San Francisco County
Biographies
ANDREW
JOSEPH McGOVERN
ANDREW JOSEPH McGOVERN, of the firm of McGovern & Cahill, carpet and
furniture merchants of Oakland, was born in Albany, New York, October 27, 1852, a son of Andrew and Margaret (Dolan) McGovern, both
natives of Ireland. The mother died at about the age of forty-seven, but
her parents were long-lived, especially the father, who was about eighty. The
father of our subject lived to the age of sixty-seven. A. J. McGovern was
educated in the public schools of Albany to the age of twelve, when he began to earn a living. He
came to San Francisco in 1868, and obtained work in a wall-paper house, where
he remained seven years, meanwhile improving his education by attending night
school. He earned the confidence of his employers and became a trusted salesman.
In April, 1875, he engaged in the wall-paper business in this city as a member of the firm of Van Ambey &
McGovern, which continued until March, 1876, and afterward in his own name
alone for a few months. In August, 1876, the present firm was formed and has
continued to the present time without other change than a steady, continuous
growth in their original business and the expansion of its scope to the wider
field of carpets and furniture as well as wall-paper, lace-curtains, window
shades and the allied wares usually found in all first-class houses in their
line, their stock being as complete and varied as any on this coast. They were
first located at 1157 Broadway, and in 1883 moved to larger quarters at 1060 on
the same street, comprising two stores and a basement, 25 x 100 feet. In 1887
they opened their furniture store at 400 Twelfth street, corner of Franklin, consisting of main floor and basement, of 50 x 100
feet.
Mr. McGovern is also president of the
Whitney, Standard and Oakland Transfer Company of this city. He is owner of a
ranch in Contra Costa county, and a fine home in Oakland. He is a member of the Y. M I., and was Treasurer of the
Grand Institute of California in 1884. He is a Republican in politics, and
takes an active interest in the welfare of his party. He was a delegate to the
State Convention in Sacramento in 1890.
Mr. McGovern
was married in Oakland in 1879, to Miss Mary Carey, born in Kentucky in 1860, a daughter of John and Ann (Murphy) Carey, both
natives of Ireland, who came to this State from Kentucky in 1861. The father died in East Oakland
in 1878, aged about fifty-six; the mother is still living, at the age of about
sixty. Mrs. McGovern’s grandparents on both sides were fairly long-lived. Mr.
and Mrs. McGovern have two children; Francis Andrew, born May 20, 1880, and Genevieve, born April 6, 1881.
Transcribed 12-28-05 Marilyn R. Pankey.
Source: "The Bay of San Francisco," Vol. 2, Page 281, Lewis
Publishing Co, 1892.
©
2005 Marilyn R. Pankey.
California Biography Project
San Francisco County
California Statewide
Golden Nugget Library