JOHN McNEILL 

Among the old-time business men, yet active and prominent in commercial circles here, is the gentleman whose name heads this sketch, and who came to Sacramento in 1853. Mr. McNeill is a native of New Hampshire, born at Antrim, his parents being Abraham and Margaret (McMaster) McNeill, both of whom came of old New England families, and of Scotch and English ancestry. When the subject of this sketch was twelve years of age, his parents moved to Lowell, Massachusetts, and there learned the machinist’s trade with Aldrich, Tyng & Co. The latter part of 1851 found him still employed with that firm, but about that time a party was organized among his acquaintances for the purpose of going to California. Among them were John Carter (now of San Jose), William McCall (formerly a commission merchant of San Francisco, now deceased), and others who became well known in California afterward. The party left New York on the 6^th of January, 1852, on the steamer Ohio, crossed the Isthmus, and landed in San Francisco February 10, 1852, from the steamer Oregon. Mr. McNeill obtained employment with the commission house of Hamm & Flournoy, corner of Front and Washington Streets, where the same building stands to this day. In the following year he came to Sacramento, and in 1854 he entered into partnership with W.F. Benchlay, under the firm name of Benchlay & Co. Mr. Benchlay sold out in 1859, and returned to the East, and the firm was thus dissolved. Mr. McNeill then commenced clerking for Sneath & Arnold, corner of Seventh and J Streets. (The firm had succeeded Boyd & Co. in 1851.) One year later Mr. Sneath went to San Francisco to attend the interest of the firm there, Mr. Arnold taking charge of the firm business in Sacramento. A short time subsequently, L.S. Adams bought into the business, and the firm became John Arnold & Co., the membership after this being John Arnold, L.S. Adams, John McNeill and L.A. Upson. In 1865 the interest of John Arnold was purchased by the other partners, and the style of the firm became as present – Adams, McNeill & Co. (In 1870 Mr. Upson’s interest was purchased by the other partners, but no other changes have been made.) The firm was located at the present quarters in 1863. During the floods of 1861-’62, Mr. McNeill was conducting a branch house at Folsom. The firm does a heavy business throughout the Pacific Coast. Mr. McNeill was married in Sacramento March 24, 1858, to Miss Mary Tozer, a native of New York State. They have one son, Goodwin, who died in October 1884, in his twenty-seventh year; and one daughter – Mary Margaret, born in 1861, and died in 1871. Mr. McNeill has been a Republican since the organization of the party. Previous to that time he had been a Whig, and cast his first presidential vote for Winfield Scott in 1852. He was one of the founders of the Howard Benevolent Society, has always taken an active interest in its work, and is now a trustee. He is an exempt fireman, and in the days of the volunteers was a member of Alert Hook & Latter Company. Mr. McNeill has always taken an active interest in matters of musical, and was one of the organizers of the Philharmonic Society back in 1854. The celebrated McNeill Club of Sacramento was named in his honor. He is an active man and takes a live interest in everything tending to the advancement of Sacramento. Since the above was written Mr. McNeill died, October 28, 1889.

 

Transcribed by Debbie Gramlick.