Santa Clara County
Biographies
EUGENE SULLIVAN
A descendant of sturdy Irish ancestors and himself a native of County Cork, Ireland, Eugene Sullivan was born March 20, 1833, being one of five children, and the youngest son born to Cornelius and Catherine (Buckley) Sullivan, both natives of Ireland. It was in 1834 that his parents left Ireland and located in New York City. There the father successfully conducted a general merchandising store for many years. He died there in 1857 and his wife also died in the same city. Of the five children born to them, three were sons and two daughters.
It was in the public schools of New York City that Eugene Sullivan received his mental training, and he also attended the old Catholic parochial school on Grant street. His first business venture was as helper in a machine shop, where, however, he worked but a short time. At twelve he left home and secured employment on the New York & Erie Railway, and 1852 found him on his way to California, the trip being made by the Nicaragua route. Arriving in that state he followed mining for about three years in El Dorado, Placerville, Georgetown and Coloma. In this venture he was fairly successful and in 1856 he returned home with the savings. After making a short visit he went west as far as Iowa and purchased land twenty miles east of Des Moines, where he followed farm pursuits uninterruptedly until 1890, when on account of failing health he again came to California, this time in search of health. He first purchased an eighteen-acre fruit ranch on Senter Road, near San Jose, Cal., and five years later purchased the ranch of ten acres where he now resides, although he still owns the Senter road place. The home ranch is admirably located on Fair Oaks avenue, Sunnyvale, and is devoted principally to prune cultivation.
By his marriage, which took place in Iowa, Mr. Sullivan was joined with Miss Sarah Denney, formerly of Cincinnati, Ohio, and two children were born to them. Mrs. Sullivan passed to her final rest May 13, 1900. The children are Charles, of San Francisco, and Kate, who became the wife of V. F. Wilson, of San Jose, whose biography is given elsewhere in this history. Politically, Mr. Sullivan is always found in the ranks of the Democratic party and although advanced in years, he is hale and hearty and oversees the work on his small fruit ranch.
Transcribed
by Joyce Rugeroni.
ญญญญSource: History
of the State of California & Biographical Record of Coast Counties,
California by Prof. J. M. Guinn, A. M., Pages 1395-1396. The Chapman
Publishing Co., Chicago, 1904.
ฉ 2017 Joyce Rugeroni.