Butte County
Biographies
CAPT. JOHN C. DOOLEY
CAPT. JOHN C. DOOLEY.--Equally popular as a citizen and an officer, Capt. John C. Dooley, ex-treasurer for Butte County, is one of the most promising young men of the day. He is now serving on the staff of General Strong in France. Born at Chico, on November 1, 1884, he is the son of Thomas Dooley, a native of Quebec, and the grandson of the Pioneer Dooley, who removed with his family to Bath, Maine, and then to California and Oakland in the fifties. Thomas Dooley, who was educated in Bath and in Oakland came around the Horn on a Sailing Vessel as a Sailor before the mast, and was for a while engaged in the restaurant business in Sacramento, about 1860. After the great flood, however, he removed to Chico and there continued his restaurant enterprise; in this field he was active for thirty- seven years, while he is now proprietor of the Auditorium Hotel at Chico. Prior to his catering days, Thomas Dooley was with Barrett and Pershbaker, and was first man to strike a pick into the old Pershbaker mine. Thomas Dooley’s wife was Miss Katie Barrett, a native of Magalia, in this county, where she was born near the Pershbaker mine. She is the mother of three children, two of whom are still living, the eldest one being our subject.
John C. Dooley was brought up in Chico, attended the grammar schools, and graduated from the high school, after which, while yet a lad, he went to work to help his father. In 1905, he entered the employ of the Northern Electric Railroad as transit man in their surveying corps, and traveled all over the system. He worked at Woodland, Sacramento, Marysville, Colusa, Oroville, Chico, and Red Bluff, until 1907, when he joined the service of the Western Pacific Railroad and became a member of the engineering department. He was at first a surveyor on construction work, and then chief clerk to the railway manager, having charge of the territory from Marysville to Portola, with headquarters at Marysville and later at Oroville.
In 1910, now well established as an energetic professional man, John C. Dooley was nominated by the Democratic Party as county treasurer, and being elected, by a good majority of eighteen hundred, he took office in January, 1911. In 1914, he was reelected at the primaries without opposition, and this important office he continued to direct to the satisfaction of everyone.
At San Francisco, some years ago Mr. Dooley and Miss Dora Brown were married, the bride coming from the vicinity of Marysville. She is a daughter of Joseph Brown, the well-known pioneer, who crossed the plains in 1849 with his father and other members of their family. They started on May 15, 1849, and made their first camp in California, at the base of Table Mountain, on October 25, 1849, having come by way of the Lassen Cut Off, and having experienced some trouble with the Indians. The parties mined awhile on Feather River, and were the pioneers of Forbsestown, together with James Forbes and others. They remained there until 1852, when they removed to Sutter County and located a few miles below Captain Sutter’s place, now Hock Farm. In the winter of 1852-1853 the big flood came and they moved to Yuba City, and there they remained until 1854, when they shifted again to West Butte. Joseph Brown then began riding after stock. But allured by the silver excitement of 1862 he went to Virginia City, Nev., where he had considerable experience both in mining and in fighting Indians. He engaged in the cattle business with A.M. Sardorus at Unionville, Nev., and had besides a butchering business; and he was there when the Union Pacific Railroad came through in 1869. Three years later he sold his butchering business, and continued to raise cattle, and he and his partner made their headquarters at Golconda. In 1880, having prospered with cattle and sheep, he sold out and returned to Yuba County with his family, and there he embarked in the stock trade. In 1888, however, again sold out, and returned to Marysville after an absence of eighteen years; and there he now resides, a retired pioneer. He has written and published a booklet of their trip across the plains in 1849 and of the early California times as he saw them, and in publication he gives us an intensely interesting history. One daughter, Dorothea Mae, was born to Mr. and Mrs. Dooley.
To give natural expression to his patriotic spirit, John C. Dooley joined the National Guard, on March 23, 1901, becoming a member of Company A, Second California Infantry, in which he served three years. He reenlisted on June 30, 1904, and on January 29, 1908, was made a Corporal. Later he reenlisted as a private in the Second California Infantry, Company I, at Oroville, about February, 1913, and about April 17, 1913, he was commissioned Second Lieutenant. He was called into service June 19, 1916, and was made Captain on June 23, 1916. He was in camp at Sacramento. After a brief experience as Camp Captain, on June 30, he started for Nogales, Ariz., and the border; and there he was with his company a few days short of five months. He was as proud of his men as his men were of him. On November 15, they returned to Oroville, having been discharged from the Federal service at Los Angeles, although the company continued as part of the National Guard of California. From first to last, Captain Dooley made for himself and his company a splendid record.
On the declaration of was on Germany by Congress, April 6, 1917, Captain Dooley’s company was again called to the colors. He responded, at their head, and was stationed at Fort Mason, San Francisco, seven months, then at Camp Kearny about nine months. While there he was appointed Intelligence Officer on the staff of General Strong, of the Fortieth Division, with the same rank. This Division was later christened by General Strong as the Sunshine Division. Captain Dooley left Camp Kearny, July 26, 1918, arriving overseas August 21, and is now serving at the front. He tendered his resignation as county treasurer, to the board of supervisors, to take effect August 1, 1918.
An
influential and prominent Democrat, and one seeking at all times to elevate the
tone of Politics, Captain Dooley belongs to Chico Lodge, No. 423, B. P. O.
Elks, and to the Argonaut Parlor, No. 8, Native Sons of the Golden West, in
which he has been organist for six years.
Transcribed
by Kim Buck.
Source: "History of
Butte County, Cal.," by George C. Mansfield, Pages 1117-1119, Historic Record Co, Los Angeles, CA, 1918.
© 2009 Kim
Buck.
Golden
Nugget Library's Butte County Biographies