Contra
Costa County
Biographies
DANIEL
R. McPHERSON
DANIEL R. McPHERSON. The foundation of the civilization of the
west has been laid for the greater part by men who came here poor in worldly
goods, but who were rich in such old-time possessions as perseverance, honesty
and well defined ambition. Such a one
has been D. R. McPherson, a pioneer of Contra Costa county, who has
weathered many discouragements and has reached a high goal of success, becoming
not only highly honored in his community, but the owner of several valuable
tracts of land. Mr. McPherson is of
Scotch ancestry, and was born in Logan county, Ky.,
December 26, 1835, a son of Murdock and Elizabeth (Fitzhugh)
McPherson. At an early age he moved to
Kansas City, Mo., where he lived for the balance of his youth.
As a boy Mr. McPherson had more
adventures than the average youth of his time and place, for it was his good
fortune to accompany Messrs. Major and Russel
across the plains on freighting expeditions.
In 1857 he came to California, settling on a tract of land in Ignacio
Valley, Contra Costa county. This proved to be grant land, and in 1859 he
abandoned it rather than have any trouble, and went to
Sycamore valley, where he again entered land and lived until 1862. He then disposed of his property and pre-empted
land in the Tassajara valley, purchased the same at a
later period and engaged in general farming and stock-raising. In time he made a specialty of grain raising, and added continually to his ranch until he owned
seven hundred and twenty-four acres. In
1897 he rented his land and moved to Oakland, remaining there four years, but
having contracted asthma he returned to Contra Costa county,
where he had previously purchased the Wells ranch on Walnut creek, one hundred
acres in extent. He lived here until
buying the Hammett ranch, which he rents at the present time, but upon which he
now makes his home. He finds this place
better suited to his peculiar difficulty, a malady which, however, fails to
make any impression upon his splendid physique, his good spirits or his
popularity. He has a cheerful
disposition, generous, kind-hearted, and a more public-spirited man it would be
difficult to find.
At Blue Springs, Mo., in February, 1856,
Mr. McPherson married Rhoda Harris, a native of that place and daughter of
William Harris. Mrs. McPherson died
in California in 1896 at the age of fifty-five, leaving the following
children: Martha Jane, the wife of
William Barnett; Mary, the wife of Adolph Podoa;
William L.; Emma V., the wife of James Kerr; Effie M., the wife
of W. Goold; Robert E.; Nina, the wife of
Edward R. Williams; Ernest F.; Clarence L.; Elsie, wife of
W. S. Clyma; and Tessie A. Three children died young. Mr. McPherson has laid up to his account
a great deal of practical hard work, and he is credited with being a shrewd,
intelligent business man. He has richly
deserved whatever of success has come to him, and it is the wish of all who
know him that he may long live to enjoy the fruits of his labor, and the good
will of his many friends.
Transcribed by Donna Toole.
ญญญญSource: History
of the State of California & Biographical Record of Coast Counties,
California by Prof. J. M. Guinn, A. M., Pages 531-532. The Chapman
Publishing Co., Chicago, 1904.
ฉ 2015 Donna Toole.
Contra Costa County Biographies