Santa
Clara County
Biographies
JOHN
A. MATHEWS
JOHN A. MATHEWS. The representative of a prominent pioneer
family of California, John A. Mathews has spent the major part of his life
in this state, and now occupies a noteworthy position among the esteemed and
valued residents of San Jose. A man of
enterprise and ability, he has been actively associated with the development of
the agricultural and horticultural interests of his adopted home, and takes
great pride in the advancement and growing prosperity of city and county. A son of the late John Mathews, he was born
in Boston, Mass., July 12, 1846, and spent the
first four years of his life on the Atlantic coast.
A native of Ireland, John Mathews was
born in County Meath.
When a young man he emigrated to New England,
locating first in Boston. In 1850, with
his family, which then consisted of his wife and two children, John A. and
Mary, he started for the Pacific coast, going by steamer to Greytown,
thence across Nicaragua, and from there to San Francisco. The next year he bought a squatter’s claim on
the Peralta grant, and by dint of perseverance, push and energy improved a fine
homestead, which is still occupied by his widow and two of their children. Embarking in general farming and
stock-raising, he met with eminent success, acquiring much land and other
valuable property in Alameda and San Francisco counties. At San Leandro he owned fifteen hundred acres
of land, included in three different farms, his estates bordering on Oakland and
Elmhurst. He also invested in San Francisco
property, which is still in the possession of his family, becoming owner of
eight stores, thirty-seven and one-half feet each, on Clay street, and also of
the large four-story granite building known as the Wright building, located at
the corner of Montgomery and Jackson streets.
He was known throughout the community in which he resided as a man of
superior business tact and ability, as a faithful, law-abiding citizen, a firm
friend, a devoted husband and father, and his death, which occurred August 19,
1882, in the sixty-eighth year of his age, was deemed a public loss. He married Ann McAvoy,
a native of County Meath, Ireland, and they became
the parents of six children, namely: John A., the subject of this sketch;
Mary, wife of Patrick Tormey, of Rodeo, supervisor of
Contra Costa county; Alice died at the age of twenty-four years; Sarah died at
the age of forty-six years; and Peter, and Katie, living with their mother on
the old homestead.
But four years old when he came with his
parents to California, John A. Mathews grew to manhood on the old
homestead. Obtaining his elementary
education in a private school, he subsequently attended Brayton’s College, in
Oakland, which is now a part of the University of California, for a year and a
half, and then entered Santa Clara College, where he continued his studies for
three years. Returning then to his home,
Mr. Mathews was there profitably employed in general farming until 1870. Going then to Chili, he spent a year in
Valparaiso, and was afterward in New York City for a year. Coming back to the old homestead in 1873 he
remained there five years. In 1878 he
went to Portland, Ore., but in 1879 again took up his residence in California,
purchasing a ranch of one hundred and sixty acres at Millikens
Corners, where he carried on a good business as a farmer and stock-raiser for
five years. Disposing of his ranch in
1884, Mr. Mathews bought his present property of four acres, located on
the corner of Park and Lincoln avenues, San Jose, and is there living retired
from active pursuits, an honored and respected citizen.
In 1878 Mr. Mathews married Nellie
Donovan, who was born in San Francisco, where her father, Michael Donovan,
settled in 1853. Mr. Donovan
subsequently bought land in San Leandro, where he improved a good farm, on
which he resided until his death, April 15, 1904, at the venerable age of
eighty-seven years. In national politics
Mr. Mathews is a stanch[sic] Democrat, but in
local affairs votes for the best men and measures. He served for one year in the United States
Mint, and while a resident of San Francisco was deputy sheriff.
Transcribed by Donna Toole.
Source: History
of the State of California & Biographical Record of Coast Counties,
California by Prof. J. M. Guinn, A. M., Page 408. The Chapman Publishing
Co., Chicago, 1904.
© 2015 Donna Toole.