Santa
Clara County
Biographies
PETER LONG
PETER
LONG. Conspicuous among the
time-honored pioneers of California is Peter Long, of San Jose, who has been
prominently identified with the mining interests of this state for more than
half a century, and in his operations has achieved distinguished success. Making a special study of minerals and
mining, he has acquired a practical knowledge of the various kinds of ores to
be found in this region, and is known far and wide as a skillful miner. At his home he has a fine collection of
minerals, including valuable specimens of quartz and of free gold bearing
rock. A son of Peter Long, Sr., he was
born November 7, 1832, in Canton, Stark county, Ohio,
of French lineage.
A native of Alsace, France, Peter
Long, Sr., was born on a farm, and reared to agricultural pursuits. Emigrating to
America, he settled in Stark county, Ohio, where he bought land, which he
improved and lived on for a few years.
Subsequently removing with his family to Ashland county, Ohio, he was
there prosperously engaged in general farming until his death. He married Margaret Barnhart, who was born in
Alsace, France, and died in Ashland county, Ohio. She bore him ten children, all of whom are
living, Peter, the second child in succession of birth, being the only one on
the Pacific coast.
Reared on the home farm in Ashland county, Peter Long received such educational advantages as
were afforded by the common schools, remaining beneath the parental roof-tree
until nineteen years old. Desirous then
of visiting California and its gold fields, his father, who believed in helping
the boys to carry out cherished plans, furnished him with sufficient money to pay for his outfit to this state, lending him a sum that Mr.
Long repaid from his first earnings after coming here. Starting with his borrowed capital, Mr. Long
started from home on March 14, 1852, driving a horse team to Cincinnati, going
by boat to St. Louis, thence by wagon to St. Joseph, Mo., where he procured his
outfit. Crossing the Missouri river at that
point, he followed the trail through the Platte valley to Fort Laramie, thence
through Sublette’s cut-off, and along the Carson route to California, arriving
at Mud Springs, Eldorado county, on August 17. Going at once to the Indian diggings, he was
first engaged in placer mining, and then proceeded to
Gridley Flats, where he became interested in quartz mining. Disposing of that claim, Mr. Long went to
Sierra county, where he was successfully employed in
placer and drift mining for five or six years, and has still some specimens of
the ores that he obtained while there.
Selling out, he located in Solano county, where he bought a large tract
of land, paying $60 per acre of it, and was there very successfully employed in
farming for a number of years. He raised
stock and grain on an extensive scale, selling one crop of wheat for $3.30 per
hundred, and in addition to farming loaned money. Ten years after purchasing his ranch he sold
it for $150 per acre, a great advance on the price which he gave for it.
In 1876 Mr. Long located in San
Jose, buying his present property, where he has erected a commodious residence
and has made other improvements of an excellent character, having an orchard of
one and one-half acres, which is set out to fruit of different kinds. Since coming here he has been actively
interested in mining in Nevada county, operating
placer and drift mines. Until it was
sold, Mr. Long was a director, and the superintendent, of the San Jose Gravel
mine, and of the San Bernardino Quartz mine.
He is a stockholder in the Tuolumne County Rawhide Extension Quartz
mine, and as one of its directors assisted in building five stamp mills. During the fifty and more years that he has
been associated with the mining industries of California he has met with more
than ordinary success, acquiring valuable experience and much wealth.
Mr. Long married first, in 1857, at
Michigan Bar, Sarah Ann Kinnear, who was born in Sackville, New Brunswick, and
died, in 1889, in San Jose. He married
for his second wife in San Jose, Mollie Huff, a native
of Sandusky, Ohio. Mr. Long is prominent
in fraternal organizations, in which he is actively interested. He was made a Mason while a resident of
Suisun City, Solano county, and is now a member of
Friendship Lodge No. 210, F. & A. M., of which he is past master, and is a
member of the Order of the Eastern Star.
In 1854 he was made an Odd Fellow, and now belongs to Suisun City Lodge,
I. O. O. F., of Solano county, of which he is past
noble grand, and is also a member of Suisun City Encampment, of which he is
past chief patriarch.
Transcribed by
Doralisa Palomares.
Source: History of the State of California &
Biographical Record of Coast Counties, California by Prof. J. M. Guinn, A.
M., Pages 1143-1144. The Chapman Publishing Co., Chicago, 1904.
© 2016 Doralisa Palomares.