James FORD

 

James FORD, a California forty-niner, whose activities identified him permanently with San Francisco for a number of years, was a man of exceptional enterprise, and prosecuted successfully an unusual range of business.

 

He came from Canada to California, making the journey on the steamer Sarah SAND, which passed through the straits of Magellan and landed in San Francisco in 1849, after a voyage of six months.  Accompanying him, was his wife.  In San Francisco, in the spring of 1850, James FORD built and operated until 1854 the Golden Eagle Hotel on Long Wharf, at the foot of Commercial Street.  On leaving the hotel business he bought 360 acres at Oakland where the St. Marys College now stands, and was successful in the ranching business at North Beach, corner of Lombard and Taylor streets.  He was also a pioneer of Nevada, operating a hotel at Virginia City until it burned in 1864, and from there removing to White Pine, Nevada.  He finally returned to California and engaged in general merchandising at Riverside, and was in business there when he died in 1882.  James FORD owned and operated the first Stock Yards in San Francisco, located on Pacific Street.  This institution was established in 1856.

 

Before coming to San Francisco Mr. FORD married, in 1848, Maria CONROY, a native of Montreal, Canada.  She died in 1886.  The oldest of their children is Margaret ADMITTED, who was born in San Francisco, California, the day the state was admitted to the Union.  Her home is at 1739 Newcomb Avenue in San Francisco.  She is the wife of Edward O’SULLIVAN, and is a member of the Association of Pioneer Women of California.  Mrs. O’SULLIVAN has four children: Adelaide, wife of Eugene B.  MCINTYRE; Edward; Charlotte, wife of Edward A. CARBERRY, and Alma, wife of Warren C. HERMAN.

 

The other children of the late James FORD were: John JAMES, a butcher by trade; Michael C., a wholesale butcher who was in the wholesale meat business at San Francisco; Anna Maria, who married Thomas CONROY, of Montreal; Charles Andrew, who was a butcher, and William Wallace, all now deceased.  The FORD family were Catholics.