Santa Clara County
Biographies
JAMES EUGENE FLANNELLY
JAMES EUGENE FLANNELLY. In
enumerating the successful business men of Santa Clara county,
Cal., appropriate mention should be made of James Eugene Flannelly,
who followed diversified occupations for a livelihood prior to 1893, when he
took up his residence in Palo Alto and engaged in the wood, coal and feed
business. He was born in Boston, December 18, 1857, and is the third
child in a family of thirteen born to Patrick and Catherine (McCormick)
Flannelly. Both parents were born in Sligo, Ireland,
and it was there that their marriage also took place. In 1854 they emigrated to the United States, locating for several years
in Boston, Mass. They subsequently came to California, making the trip by water
to the Isthmus of Panama, and after crossing, continuing in the same manner to
San Francisco. In San Mateo county Patrick Flannelly followed farm
pursuits for a number of years, but afterward purchased land near Santa Cruz,
where he followed similar pursuits until his death in 1896, at the age of
sixty-four years. His widow is still living, being a resident of San Francisco,
and although bowed down by the weight of her seventy years, she is still hale
and hearty.
Educated in the common schools of California,
Mr. Flannelly, after leaving school, engaged in dairy farming and for five
years conducted the San Pedro Dairy, covering a special route daily.
Discontinuing this line of work for a time he went to San Francisco in 1880 and
opened a hotel business there, and during the four years he was so engaged, he
met with fair success. The life of a hotel proprietor did not appeal very
strongly to him, however, and in 1885 he went to Redwood City and re-engaged in
the dairy business. Here for four years he conducted the Oaks Dairy and was
quite successful. Upon his removal to Palo Alto in 1893, Mr. Flannelly
opened a wood, coal and feed depot in that city, as previously mentioned, and
ranks among the successful business men of this locality. He owns a fine piece
of town property, with a frontage of seventy-five feet, located on High street,
where he resides. He wedded Miss Ellen Barry, and they have one son, whom they
call James E., Jr. In their religious inclinations, the family are regular communicants of the Catholic Church. In
his political views, Mr. Flannelly is an ardent Democrat, but can hardly
be termed an active politician. Fraternally he is a member of but one order,
the Woodmen of the World. As a citizen he is highly esteemed, and is interested
in the welfare of his adopted home.
Transcribed by Marie Hassard 17 April 2016.
ญญญญSource: History
of the State of California & Biographical Record of Coast Counties,
California by Prof. J. M. Guinn, A. M., Pages
1081-1082. The Chapman Publishing Co.,
Chicago, 1904.
ฉ 2016 Marie Hassard.