Background
Kate Dillon married Charles McLaughlin in Indiana in 1857. McLaughlin and his wife moved to California, where he was the
contractor for the San Francisco and San Jose Railroad, and later with Western Pacific Railroad and Central Pacific Railroad.
McLaughlin is said to have been second only to Leland Stanford in terms of land ownership in California. He was shot and
killed by a former employee in 1883, and his estate passed to Kate McLaughlin. She died in 1888, leaving a fortune which
was estimated as being between $2,000,000 and $4,000,000, which passed to her niece, Kate M. Dillon, and to her friend, Mary
V. Ives Crocker.
Availability
The collection is available for use during San Francisco History Center hours, with photographs available during Photo Desk
hours. Collections that are stored offsite should be requested 48 hours in advance.