Los Angeles
County
Biographies
JAMES
JOSEPH FURLONG
One of the leading citizens of the
manufacturing town of Vernon, California, is James Joseph Furlong, an extensive
landholder on this site and one of the small group
of men responsible for developing this original farming property into valuable
factory holdings. Mr. Furlong was born
on April 8, 1876, in the house in which he now lives, but which then stood
eight miles from what is now Central Avenue in the Compton district. His father, Robert Furlong, who was a native
of Wexford, Ireland, emigrated to the United States in 1850 and followed
farming and mining during his active life.
He resided in Mariposa County, California, prior to taking up his abode
in Tuolumne County, where he engaged in mining until 1869, being quite
successful. In that year he bought three
hundred acres near what is now Rivera and was one of the group
of men who took the first water for irrigation from the San Gabriel River. He developed a farm here raising corn and
hogs. Having no market for corn he fed
it to his hogs which he butchered and cured and then hauled to Bakersfield and
Bishop, the mining centers for southern California, taking three months for the
round trip to each place. He sold this
farm about 1872 and bought a ranch west of Compton and raised cattle. This ranch he later sold and moved the house
and family to the place now occupied by the home of our subject, paying
forty-five dollars per acre. In early
manhood he had wed Martha Kehoe, also a native of Ireland. Both are now deceased and are buried in
Calvary Cemetery. To them were born four
children, as follows: Thomas J., born
February 19, 1872, who has served as city clerk of Vernon since the inception
of the town; Annie M.; James Joseph, of this review; and Mrs. Judith Poxon. All of the
children, with the exception of Thomas reside on the ranch.
James J. Furlong attended the
parochial school at Macy and Alameda streets and continued his studies at St.
Vincent’s College. He lost his father
when but seven years of age and thereafter farmed the Furlong acreage in
association with his older brother, Thomas J.
Subsequently the brothers turned their attention to the purchase and
sale of property. Together with such men
as John B. Leonis, Sr., and Colonel P. J. Durbin they
were responsible for the development of this land into a manufacturing center
and were instrumental in the establishment of numerous industrial enterprises
at Vernon. James J. Furlong is president
of the Furlong Estate Corporation and a director of the Bank of Vernon of which
he was one of the organizers.
On the 19th of July,
1927, Mr. Furlong was united in marriage to Miss Georgia Coy, a native of Lake
County, California, and they are the parents of a son, James Joseph, Jr., born
April 8, 1933, which is the birth anniversary of his father, both being born in
the same house.
Mr. Furlong was elected the second
mayor of Vernon in 1907, and has served ever since, being reelected every two
years. During this time he has seen the
entire development of the district of which he was one of the original
incorporators and one of the first trustees.
Mr. Furlong is a Republican in politics and a Catholic in religious
faith, being a member of St. Martha’s parish.
Transcribed
by V. Gerald Iaquinta.
Source: California of the South
Vol. IV, by John Steven McGroarty, Pages 583-584,
Clarke Publ., Chicago, Los Angeles, Indianapolis. 1933.
© 2012 V.
Gerald Iaquinta.
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