Sacramento County
Biographies
WILLIAM H. DEVINE
WILLIAM
H. DEVINE. A retired merchant of Sacramento, William
H. Devine is enjoying the evening of his days in the city where much of his
life has been spent. He was born in Galway,
Ireland, December 25,
1852, a son of Edward Devine, a native of the same country. The latter
immigrated to the United States and took part in the war of 1812, finally
returning to Ireland, where he married Ellen Carroll and spent the last days of
his life, living to the ripe age of one hundred and five years, while his wife
died in her seventy-seventh year.
William H.
Devine received the principal part of his education in Sacramento,
Cal., being only three years old when he came to the United
States. For several years he was a
clerk in a general store and later for ten years, from 1866 to 1876, he was in
the employ of the Southern Pacific Railroad
Company. In the last named year he embarked in the grocery business on Q
street, Sacramento,
where he continued successfully until 1901, by energy and closet attention to
business building up a large patronage. Disposing of his business
interests to C. Donavan, he has since given his time to looking after his
general business interests. Mr. Devine now has a comfortable home at No.
900 Q street, presided
over by his wife, formerly Della Powers, a native of Ireland. Politically
he is a Democrat, but has never cared for official recognition on account of
his engrossing business interests. He is a member of the Cathedral of the
Most Holy Sacrament. Mr. Devine began life in meager circumstances and by
industry, honesty and good management has accumulated a competency for old age
Transcribed
by Louise E. Shoemaker October 08, 2007.
Source: “History of
the State of California and Biographical Record of the Sacramento Valley,
California” by J. M. Guinn. Page 1178. Chapman Publishing Co., Chicago 1906.
© 2007 Louise E. Shoemaker.
Sacramento County Biographies