Biographies
GEORGE A. BURNS
The business interests of Sacramento have
an efficient representative in the person of George A. Burns, who has the
distinction of being a native born son of the city as well as one of its
influential and progressive men of commerce. Identified with the community
throughout all of his life, he received his excellent education in the local
schools, gained his first knowledge of business in local work and for years has
been numbered among its men of business, having at a very early age entered
into the retail wood and coal business at No. 2231 N street. For a long period
he continued at the same location, but eventually disposed of the yards, after
which he embarked in the wholesale coal and wood business, which he now conducts
with systematic supervision and intelligent oversight. The general commercial
activities of the city have been fostered by his loyal support and his
reputation is that of a progressive and honorable citizen, patriotic in thought
and capable in action.
While himself a native of Sacramento,
where he was born January 18, 1876, George A. Burns descends from a long line
of Celtic ancestry and is a son of Joseph and Sarah Burns, the former born and
reared on the old Emerald Isle. The conditions in Ireland were such as to
preclude any hope of successful effort and Joseph Burns therefore was led to
east in his destinies with those of the new world, particularly with those of
the vast undeveloped west. When he crossed the Atlantic in 1853 he came on via
Panama to California, landing from a vessel in the harbor of San Francisco,
from which point he proceeded to the mines, then the center of great activity.
At the time of the great excitement concerning gold discoveries on the Fraser river he went to that section of the country, where he
prospected until 1854. Later he went to Nevada and became interested in mining
near Warsaw. As early as 1856 he became a resident of Sacramento and began to
take contracts for putting in sewers, grading streets and building street railways.
From that time until his death in 1893 he ranked among the most influential and
prominent contractors in the city.
When almost fourteen years of age George
A. Burns left school and became self-supporting, since which time he has made
his own way in the world. For a time he was employed to assist his father in
street and railroad construction work and soon gained a thorough knowledge of
that line of business so that while yet a mere youth he did considerable work
on his own responsibility. During November of 1897 he opened a wood and
coal yard on N street and this he conducted for almost fourteen years, finally
selling in May of 1911. Since then he has engaged in a wholesale business along
the same lines, having his place of business at Thirtieth and R streets, where
he keeps on hand large quantities of fuel for sale to retailers at reasonable
prices. In the midst of many business cares he has found leisure for
participation in the local activities of the Democratic party
and in the fraternal enterprises of the Elks and the Native Sons of the Golden
West, in both of which he has been quite prominent. April 14, 1894, he married
Miss Sadie Bradshaw, of Sacramento. One child blesses their union, a daughter,
Josephine, now a pupil in the Sisters' convent. The family
are earnest members of the Roman Catholic Church.
Transcribed by Sally Kaleta.
Source: Willis,
William L., History of Sacramento County,
California, Pages 975-976. Historic
Record Company,
© 2006 Sally Kaleta.