Santa
Clara County
Biographies
JAMES DUNNE
James Dunne is remembered throughout Santa
Clara county as a pioneer of stanch and enterprising
spirit, and one who gave no little of a useful life to the upbuilding of the
best interests of his adopted state. He was a native of Queens county, Ireland, but in youth came to America, settling in
New Orleans, where he acquired his start in life as a clerk in a mercantile
establishment. Later on he engaged in business for himself, formed a large
company and succeeded beyond his expectations. While in New Orleans he married
Miss McDonald, who bore him a son, James F., who now lives on and owns the San
Felipe rancho. Mr. Dunne’s ambition led him to sell out his business in New
Orleans, and to bring his family to California in 1848. With him he brought a
stock of general merchandise, with which he set up a large wholesale
merchandising business in partnership with his brother, and while thus employed
purchased the San Felipe rancho upon which he eventually located and engaged in
farming and stock-raising. His death was untimely, occurring in 1874, in San Francisco, whither he had gone on business. He was stanch
Roman Catholic and a man of generous mould and large compassion for the
unfortunate.
The second marriage of Mr. Dunne
united him with Mrs. Catherine (O’Toole) Murphy. She was a native of Ireland,
many years of her life being spent in Quebec, Canada, where she was united in
marriage with Bernard Murphy, a native of Canada, who removed early in life to
Missouri with his parents. Mr. Murphy came of energetic and ambitious
parentage, from whom he inherited the courage which
enabled him to overcome many obstacles and forge his way to the front with
little material aid. An example of the bravery of his father was his
determination to cross the plains in 1844, while yet the country was a stranger
to pale faces, and danger lurked on every hand. Martin Murphy’s courage is
extolled in more complete mention of him in another part of this work and at
this time it is sufficient to say he accomplished his object, reached his goal
with few accidents, and impressed his worth upon the infant industries of
California. His son, Bernard, eventually returned to Canada, and soon after his
marriage to Miss O’Toole came west again by way of Panama, bringing his wife
with him, and engaging in farming and stock-raising in Santa Clara county, in
time becoming the owner of a ranch of eighteen thousand acres located between
Morgan Hill and Gilroy. This large property forms parts of four large Spanish
grants, viz.: San Francisco de Las Llagas, Las Uvas, La Polka and Ojo de Aqua
del la Coche. Notwithstanding his success and promise
Mr. Murphy was destined to leave his greatest work undone, for he chanced to be
a passenger on the ill-fated Jennie Lynn, which exploded in San Francisco bay
in 1853 and which proved fatal to so many hopeful souls. There was one child of
this union, Martin J. C., a bright and studious lad, who was taken ill while
attending the law school of Georgetown College, and
died at the age of twenty.
To Mr. and Mrs. Dunne were born
three children, of whom Peter J., the occupant of his mother’ ranch, married
Josephine R., daughter of N. K. and Emilia Masten,
the former of whom is a prominent banker of San Francisco. Mary Phileta Dunne became the wife of Joseph H. Rucker, a real
estate merchant of San Jose; and Catherine is the wife of R. W. Hersey, a
prominent fruit packer of San Jose. Aside from farming and fruit growing, Mrs.
Dunne’s ranch is utilized for stock-raising, Shorthorn cattle, Polled Durham
and standard bred and draft horses comprising the chief source of revenue. Mrs.
Dunne owns the large and comfortable home in San Jose where she resides with
her daughter and son-in-law. She is a consistent member of St. Joseph’s
Catholic Church. As a pioneer of 1851 her memory of early California history is
complete and instructive, and interspersed with interesting happenings of her
own life.
Transcribed By: Cecelia M. Setty.
Source: History of the State of California & Biographical Record of Coast
Counties, California by Prof. J. M. Guinn, A. M., Pages 1299-1300. The
Chapman Publishing Co., Chicago, 1904.
© 2016 Cecelia M. Setty.