San Francisco County
Thomas Ronaldson
Thomas Ronaldson, a capitalist of Lorin, Oakland township, was born in Kinrosshire, Scotland, December 11, 1837, a son of William and Margaret (Stobie) Ronaldson, whose coat of arms is preserved, -a deer-head on top, a small ship with sail unfurled and two daggers, and the motto, Facta, non verba. The father, who had a large farm of 700 acres, lived to be eighty-seven years of age, dying about 1883; the mother died still later, in 1887. They had four children who grew to maturity, namely: William, who lived to the age of fifty-two years, most of his adult life being spent in London, as a broker; he died in 1885, unmarried; Thomas, the subject of this sketch; John, a wine merchant in London, having two daughters and one son, - Eliza, by marriage Mrs. Robert Thompson of Edinburg, and born in 1831; and William.
The gentleman whose name heads this sketch, was brought up on his father’s place, completing his school days at Reed’s Institute, an academic school in Edinburg; then studied veterinary surgery and medicine in Dix’s Veterinary College, in order to qualify himself to take care of the live-stock on the home place; and about the age of twenty years came to America, arriving at Vancouver’s Island, B. C., and coming by way of Liverpool, New York, the Isthmus of Panama and San Francisco. In his new field he followed mining six or seven years. About 1865 he removed to Montana, prospected for a while, and began contracting. He constructed a mill-race at the head of the Missouri, which is the confluence of three streams, and where is situated the village of Gallatin City. Then he sallied out prospecting again, through Montana, Utah and Arizona. The Apache Indians being troublesome in the latter country, he soon withdrew; thence in 1867 went to Oregon and engaged in lumbering and logging, and purchased some timber of which he still owns 640 acres in Douglas county. Leaving Oregon in April, 1886, he made a trip to Canada, and in 1871 to Europe, spending the most of a year at this old home in Scotland. In October, 1887, he came again to America and settled at Lorin, Alameda county, California, where he now resides. He inherited property from two sources,--from William Leenie, the celebrated English grammarian who had been under obligations to his grandfather, Thomas Stobie, and from his father’s estate.
Thomas Ronaldson was married in Ontario, Canada, July 19, 1862, to Miss Mary Argo, who was born in Ontario, of Scotch descent, her parents being from Aberdeenshire. Mr. and Mrs. Ronaldson’s children are Margaret, Annie, William and James.
Transcribed
by Joyce and David Rugeroni.
Source: “The Bay of
San Francisco,” Vol. 2, Pages 385-386, Lewis Publishing Co, 1892.
© 2006 Joyce & David
Rugeroni.