William DUNPHY

 

William DUNPHY.  The name of William DUNPHY at one time was a power in California and Nevada, associated with a vast domain of ranch land, and with some of the largest interests in the West.  William DUNPHY was a California pioneer and one of the strong figures in the generation of strong and courageous men.

 

He was born in Kilkenny, Ireland, December 24, 1829, son of William and Mary (CARROLL) DUNPHY, who spent all their lives in Ireland.  Three of the sons came to America and to California.  The other two were James and Kenney, who followed mining.  William DUNPHY had a brief career of education in the schools of Ireland, worked on his father’s farm, but at the age of eleven obeyed the prompting of a restless nature and ran away from home, securing passage on a vessel that landed at St.  Johns, Newfoundland.  He reached there before he was twelve years of age, friendless and practically penniless.  He worked in the fishing industry, and soon took passage on a vessel bound for a seal hunt.  A full cargo of seals was secured, but on the return the vessel was wrecked on the ice, and many of the crew lost.  The remainder, after forty-eight hours of suffering and when almost frozen and starved, were rescued by a passing vessel.  This vessel encountered storms, and was shipped from port four months, during which time food gave out and death by starvation again stared them in the face.  A passing vessel gave them provisions and finally they reached St. Johns in safety.

 

Mr. DUNPHY’s next experience was in New York, but a few months later went South and for several years engaged in cattle trading along the Mississippi.  In 1846,during the Mexican war and when only eighteen years of age, he contracted to furnish the United States army with beef.  Finally he joined Jack HAYE’s Regiment of Texas Rangers, and was wounded several times in skirmishes.  Following the war he engaged in the cattle business at Brownsville, Texas, but in 1849, news of gold discoveries in California having reached him, he started on horse back with another party of gold seekers. They went by way of Mexico and in the vicinity of Durango encountered hostile Indians and had many fights on the way.  Finally they reached Mazatalan, whence a French bark took them up to San Francisco, arriving there December 21, 1849.  William DUNPHY bore scars to his grave, reminiscent of encounters with the Indians and bad men.

 

From San Francisco he at once went to the mines on Wood Creek in Tuolumne County, and experienced thirty days of successful gold digging.  He tired of mining, and turned his attention to the cattle business as a dealer and raiser.  In 1855 he became associated with Thomas HILDRED, and this firm up to 1881 was one of the largest in ranching operations in the West.  In 1881, Mr. DUNPHY acquired the HILDRED interests.  The first ranch of the firm, located in San Joaquin Valley, was sold.  Mr.  DUNPHY owned ranches in Elko, Eureka and Lander Counties, Nevada, embracing about 200,000 acres and frequently as high as 30,000 head of cattle and herds of horses were grazing on his pastures.  The Central Pacific Railway was built through the DUNPHY ranch, which bordered it for some twenty-five miles.  He owned another ranch of 12,000 acres in Monterey County, California.  William DUNPHY was one of the first  ranchers to introduce blooded stock, and had many Herefords, Shorthorns and Jersey cattle.  He helped establish the DUNPHY & HILDRED slaughter house of San Francisco, and acquired large parcels of San Francisco real estate.

 

In 1852 Mr. DUNPHY married Carmen UVILLA, who was born in Chile, South America, daughter of Carlos UVILLA, who came to California as a miner.

 

William DUNPHY was a democrat and was a delegate to the National conventions that nominated Samuel J. TILDEN and Grover CLEVELAND.  He and his wife were Catholics, and he was a member of the Pacific Yacht Club, the Olympic Club and a life member of the Society of California Pioneers.

 

His children were James C., Carrie, Mary, Julia and Jennie.  James C. is a life member of the Society of California Pioneers.  Julia became the wife of Samuel PEARSON, and Mary, the wife of Noah FLOOD.

 

Noah FLOOD was a native of Kentucky, but was reared and educated in Missouri, and in the early ‘70s came to California and was a successful educator, being principal of several schools in San Francisco.  He studied law, and carried on an extensive general practice in San Francisco until his death in 1910.