San
Joaquin County
Biographies
A representative rancher of San
Joaquin County is George J. Christy, who resides on the hill to the south of
Clements. He was born in San Joaquin
County on the old Christy ranch one mile east of Clements on January 22, 1870,
the son of James Christy, who was born near Dublin, Ireland, and married Miss
Mary Carroll, a native of Louth, also in Ireland.
James Christy left home at the age
of fourteen, came out to America, and settled for awhile in New Jersey. When the news of the discovery of gold in
California electrified the world he was among the first to sail around the Horn
to San Francisco in 1849, and almost immediately went into Amador County, near
Volcano, and later removed to Property Bar and Lancha
Plana. He had odd and interesting
associations, and for awhile was thrown in with James Fair, afterwards Senator,
as a fellow-miner. In 1855 he came to
the Clements district and bought 160 acres of land, and later he added to his
holdings. He bought out Thomas Wylie,
and in all had 560 acres, where he raised grain and stock. James Christy sent east for his fiancée, and
they were married on her arrival at Lancha
Plana. She and the wife of Captain
Messenger were the only white women in the mines. With James Christy, Joseph and Thomas Burns
came to California from Ireland; and they also left New York for California
together. Mr. Christy died at the age of
seventy-four, and Mrs. Christy in her fifty-fourth year. William, the eldest of their children, was
born in Lancha Plana and died ten years ago; James
passed away when he was young; Eliza is a Sister at Notre Dame, in Iowa; Philip
was named after Gen. Phil Sheridan under whom two uncles, his father’s and
mother’s brothers, fought in the Civil War; Mary died at the age of twelve;
George J. is the subject of this review; Celia has become Mrs. Freidburger, of Madera; Martha died in 1920; she enlisted
as a Red Cross nurse for service in the World War, was vaccinated, and after
four years of suffering died from the effect of the serum used.
George J. Christy farmed with his
father on the 560-acre grain farm; they also leased 400 acres of grain and
grazing land, for they used to have 100 head of cattle. At Lodi, on December 27, 1900, Mr. Christy
was married to Miss Jennie Brandt, born at French Camp, the daughter of Louis
R. Brandt, whose life-story is elsewhere given in this work. She had attended the Brandt School, so called
in honor of her family. After their
marriage they lived at Clements and helped to run the old Christy home
farm. In 1902 they came into possession
of 110 acres of the old Doughtery-Gillies ranch. There they built a fine home and otherwise
improved the place, erecting the best of farm buildings. This property adjoins Clements on the south
and is a sightly place, located on a height of land
known as Christy Hill. He also bought a
quarter-section of road land, three miles south of Clements, where he engaged
in farming and stockraising. Two sons were born to Mr. and Mrs.
Christy: Carroll E. and George Darroll.
Transcribed by V. Gerald Iaquinta.
Source: Tinkham, George
H., History of San Joaquin County, California , Pages
1523-1524. Los Angeles, Calif.: Historic
Record Co., 1923.
© 2012 V. Gerald Iaquinta.
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