Butte County
Biographies
JAMES LYNCH
JAMES
LYNCH.--James Lynch, late of Butte County, was a pioneer of 1854 in California.
He was born in County Limerick, Ireland, and when a young man crossed the
Atlantic and located in Boston, Mass. While he was employed there he met, and in
1854 married, Mary Hallinan, who was born in the same
county where he first saw the light. Their wedding journey was made to
California. They embarked on a vessel for Panama, and after crossing the
Isthmus took passage for San Francisco. After arriving in California, they soon
came to Butte County and located near Oroville, which, though then a small
place, was a bustling community on account of its being the center of a
placer-mining district. They first lived at what is now called Oro Vista, a settlement at that time known as Lynchburg,
and named in honor of the pioneer settler there. Later they located at Dixon
Ravine, near Oregon City. Mr. Lynch continued to mine with considerable success
until June, 1858, when he bought a ranch on Potter Ravine, less than a mile
away, and began farming, raising grain and stock. He also set out an orchard
and vineyard, and began making wine for family use. This ranch, situated a mile
east of Oregon City, is still owned by the family. As Mr. Lynch prospered, he
kept adding to his land until he owned eight hundred acres in Dixon and Potter
Ravines. He erected a comfortable house and outbuildings, and in time had a
finely improved place. On this home place their children were all born. In
early days he was interested with some of his countrymen in mining at Cherokee.
Their company was called the Irish Company. Dissension arose in their midst,
however, and after considerable litigation their holdings were sold to the
Cherokee Mining Company.
Mr. Lynch was always interested in
the welfare of the county, and supported public movements for its upbuilding, and particularly for the upbuilding
of the section near Oroville. He was a Democrat in politics, but was never an
aspirant for office. His good wife died on May 2, 1898, and he answered the
last call on August 8, 1900. The family were all
members of the Catholic Church at Cherokee. The six children born to this
worthy pair are: James E., who was for years a member of the capitol police at
Sacramento, and who died on the old Lynch ranch on March 30, 1917, while on a
visit to the old farm; Catherine E., a teacher in the schools of Butte County
for many years, now teaching at Stirling City; Mary
A. and Margaret M., twins, who have both taught the required number of years
and are now on the retired list; and John F. and William P. Mary A. was
principal of the Stirling City schools for three
years; Margaret M. served as principal of the Palermo schools for two years,
and later of the Stirling City schools. The three
daughters are active in education work in Butte County. They are members of the
Butte County Teachers' Association and the Northern California Teachers'
Association, and have held membership in the National Educational Association.
John F. lives in Stirling City; and William P., of
Chico, is represented on another page of this work.
After the death of Mr. Lynch, the
sons and daughters moved to Stirling City, where they
erected a comfortable home, and where the sons were then employed by the
Diamond Match Company. Here the daughters now reside, highly respected members
of the community. The Lynch ranch is leased for a stock range. No family is
better known in this section of the county than that of the late James Lynch.
Transcribed by Sande Beach.
Source: "History of
Butte County, Cal.," by George C. Mansfield, Pages 443-444, Historic Record Co, Los
Angeles, CA, 1918.
© 2006 Sande Beach.
Golden Nugget Library's Butte County Biographies