San
Joaquin County
Biographies
JOHN B. O’MALLEY
One of the successful, honored, and
highly respected citizens of San Joaquin County, where he located in an early
day when pioneer conditions existed in this part of the state, was John B. O’Malley. As the day with its morning of hope and
promise, its noontide of activity and its evening of accomplished and
successful effort, ending in the grateful rest and quiet of the night, so was
the life of this worthy man, who in his business career directed his labors so
carefully and intelligently that he gained prosperity, and so honorably that he
won the unqualified confidence of all with whom he came in contact. He was born in County Roscommon, Ireland, May
15, 1830, and when a lad of eight was bereaved of his father, Michael
O’Malley. Being the oldest in the family
he was obliged to begin at a very early age to help with the support of the
other members of the family, but meanwhile he was able to acquire a fair
education. When he was seventeen, in
1847, he brought his mother, Bridget O’Malley, his sister Margaret, and his
brother Martin, to America. They
embarked on a sailing vessel and after a six weeks’ voyage, during which very
stormy weather was encountered, they landed in this country, going direct to
Norwich, Connecticut, where they located.
Two years later, on October 29,
1849, John B. O’Malley was married to Miss Ann E. Brennan, also a native of
County Roscommon, born on June 29, 1831, the fourth child in a family of
seven. She was educated in a private
school and accompanied her parents to America in 1847, and she proved just the
right kind of a helpmate and companion for her husband and during her whole
life exemplified the wonderful character that made her loved by all who ever
knew her. Mr. O’Malley was employed on
the S. S. Commonwealth, a passenger steamer plying between Norwich and New York
until 1853, when he became enthused over the news of the gold discovery in
California, so made arrangements to leave his family in the east and set out to
seek his fortune in the west. He arrived
in San Francisco, via Panama, and came direct to Stockton and found work at the
Weber House, a leading hotel of that period, and soon he became the manager and
held that position for four years. In the
meantime, in 1856, he sent for his wife and their two children, Elizabeth A.
and John, who reached Stockton in due time.
Soon a home was established in the new city and they remained here until
1862.
Mr. O’Malley had his turn at mining
with some Stockton men, among whom was Michael
Carroll, who eventually became his neighbor and lifelong friend. In 1862 Mr. O’Malley bought 400 acres of land
from George Castle, located seventeen miles southeast from Stockton on the
French Cam Road and here he built a cabin for his family and there they resided
until he was able to complete a large and commodious residence. This house is still standing and has been the
family home ever since. In order to have
a good neighbor, Mr. O’Malley sold to Michael Carroll half of his original
purchase and these two men worked together to make their part of the county a
desirable place in which to live. Mr.
O’Malley was very successful as a grain and livestock raiser and in time came
to own 1,300 acres of good land; 640 acres of this property he later sold to
the Stockton Vineyard Company. He was a
philanthropist in the truest sense for he helped a man to help himself and was
ever ready to land a helping hand to those less fortunate; he was likewise a
devoted husband and father and their home life was ideal.
There were eight children born to
this worthy couple, namely: Elizabeth A.
died aged eight years; John died aged two; Sarah entered the religious life and
for thirty-one years was a teacher in St. Agnes College in Stockton, also for
seven years was in San Rafael. She was
known as Sister Mary John of the Dominican Order and died July 10, 1920;
William B., of Stockton, married Louisa Denny of San Francisco and they have
two children, John Raymond and Mary Ines; Mary, married W. L. Brennan and has
four living children, Clare, Cyril, William Leland, and Reginald; Miss Margaret
makes her home on the ranch; Ellen is a registered nurse; and Miss Janes makes
her home on the ranch and with her sister Margaret manages the home estate; both
are graduates from St. Agnes College in Stockton, and they have shown marked
ability in carrying on the ranch work and the memory of their father and mother
are the incentives to maintain the highest standard on the ranch and to
preserve the old California hospitality that has made their home a gathering
place for all their friends.
In 1899 Mr. and Mrs. J. B. O’Malley
celebrated their golden wedding anniversary at their country home, surrounded
by children, grandchildren, relatives and friends, and was a most enjoyable
occasion for all. Mr. O’Malley handled
his extensive interests up to the day of his death, on September 26, 1909. On June 29, 1921, at the family home, was celebrated
the ninetieth birthday of Mother O’Malley and a large company enjoyed a genuine
hospitality under the roof of this honored pioneer woman, who always had been
an inspiration to all who ever came under influence. She died on September 10, 1921, mourned by
the entire countryside, as well as her immediate family and intimate
friends. She was laid to rest in St.
Patrick’s churchyard at Atlanta, which she loved so well and which she and her
husband had helped to maintain. Mr.
O’Malley and Michael Carroll will always be given credit for putting in the
blast that brought the water at the Lane Springs resort; and at the time of his
death Mr. O’Malley was the oldest naturalized citizen in the county, receiving
his papers as early as 1852. His mother
came to California in later years and lived with her son, dying at his home at
the age of seventy-seven years. The
names of Mr. and Mrs. J. B. O’Malley are enduringly inscribed upon the records
of the early pioneer settlers of San Joaquin County and it is with much
satisfaction we present their portraits in this history.
Transcribed by Gerald Iaquinta.
Source: Tinkham, George
H., History of San Joaquin County, California , Pages
468-471. Los Angeles, Calif.: Historic
Record Co., 1923.
© 2011 Gerald Iaquinta.
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