San Francisco County
Biographies
HENRY C. McPIKE
HENRY C. McPIKE, an attorney at
law, came of a good family. His father came to this State in 1850, and for many
years his home has been in St. Helena. Prior to coming
to California he had lived in Missouri.
The maternal grandfather of Mr. McPike, Dr. Crane,
also resides at St. Helena. Dr. Crane graduated in the College
of Medicine at the University
of New York, under the famous Dr.
Valentine Mott, and afterward attained eminence in his profession. His original
home was at Croton Lake
farm, in New York State.
After graduating he practiced in several of the Eastern States, -- New
York, Alabama and Missouri,-- before coming to California.
The maternal grandfather of Mr. McPike’s mother,
Daniel Young, of Ohio, was an
eminent Methodist minister.
He
was born in San Jose, June 25,
1857. Shortly afterward his parents moved to Napa
county, where he grew up, alternating between study and work on his father’s
farm. November 10, 1879, he was admitted to the bar. Notwithstanding this, he
studied closely afterward for some two years, at the Hastings
law School, graduating there in its first class, in 1881. Soon afterward he
commenced practice in San Francisco.
In 1886 he ran for Congressman from the Third District,
against Joseph McKenna. The canvass he made was satisfactory to his party, as
he reduced his opponent’s former majority of 4,400 down to less than half.
Since then he has taken some part in politics. He was a member of the State
convention at Stockton,
and of the Democratic convention at Los Angeles in 1888. In 1886 he was appointed Assistant United
States District Attorney, which position he resigned in 1888. He filled that
office with honor to himself and benefit to the people. His attack upon the
opium ring was a notable series of cases. He acted in the Hackett, Grant and
McKee cases, convicted of smuggling, and the Ciprico-Boyd
cases. During this period Mr. McPike was also
connected with several cases in the State courts, among them being the
Dixon-Allen libel suit in San
Jose, of
prosecution of Wright Leroy for the murder of Nicholas Skerrett,
and the defense of W. P. Bullard.
Transcribed 1-25-06 Marilyn R. Pankey.
Source: "The Bay of San Francisco," Vol. 2, Page 288, Lewis Publishing Co, 1892.
©
2006 Marilyn R. Pankey.
California Biography Project
San Francisco County
California Statewide
Golden Nugget Library