Nevada
County
Biographies
IRVIN W. HAYS
Dentistry may be said to be unique
among other occupations, as it is at once a profession, a trade and a
business. Such being the case it follows
that in order to attain the highest success in it one must be thoroughly
conversant with the theory of the art, must be an expert with the many tools
and appliances incidental to the practice of modern dentistry and must possess
business qualifications adequate to dealing with the financial side of the
profession. In none of these particulars
is Mr. Hays lacking, and he is accounted one of the leading representatives of
the dentistry profession in northern California, enjoying a large and lucrative
practice in Grass Valley.
The Doctor is a native of Missouri,
born March 8, 1843. His father, Irvin W.
Hays, Sr., was born in Kentucky in 1818, and the grandfather, Benjamin Hays,
was a native of North Carolina and a representative of one of the old and
influential families of that state. In
1820 the grandparents removed with their family to Missouri, where their son,
Irvin W., was educated and learned the miller’s trade, which he followed
throughout the greater part of his business career. At the time when the tide of emigration was
steadily flowing westward he crossed the plains to California, locating at
Oroville, Butte County, in 1849. One who
now visits this garden spot of the world can scarcely realize the condition of
affairs at that time. The population of
California was composed mainly of miners, who lived in tents or crude shanties;
but as transportation facilities were improved all the accessories and
conveniences of the east were introduced and California took its place among
the most advanced states of the commonwealth.
For two years Mr. Hays engaged in mining and butchering. In 1858, however, he returned eastward,
remaining in Missouri until 1878, when he again made a visit to
California. He died in Grass Valley in
1894. His wife’s maiden name was Mary
Jane Carson, who died in Missouri in 1853.
She was a native of Maryland and a daughter of Nehemiah and Rachel
(Bull) Carson. Her father was born in
the north of Ireland, and crossed the Atlantic to the United States in 1795,
locating in Maryland, in which state his wife was born. She was a sister of Dr. John Bull, one of the
first congressmen from the state of Missouri.
On both the paternal and maternal sides the families were connected with
the colonial army during the Revolutionary struggle and were also represented
in the early Indian wars.
In early life Dr. Hays became
connected with the miller’s trade. His
residence in California dates from May, 1865, and for a year he followed mining
and engineering. He was then called to
public office, serving as deputy assessor for five years, and during that time
he began preparation for the practice of dentistry, under the direction of Dr.
S. M. Harris. Having acquired an
accurate and comprehensive knowledge of the science, he opened an office in San
Francisco where he remained for some time, after which he took a post-graduate
course in the Haskell Dental College, of Chicago, in which he was graduated
with the class of 1882. On his return to
California he located in Grass Valley, where he has since made his home. He has met with most creditable success in
his chosen profession, his skill and ability winning him a very liberal
patronage. He has always been a close
student of the science of dentistry, and the many medical journals seen in his
office indicate that he keeps abreast with the theories and discoveries that
are continually being made along that line.
He is a distinguished member of the State Dental Association, with which
he has been connected for many years. In
1894-95 he was the first vice president, and in 1895-6 was the honored
president of the organization, a fact which indicates his high standing in the
profession.
On the 9th of April,
1884, Dr. Hays was united in marriage to Miss Lucy K. Carson, a native of
Richmond, Missouri, and a daughter of George Carson, who died in 1890. She is also a granddaughter of Thomas McKenny, a native of North Carolina, and is related to the
Stephens family that has furnished so many eminent representatives to the
United States navy.
Politically the Doctor is allied
with the progressive wing of the Democratic Party and takes an active interest
in political matters. He is also
prominent in society circles, holding membership with the Independent Order of
Odd Fellows, in which he has passed all the chairs, while in 1877 he was the
grand patriarch of the grand encampment of the state of California. He is especially fond of outdoor sports, is
particularly proficient with the use of rod and gun, and is a member of the
Grass Valley Gun Club and a charter member of the State Sportsmen’s
Association. The cause of education
finds in him a warm friend and he is a public-spirited citizen who gives a
loyal support to every measure calculated to secure advancement in
intellectual, social, moral and material lines.
Transcribed by
Gerald Iaquinta.
Source:
“A Volume of Memoirs and Genealogy of Representative Citizens of Northern
California”, Pages 433-435. Chicago Standard Genealogical Publishing Co. 1901.
© 2010
Gerald Iaquinta.
Golden Nugget Library's Nevada County Biographies