Sacramento County
Biographies
JEREMIAH CARROLL
Many successive generations of the Carroll
family lived and died in Ireland. Notwithstanding the intense struggle to
earn from the soil the barest necessities of existence they exhibited a
tenacious devotion to their native land. The patriotism characteristic of
the true Celt was in their blood. The cheerful humor of the race showed
itself in the optimism which enabled them to rise above the darkest blows of
fate. There came a time, however, when a young man determined to avail
himself of the opportunity offered by America. Crossing the ocean to
Massachusetts he there learned the trade of a stone-cutter. After a
sojourn of some years in the old Bay state, where he married, he returned to
Ireland in 1859 and followed farming. A son was born in county Cork
November 29, 1860, and to him was given the name of the father, Jeremiah.
The infant was only one month old when the family came to America and settled
in Massachusetts, where again the stone-cutter found employment at his chosen
occupation. Another removal was made in the year 1866, at which time
California was selected as the destination and Sacramento as the site of the
future home. For a considerable period the father worked for others, but
meanwhile he carefully hoarded his frugal savings and thus was enabled in 1878
to embark in business for himself. For two years he had his place of
business on Sixth street between J and K. From
there he removed to No. 808 K street, where he carried
on business for eight years. During 1888 he moved to Tenth and S streets,
where he had his headquarters for eight years. When finally the
infirmities of age rendered further work inadvisable he retired to private
life, but remained a resident of Sacramento until his death, which occurred in
1903. As a youth in the old country he had been a devoted Catholic and he
gave steadfast allegiance to that church throughout the balance of his
life.
The family of Jeremiah Carroll, Sr., and wife, the latter
of whom died two years prior to the demise of her husband, comprised five
children, of whom two daughters are now deceased and two daughters still
survive, namely: Mary, who is the wife of D. J. Considine,
of Sacramento, and Margaret. The only son in the family, Jeremiah, Jr.,
received his education in the grammar and high schools of Sacramento.
When quite young he began to learn the trade of stone-cutting under Devine
Bros., of Sacramento. After he had been with them for three years his
father took up the same line of business and he entered his employ, remaining
in the same position for eleven years. His next venture was the opening
of a stone quarry in Placer county, Cal., and this he
operated for a number of years. Upon returning to Sacramento he secured
employment with the state as superintendent of stone work on the capitol park,
and for eighteen months he engaged in the construction work on stairways.
When the contract had completed he returned to Placer county
and resumed the operation of the quarry, also taking contracts for stone
work. At the expiration of three busy years he left Placer county and went to Cascade Locks, on the Columbia River,
where for two years he was retained as foreman for the Day Construction Company
in the construction of the locks for the canal. With the completion
of that responsible task in 1895 he returned to Sacramento and here he has
since engaged in business for himself, first having his headquarters at No.
1902 Tenth street and after the death of his father removing to his present location,
No. 2431 Tenth street, where he has one of the most modern marble-cutting
plants in all of Northern California.
From early manhood Mr. Carroll has been
interested in public affairs and active in politics as a member of the
Democratic party. When only twenty-three years
of age he was chosen as secretary of the Democratic central committee and since
then he has frequently aided the local progress of his preferred political
organization. Reared in the Roman Catholic faith, he always has been
sincere in his allegiance to the church and generous in his offerings to its
maintenance. His wedding was the first solemnized in the Sacramento
Cathedral after its completion and he and his family have been especially
interested in that church, not only for this reason, but also because of their
large circle of friends in the congregation and their earnest devotion to its
missionary and charitable enterprises. The marriage to which reference
has been made occurred August 18, 1889, the bride being Miss Catherine O'Keefe,
of Prairie City, Sacramento county, daughter of Michael and Mary O'Keefe,
natives of Ireland. His wife died in 1893, leaving three children, and he
suffered a further deep bereavement in the loss of one of their daughters,
Mary, who died at the age of three years. The surviving daughter,
Catherine, is employed in one of the large department stores of Sacramento, and
the son, Charles, is an employe of Baker &
Hamilton, a wholesale firm of this city.
Transcribed by Sally Kaleta.
Source: Willis,
William L., History of Sacramento County,
California, Pages 773-774. Historic
Record Company,
© 2006 Sally Kaleta.