Contra
Costa County
Biographies
JOSEPH
FLETCHER CAREY
JOSEPH FLETCHER CAREY. An honored pioneer of the state, Joseph
Fletcher Carey occupies a position of prominence among the citizens of Byron,
where he now discharges the duties of justice of the peace. He was born in Amsterdam, Montgomery county, N.Y., September 17, 1833, a son of Levi and
Catharine (Wager) Carey, who removed to Walworth county, Wis., in 1843. The father engaged in farming in that state
until 1860, but desirous of locating in a milder climate on account of the
health of an invalid son, he took his family and set out for the south, but
afterward decided to locate in California.
The son improved on the journey, but when about thirty-six miles from
Placerville, on the border of the state, the father was taken with a congestive
chill and passed away at the age of sixty-six years. The widow continued the journey into the
state, where she passed her last days, making her home in both Contra Costa and
Solano county, and dying at the age of ninety-two
years.
Joseph Fletcher Carey grew to manhood in
the state of Wisconsin, where he accompanied his parents when only ten years
old. In 1853 he decided to cast in his
lot with the California pioneers, and accordingly crossed the plains to the
western state and located in Eldorado county. Like many others who sought the west at that
time he engaged in mining, remaining so occupied until the fall of 1862, when
he went to Contra Costa county and bought a quarter
section of government land. To
Mr. Carey belongs the distinction of raising the first crop of wheat ever
raised in this part of the state, one hundred and sixty acres now embodied in
the ranch of S. M. Mills being that which he planted to this
cereal. It yielded about sixteen sacks
per acre. On that property he continued
raising wheat and barley, making many improvements in the shape of a house,
barns and other outbuildings, and the setting out of trees of all
varieties. In 1871 he sold that property
for $5,000, after which he rented a large tract of land in the foothills, where
he raised grain and hay for four years.
When Brentwood was first laid out he bought six lots there and built a
blacksmith shop, which he conducted successfully for several years, when he
sold out and bought one acre in Byron and built a cottage. This location has since remained his home,
and here he engaged as a carpenter and painter until 1901. In that year he was elected justice of the
peace through the influence of the Republican party, of whose principles he is
a stanch[sic] advocate. He is also agent for a fire insurance
company.
In Placerville, Mr. Carey married
Mary Steel, a native of Maine, and she died twenty-two months later. His second wife was Laura Welch, of Contra
Costa county, a daughter of L D. Welch,
whose sketch is found in that of S. H. Welch, which appears
elsewhere. To Mr. and
Mrs. Carey were born the following children: Charles and Carrie Belle, twins, the latter
of whom died at the age of three and a half years, while the former attained
manhood, married Mary Quaint, and engaged in farming until his death at the age
of twenty-six years; Clara married Z. T. Northcut,
of Fruitvale, and they have one child, Raymond; Alice, deceased, was the wife
of Lewis Weicht; Joseph F. married Etta Dahnken, of Antioch, and they have one child, Mabel; and
Mabel, who died at the age of seventeen and a half years. Fraternally Mr. Carey belongs to the
Masons of Brentwood, and the Ancient Order of United Workmen, acting in the
capacity of financier of the latter, and has also served as secretary.
[Inserted by D.
Toole.]
JOSEPH FLETCHER
CAREY
1887
Aug 1, Oakland Tribune, P2, Oakland, California
Mrs.
J. F. Carey and Miss Alice Carey of Brentwood are visiting Mrs. Abbie Hussey at
667 Thirty-fifth street, Oakland.
1910
May 28, The San Francisco Call, P8, San Francisco,
California
Death
Claims Pioneer and Justice of Peace
Joseph
F. Carey Falls Beside Road Near Home
[Special
Dispatch to The Call]
Byron,
May 27 – In the death of Justice of the Peace Joseph F. Carey, which
occurred Monday, Byron and Contra Costa county and the state of California
loses one of the earliest pioneers. The
judge was returning from the Burdewich ranch, a few
miles from town, and fell dead by the roadside near the Kellogg bridge. He came to
California in 1853 and was the first person to raise a crop of wheat in eastern
Contra Costa, the yield being 25 sacks.
In 1902 he was elected justice of the peace and served nearly eight
years. Besides a widow, there are two
children – Mrs. Clara Northcut of Berkeley and Joseph
F. Carey of Byron. The couple had been
married 44 years, the widow being the daughter of another early pioneer family
– that of Welch. The funeral was held
under the auspices of the Masons, embers of that order being present from
various sections of the state. The
floral display was magnificent. Judge
Carey was 76 years of age and was born in New York state.
1910
May 29, Oakland Tribune, P27, Oakland, California
Byron
The
very sudden death of Judge Joseph F. Carey last Monday morning came as a great
shock to everyone. Mr. Carey had been
around attending to insurance business several miles out of town and was
walking back to Byron, when he suddenly dropped dead on the road. The day was very warm and the supposition is
that he was overcome by the heat in walking to town. MR. Carey was one of the old residents in
this part of the county having settled on a ranch at Point of Timber about
1867. He had, however, resided in Byron
for a number of years.
1910
May 29, San Francisco Chronicle, P36, San Francisco,
California
Pioneer
Dies Suddenly
Byron,
May 28 – The funeral of the late Judge Joseph F. Carey, who dropped dead Monday while walking into town from Brentwood, was held from
the Methodist Church here Thursday. The
services were conducted by the Masonic Lodge of Brentwood, of which he was a
member. Judge Carey was one of the
pioneer residents of this county. He had
been busy during the day conducting insurance business about the countryside,
and attempted to walk into town in the heat of the day. His body was found in the road by a passing
rancher. He is survived by a widow, a
married son and a married daughter.
1910
Aug 26, The San Francisco Call, P4, San Francisco,
California
Carey
– Joseph Franklin, beloved husband of Etta Carey, and father of Mabel and
Gwynne Carey, and son of the late Judge Carey and Mrs. Laura Carey, and brother
of Mrs. Clara Northcut of Fruitvale, a native of
Brentwood, Cal., aged 32 years 4 months and 4 days. Friends are respectfully invited to attend
the funeral services tomorrow (Saturday), August 27, 1910, at 1 p.m. at the
Methodist Episcopal church at Byron, Cal. Interment Union cemetery. Remains at the residence of
James Taylor, northeast corner of Fifteenth and Jefferson streets, Oakland,
until Saturday morning.
1922
Jan 28, Oakland Tribune, P5, Oakland, California
Byron
Brevities
Mrs.
Z. T. Northcutt of Berkeley, daughter of Mrs. J. F. Carey, was here last week
on a brief visit to her mother. She
reports her son Raymond as doing finely on the vaudeville stage. He is on the Loew
circuit, traveling throughout the Eastern States.
1925
Jan 18, Oakland Tribune, P39, Oakland, California
Mrs.
J. F. Carey, Byron pioneer, has gone to Oakland to reside with her daughter, Mrs.
Z. T. Northcutt. She will remain the
rest of the winter.
Transcribed by Donna Toole.
Source: History
of the State of California & Biographical Record of Coast Counties,
California by Prof. J. M. Guinn, A. M., Pages 1099-1100. The Chapman
Publishing Co., Chicago, 1904.
© 2016 Donna Toole.
Contra Costa County Biographies