San Francisco County
Biographies
THOMAS R.
CAREW
One of the most respected of the older citizens of San Francisco, California, is Thomas R. Carew, who is a member of the undertaking firm of Carew & English at 1618 Geary street. He was born in Sydney, the capital city of New South Wales, Australia, on the 18th of November, 1847, and is a son of the late Thomas and Rose Anne (Dowling) Carew. In 1852 his parents came to San Francisco, bringing him with them, and for a long period the father drove a team in the wholesale district. He drove on thoroughfares much different from the present - dusty streets, bordered by plank walks, which became seas of mud when rain fell.
Thomas R. Carew studied in a small grammar school which was situated on the site of the present Palace Hotel, and his instructor was Thomas S. Myrick, a familiar name in the educational history of early San Francisco. After completing his schooling, Mr. Carew was employed for about twenty years by the firm of Fechheimer, Goodkind & Company, wholesale clothiers, as a shipping clerk, and then he started in the undertaking business on Van Ness avenue. In the great disaster of the year 1906, the flames consumed his property, but when the city began its own wonderful rehabilitation he reestablished the business at the present location, 1618 Geary street. Mr. Carew has the honor to be the dean of the undertaking profession in San Francisco, and is the only one now active in business who started at the time he did. In his life’s work, he has won a well merited reputation of honest and efficient service to the people of this city.
Mr. Carew married Miss Mary Doyle, a native of Boston, Massachusetts, who was reared in San Francisco. She died in 1910. They were the parents of eleven children.
In local civic and educational affairs, Mr. Carew has always been interested. He is a democrat in his political affiliation, and served as school director for six years.
Transcribed by: Jeanne Sturgis Taylor.
Source: Byington, Lewis Francis, “History of
San Francisco 3 Vols”, S. J. Clarke Publishing Co.,
Chicago, 1931. Vol. 3 Pages 43-44.
© 2007 Jeanne Sturgis Taylor.
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