Santa
Clara County
Biographies
JOHN CROTHERS
Although for thirty-six years a resident of the United States, it was many years after locating in this country that Mr. Crothers took up his permanent residence on the Pacific coast, and since 1883 he has made his home in San Jose, Cal., owning a fine residence at No. 283 Reed street. Formerly an extensive stock-raiser in Iowa, where he was very successful, he disposed of his interests there, came to California and invested his capital in a number of fine fruit ranches and devoted years of his time to overseeing them. As a natural result of his good investments and excellent foresight he has continued to prosper, owning at the present time, in addition to his home place, three fine residences in San Jose, which he rents.
Of distinguished Irish ancestry, and himself a native of County Fermanagh, Ireland, also the birthplace of his parents, Mr. Crothers was born August 10, 1835, being next to the youngest in a family of seven children, three sons and four daughters, born to his parents, John and Dorcas (Robinson) Crothers. His father was an extensive land owner and resident farmer in the above named county in Ireland, and died there in 1867, at the advanced age of ninety-seven years and three months. His mother died in the same vicinity much earlier, when Mr. Crothers was but eight years old. The eldest son, Christopher, fought under Sherman during the Civil war, and the youngest son, Thomas, fell at Gettysburg in our country's cause, a member of Pillsbury Cavalry.
John Crothers' schooling was received in the common schools of Ireland, and he afterward engaged in farm pursuits on the estate of his father. In 1860 this was sold and the family moved to Belfast, which was his home until 1868. He then came to the United States and in the vicinity of Wapello, Iowa, he engaged in farm pursuits. In 1871 he moved into Delaware county of the same state, and engaged in the stock business, raising large numbers of cattle. In 1878 he found a better location in Ida county and there acquired nine hundred acres of land, carrying on a large cattle business. Disposing of his interests in this locality, in 1883, he looked about for a permanent location for a home and was soon attracted by the superior inducements in the way of both climate and investment in the Santa Clara valley, locating the same year in San Jose. For a number of years Mr. Crothers has lived a retired life, being a capitalist of some note.
While still a resident of Ireland Mr. Crothers married Miss Margarite Jane Fair, a native of County Tyrone, and a sister of U. S. Senator Fair. Ten children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Crothers and they are as follows: John James, whose biography is given in another part of this history; Fannie Jane, now deceased; William Henry, a physician of San Francisco; Thomas G., a resident of the same city; George Edward, manager of the Stanford estate; Mary E.; Charles Fair, an attorney of San Jose; Tessie Anna; Virginia, deceased; and Wesley. The family attend divine service at the Methodist Episcopal Church, of San Jose, and in his political views Mr. Crothers is a pronounced Prohibitionist, believing intemperance to be the greatest curse of the human race.
Transcribed
10-22-15 Marilyn
R. Pankey.
ญญญญSource:
History of the State of California &
Biographical Record of Coast Counties, California by Prof. J. M. Guinn, A.
M., Page 847. The Chapman Publishing Co., Chicago, 1904.
ฉ 2015 Marilyn R.
Pankey.