San
Joaquin County
Biographies
EDWARD FRANCIS CALLAGHAN
A native son, and the son of a
prominent old-time Stocktonian, is Edward Francis Callaghan, who is maintaining
the family traditions as head of the San Joaquin Livestock Company.
He was born June 4, 1886, at
Livermore, Alameda County, a son of John Callaghan, a native of Ireland, who as
a young man made his way to Australia, where he was engaged as a sub-contractor
on railroad construction, and who afterwards came to San Francisco in 1862. Soon after his arrival, he located at Carroll
Hollow, where he homesteaded land and engaged in sheep-raising, becoming a
large landowner and one of the most successful stockmen of his district. John Callaghan was married in San Francisco
in 1877 to Miss Margaret Moy, also a native of Ireland. In 1878 he established
a family residence in Livermore, from which place he directed his large farm
and stock interests until he passed away.
His widow survived him until 1910, leaving five children: John J., an attorney in Livermore; Henry J.,
a wireless electrician, first class, who has served in the United States Navy
for ten years; Margaret, the wife of C. G. Owens, a prominent stockman of
Livermore; Edward F., of whom we write; and Susan, the wife of Emmett Moran, a
prominent rancher of Stockton.
Edward F. Callaghan attended the
Livermore schools, and as a youth started in with his father, riding the range
and gaining a full knowledge of the stock business in all of its aspects. The John Callaghan ranch comprised about
6,000 acres at Carroll Hollow. They also
owned 320 acres of grain land and forty acres of vineyard. The main ranch, however, was devoted to
raising sheep and cattle, and it was there that Edward Callaghan gained the
knowledge of the stock business that has enabled him to win success. His father, who was a director of the
Farmers’ Union at Livermore, passed away in 1904. After his father’s death, Mr. Callaghan, with
an older brother, John J. Callaghan, continued the stock business on the old home
ranch for several years. During this
time Mr. Callaghan purchased a part of the old ranch, and as he prospered added
to it by subsequent purchases until he had 3,000 acres devoted to
stock-raising. On dissolving partnership
with his brother, he became associated with C. G. Owens in raising sheep, a
business which they built up with splendid success. In 1917 he sold his interest to Mr.
Flynn. Soon after this he accepted a position
with the Union Land and Cattle Company as superintendent of the sheep
department. The company has large
holdings on the Ione grant, comprising 33,000 acres. At the same time Mr. Callaghan was also
extensively engaged in sheep-raising on his 3,000-acre ranch at Carroll Hollow,
near Tracy. His years of experience in
this line of agriculture, coupled with his native ability, have made him one of
the best judges of stock in the valley.
After two years with the Union Land
and Cattle Company, Mr. Callaghan resigned his position to engage in the
livestock commission business, with offices in the Yosemite Building,
Stockton. The position of sheep-buyer
for the Stockton Livestock Company was offered him, however, and he closed his
commission business and accepted it, continuing with them until the spring of
1922, when he resigned to establish his own business, known as the San Joaquin
Livestock Company, engaged in buying stock.
His specialty is the buying and selling of sheep, and at the same time
he is also engaged in sheep-raising.
Mr. Callaghan was married in
Livermore to Miss Ella Brennan, a native of Nevada, but reared and educated in
Stockton and in San Francisco, where she attended the State Normal School. Their union has been blessed with a daughter,
Edna Gertrude.
Transcribed by Gerald Iaquinta.
Source: Tinkham, George
H., History of San Joaquin County, California , Page
1104. Los Angeles, Calif.: Historic
Record Co., 1923.
© 2011 Gerald Iaquinta.
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