platform of the Republican party,
and has been quite active in the promotion of its interests. Fraternally he is a member of Alameda Lodge
No. 167, F. & A. M., and both himself
and wife belong to the Eastern Star. In
religious work he is identified with the Presbyterian Church, in which he
officiates as trustee. Mr. McKeown is the owner of two hundred and forty-three acres
of valuable land, upon which he is engaged in general farming, including the
raising of all vegetables, etc.
Transcribed by Donna Toole.
Source: History
of the State of California & Biographical Record of Coast Counties,
California by Prof. J. M. Guinn, A. M., Pages 760-763. The Chapman
Publishing Co., Chicago, 1904.
© 2015 Donna Toole.
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