Sacramento County
Biographies
MICHAEL KEEFE
Michael Keefe, an
extensive farmer six miles south of Sacramento,
was born in Fort Carrington
Township, Franklin County, New
York, October
4, 1841. His parents were
John and Margaret (Murphy) Keefe, natives of Ireland. Three weeks after their marriage in 1835,
they came to America,
landing at Quebec. Thence they went to New
York State by way
of Montreal and Lachine. Mr. Keefe had a brother in Franklin County,
New York, and after sojourning with him for a while settled upon a place of his
own. He died in 1868, at the age of
sixty-seven years. His widow is still
living there, at the age of seventy-six years.
In John’s father’s family were six children: David, John, Daniel, Michael, Mathew, and
Mary, all of whom are now dead. John Keefe
had twelve children: two died in
infancy, and those who grew up are David, Johanna, Bridget, Michael, Mary,
Margaret, Abigail, Daniel, Katie and John.
All these are living excepting Bridget, who died in Wisconsin. The others are scattered over the United
States, two of them—John and Michael—being
in this county. Mr.
Michael Keefe, whose name heads this notice, has made his own way in the world
since he became of age without a dollar of help from anybody. He packed pork four months in Chicago; worked
for Isaiah Strong, a cattle-dealer in La Salle County, Illinois, ten months;
then he visited a point above Green Bay, Wisconsin, where his sister had just
died; then in Chicago again for a short time during the cold storm of the
winter of 1864; then worked a short time for Abner
Strong, brother of Isaiah, La Salle County; then on account of the sickness of
his father, he returned to New York and remained there with his parents until
May 19, 1864, when he started for California.
He sailed upon the steamer Illinois
to Panama,
having some trouble to effect a landing, as it was during the war; and on the
steamer America
to San Francisco, landing there
June 27. For a short time he worked for
Colonel McNasser, in Franklin Township, this county,
and then for Silas Carle, Mr. West, William Curtis in Sacramento, H. Wittenbrock, and then Mr. Curtis again until 1871. He then married Nora Egan, and continued to
make his home there for two years. His
eldest son, John, was born there, February
3, 1874. He next moved upon
the place owned by Oliver C. Carroll and lived there a year and a half; then,
in 1875, he moved into Sacramento for four months, His second son, George
Michael, was born there, October 3, 1875.
He then bought a half interest in the Hayne
& Cheney ranch and moved upon it December 4, that year. There his third son, Daniel Stanislaus, was
born, September 1, 1877, and
his fourth child, Margaret Ann, July
13, 1881. December 22 of the
latter year he moved upon his present place, which he bought in January, 1881,
and which contains 200 acres. It is
bounded by both the upper and the lower Stockton
roads, and is six miles from the city limits. His fine residence there was
completed in March, 1883. His interest
in the Hayne & Cheney ranch consists of 402˝ acres;
and he began life here with nothing. He
devotes his attention to general farming and stock-raising, especially horses,-- work horses and roadsters.
Transcribed by Karen Pratt.
Davis, Hon. Win. J., An
Illustrated History of Sacramento County,
California. Page 516-517.
Lewis Publishing Company. 1890.
© 2005 Karen Pratt.