WALTER J. SHARKEY

Butte County

Biographies

WALTER J. SHARKEY

WALTER J. SHARKEY.--A native son proud of his father’s record, both as a forty-niner and one of the earliest of Butte County’s pioneers, and as a prominent and influential Californian of his time, Walter J. Sharkey has always stood for the permanent improvement of Oroville, where for years he has been a respected citizen, and where he made an enviable record for himself during his term of office as trustee of the city. Walter J. Sharkey was born near Chico on September 2, 1873 the son of William Sharkey, who came from Ireland to New York with his parents when he was a mere babe. Growing up in the Eastern metropolis, William Sharkey set out for California by way of Panama in 1849, making the trip with such other pioneers as Flood and O’Brien, destined in time to become more or less famous. While they engaged in mining, Mr. Sharkey started at Marysville in the mercantile business, and he also became one of the early county clerks of Yuba County. Afterwards he embarked in farming above Chico, now the site of Gianella Bridge, and for years raised grain, success attending all his efforts.

Mr. Sharkey then turned to a new field, that of newspaper work, and in the town of Biggs, in 1877, he founded what is now the Oroville Register, but which at that time was known by the less definite title, the Butte County register. After a while he moved the paper to Oroville, and still later he sold it to the Boyntons, who made of it the Oroville Register. Having taken up his residence in Oroville, Mr. Sharkey was postmaster there for four years; and on his removal to Biggs he studied law, was admitted to the bar, and opened a law office in that town, practicing there until his death, about twenty-five years ago.

Mrs. William Sharkey, Amanda Gray before her marriage, was a native of Texas, and came with her parents across the plains with ox teams and settled with them in Yuba County. Her grandfather, Charles Gray, owned a large tract of land in Texas, now the site of the state penitentiary at Huntsville. In the fifties he started with his family across the plains, but died on the way. Mrs. Sharkey preceded her husband to the other world. She was the mother of nine children, four of whom are still living.

The third youngest of this family, and the only one left in Butte County, Walter Sharkey was brought up in Oroville from, his sixth to his thirteenth year, when he went to Biggs, and later in the same year to Central House. He attended public schools in these several localities, and afterwards studied at the San Francisco Business College; and having graduated, he thereafter engaged in the hotel business at Powelltown, Butte County, for three years. Then he came to Oroville, where he has since been doing business at the corner of Montgomery and Downer Streets. Since coming to Oroville, he has done much for the upbuilding of the city. A Republican in national politics, and secretary for years of the Republican County Central Committee, Mr. Sharkey was trustee of Oroville for four years, and chairman of the Fire, Water and Light Committee and the Ordinance Committee. The sanitary sewer system was completed during his term, and he started the campaign for better sidewalks. During his term, also, was accomplished the paving of the streets, and the equipment of the fire department with a motor-driven chemical and hose wagon.

At Honcut, in this county, Mr. Sharkey was married to Miss Estella Wood, a native of that town, and a daughter of Nathan Wood, a pioneer; and two children have blessed their union: Stella E., a graduate of the Oroville High School, who also graduated as an oral teacher at the University of California; and Vivian, attending the Oroville Union High school, in the class of 1019.

Transcribed by Priscilla Delventhal.

Source: "History of Butte County, Cal.," by George C. Mansfield, Pages 587-588, Historic Record Co, Los Angeles, CA, 1918.

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