Butte County

Biographies


 

 

 

 

SETH R. QUIGLEY

 

 

      SETH R. QUIGLEY.-- A successful business man and horticulturalist of Chico, is "Doc" Quigley, as he is familiarly known.  Born in Putnam County, Mo., in 1869, he is a son of Doctor William Quigley, born in Ohio, who was a graduate of a medical college in Cincinnati and practiced medicine in Drakesville, Iowa, then moved to Missouri, where he settled on a farm, and there his death occurred, in 1871.  He married Julia Quigley, who, while of the same name, was no relation; she was born in Mobile, Ala., and came to Ohio with her parents when a young girl, and there was married to Mr. Quigley.  She reared their family on the farm, after Mr. Quigley's death, and finally moved to Steele City, Jefferson County, Nebr., where she died.  Doctor and Mrs. Quigley were the parents of nine children, Seth R. being the second youngest in the family.  When fourteen years of age he went to Nebraska with his mother and there completed his education, in the public schools.  He then taught school, meanwhile assisting his mother on the home farm, until reaching the age of twenty-three, when he entered Cotner University in Lincoln, Nebr., and continued teaching in his spare time.  He later entered the medical department of the university and continued until the hard times under the Cleveland administration, in 1895, when he found employment in a restaurant, and continued there for six years.  He then worked for three years as conductor on the street railway in Lincoln.  In 1903, he located in Denver, Colo., and was a conductor for the Tramway company seven years.

      Mr. Quigley's lifetime friend, Byron Fales, had located in Chico and engaged in the restaurant business.  He wrote Mr. Quigley to join him here, and in April, 1911, Mr. Quigley came to Chico and entered into partnership with Mr. Fales in the Waffle House, on Main Street.  They enlarged and remodeled the establishment and have operated it successfully since that time.  In 1915 they purchased the Federal Cafe, on Broadway near Fifth Street, and have since run it as a first-class restaurant, giving their personal supervision to both establishments.  Besides these business interests, Mr. Quigley and his partner are engaged in horticulture.  They purchased a ten-acre prune orchard in the Evans Tract, two miles north of town; and they also purchased an eight-and-one-half-acre prune orchard on Chico Creek. They cultivated the ten-acre tract four years ago, and then sold it, but still retain their acreage on Chico Creek, which is in full bearing, and uses a Samson engine of five horsepower for irrigating purposes.  They also own a twenty-four-acre almond orchard at Durham, which is in full bearing and kept in the best of condition.

      Mr. Quigley's marriage, in Denver, September 7, 1904, united him with Miss Rose Pickering, born in Indianola, Iowa, a daughter of Corbly and Anna (Dyer) Pickering, the father a native of Indianola, and mother of Island Magee, Ireland, of Scottish descent and who came with her parents to Ohio, where she married.  The father was a merchant in Indianola, then moved to Steele City, Nebr., in 1879, and farmed there until his death.  They were the parents of six children.  The mother died in Steele City, in 1896.  Mrs. Quigley was the youngest in the family, and was raised in Jefferson County, Nebr.  She attended Fremont Normal School and taught school before her marriage.  Mr. and Mrs. Quigley are the parents of one child, Pauline.  Mr. Quigley is a member of the California Prune and Apricot Association, and takes a real interest in the future prosperity and progress of his section, both as a business man and horticulturalist.  Fraternally he is a member of the Modern Woodmen of America; and in politics he is a Republican.

 

 

Transcribed by Rhonda Ruick O'Brien.

Source: "History of Butte County, Cal.," by George C. Mansfield, Pages 1316-1317, Historic Record Co, Los Angeles, CA, 1918.


© 2010  Rhonda Ruick O'Brien.

 

 

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