Sacramento County
Biographies
WILLIAM R. O’BRIEN
WILLIAM R. O’BRIEN.--The importance of Sacramento as a center of plant-industry has been demonstrated repeatedly, and by no more so than by William R. O’Brien, whose plant headquarters at the corner of B and Thirty-first Streets, in Sacramento, are visited annually by many people. He was born in that city on May 8, 1857, the son of Thomas F. and Kate (Ford) O’Brien, the former a native of Ireland who had reached California by way of the Isthmus in 1850. He mined for a time; and then he accepted the responsible position as foreman and manager for Smith bros., and had charge of their gardens near Sacramento, where Meister’s dairy is now located. There was but a very small levee at that time, and there was no overflow until hydraulic mining was begun. He next established himself as a florist and after that was engaged in the raising of asparagus, operating in his own way and as one of the real pioneers in his field. He was a landscape gardener and florist and he drew plans for the Capitol grounds, which were accepted; he also laid out grounds of the finer homes in Sacramento and also in San Francisco. He was ably assisted by his good wife. They had six children: Thomas, deceased; and William R., Mrs. Mary Sheehan, George, Fred, and Frank, all born in Sacramento and living here.
William R. O’Brien went to the public schools, and then to the Christian Brothers’ College, and after that he took a fine commercial course at Howe’s Business College; and when ready to push out for himself, he joined his brother, Thomas F. O’Brien, and engaged in the raising of asparagus on their own property above McKinley Park. In 1893, he extended the scope of his operations by beginning to raise plants, both vegetable and flowering, and for a while he was located on Twenty-seventh Street, although he has been in his present location for a long time. His brother, Thomas, died in March, 1920, esteemed by all who knew him.
The marriage of William R. O’Brien to Miss Mary Curstens of New Orleans occurred in 1890, and they have one son living, Ford, who responded to the call of his country in the World War, was assigned to the artillery, and saw seven months’ service in France. Another, Roy O’Brien, died at the age of fifteen. The O’Briens also have a daughter, Laureen, who is now Mrs. Joseph Gideon, of Sacramento. A grandchild is William Gideon. In respect to his political preferences, Mr. O’Brien is a Democrat. He was a charter member of Sacramento Parlor No. 3, N. S. G. W., and he has lived to see Sacramento grow from a straggling village to a city of considerable size.
Transcribed
Joyce Rugeroni.
Source: Reed, G.
Walter, History of Sacramento County,
California With Biographical Sketches, Page 383. Historic Record Company, Los Angeles, CA.
1923.
© 2007 Joyce Rugeroni.