Amador
County
Biographies
ISAAC NEWTON NEELY
A resident of Milton, Isaac Newton
Neely dates his connection with California from 1852 and is a pioneer liveryman
in the town in which he makes his home.
He was born in Greenville, Mercer County, Pennsylvania, on the 12th
of September, 1830, and is of Irish and Pennsylvania Dutch descent. His grandfather, David Neely, with four
brothers left the Green Isle of Erin for the new world and took up their abode
in South Carolina, taking part in the events which formed the early annals of
the state. John Neely, the eldest son of
David Neely and the father of our subject, was born in Westmoreland,
Pennsylvania, the family having in the meantime left the Keystone state. There he was reared and after attaining his
majority he married Miss Martha Simpkins, a daughter of Peter Simpkins, one of
the early settlers of Westmoreland County.
After their marriage they removed to Grant County, Wisconsin, taking up
their abode there in 1847, when Wisconsin was still a territory. The father was a resident of that locality
throughout his remaining days, and on the 4th of July, 1854, he
passed away at the age of forty-eight.
His good wife survived him for some time, attaining the age of three-score
years and ten. This
worthy couple were the parents of nine children, but Isaac Newton Neely
is now the only one in California.
He was a young man of twenty-two
when he crossed the plains for the far west, traveling in a train composed of
thirty wagons. On the 26th of
April, 1852, they crossed the Mississippi River, on the seventeenth of May, the
Missouri River, and on they traveled over hot sands and through the mountain
passes until they reached the Humboldt, when Mr. Neely left the party and drove
the first team that ever covered the distance from one end of the Honey Lake
Valley to the other. He arrived in
Shasta County on the 20th of August, 1852, and there began mining,
but soon afterward was taken ill with chills and fever. He started for Sacramento during the holidays
but was so ill that the party with which he traveled camped at what is now
known as Red Bluff. There they spent the
winter, living on venison and using ground barley for coffee. Mr. Neely was in a very critical condition and
other members of the party suffered with smallpox. They endured many hardships and trials that
winter, but on the 6th of March, 1853, he had recovered sufficiently
to return to Shasta, whence he made his way to Weaverville, going afterward to Whiskytown, where he engaged in conducting a hotel through
the summer, making considerable money.
In the fall of the same year he engaged in mining at Jackass Flat, and
also followed mining near Bidwell’s Bar on Feather River. There was no rain, however, and as the water
supply was low Mr. Neely went to Hangtown, where he engaged in mining
throughout the winter of 1853, meeting with very poor success, however. Possessing considerable skill as a violinist,
he engaged to play at night until twelve o’clock, receiving five dollars each
evening for his services. He would
follow mining through the day, often working in the rain, but fate did not seem
to vouchsafe him much return for his labor in that direction and he accordingly
changed his occupation.
His great fondness for dancing led
some of the residents of the locality to solicit him to establish a dancing
school and for two years he made considerable money in that way. In 1856 he went to Volcano, Amador County,
where he again took up mining, remaining there until 1858, investing his money
in a tunnel, which proved a failure. Mr.
Neely next followed teaming from Sacramento to Jackson, Sutter Creek and
Volcano, and his industry in that work brought to him gratifying prosperity
during the ten years in which he followed the business, as there were no
railroad and all goods had to be hauled by team and the price of transportation
was high. On abandoning that work he
engaged in logging for the Eureka, Amador and other mines in the vicinity of
Sutter Creek and in that business he lost between five and six thousand
dollars. In 1872 he moved his family to
Sacramento in order to afford his children good educational privileges, and
there he accepted a position in the store of Booth & Company, while later
he was employed in the hardware store of Gillis Mott & Company. He opened a livery stable in Copperopolis in
1883, conducting it successfully for seven years, when he sold out for
fifty-five hundred dollars. He then
stabled his livery barn in Milton, in 1892, and purchased the livery stable in
Jackson in 1898. Both are conducted
under the name of the Pioneer Livery.
Mr. Neely is an experienced horseman who keeps good stock and does a
reliable and successful business, his earnest desire to please his patrons
securing to him the liberal support of the public. He has a wide and increasing acquaintance
among the pioneers of the state.
On the last day of January, 1858,
Mr. Neely had married Miss Sarah Williams, of Volcano, and to them have been
born six children: Walter P., who lived
to be thirty-seven years of age and died October 15, 1897; May Irene, the wife
of Elijah Thomas, a resident of Sonora, California; Robert William, who is in
Redding, California; Mattie, the wife of Frank Schotell,
a resident of San Francisco; Hattie, who resides in New York City; and Edward,
who makes his home in Angel’s Camp.
While the family were residing in Sacramento
the mother died in 1877 after a happy married life of nineteen years. In 1883 Mr. Neely was united in marriage with
Mrs. Maria Martin, a native of Boston, Massachusetts. By her former marriage she had three
children: Richard, who is now in the
recorder’s office in San Francisco; Ella, the wife of Hon. A. Caminetti, of
Jackson, Amador County; and Henrietta, whose very superior vocal powers have
awakened the highest admiration. She is
now pursuing her studies in Paris. Mr.
and Mrs. Neely have a delightful home in Milton and its generous hospitality is
enjoyed by a large circle of friends.
Mrs. Neely is a member of the Congregational Church and is a lady of
refinement and culture. He is a
prominent member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and has filled all the
chairs in both branches of the fraternity.
In 1856 he voted for Fremont and has since been a staunch Republican. He has passed through many vicissitudes in
his business career, has met with reverses and encountered many trials, but by
persistent purpose has overcome these and has advanced to a creditable standing
as one of the substantial residents of the community.
Transcribed by
Gerald Iaquinta.
Source:
“A Volume of Memoirs and Genealogy of Representative Citizens of Northern
California”, Pages 561-563. Chicago Standard Genealogical Publishing Co. 1901.
© 2010
Gerald Iaquinta.
Golden Nugget Library's Amador County Biographies