Description
This is a Memoriam produced by the Society of California Pioneers on the death of Life Member, William Dunphy who arrived
in San Francisco on Dec 27, 1849 aboard the French barque "A beille). Born in Ireland in 1829, he worked the New Foundland
fisheries as a boy and then came to New York. He fought with the Texas Rangers in the Mexican American War and on the discovery
of gold came to California. He was successful in mining, but became a cattle rancher with extensive holdings in the San Joaquin
Valley, Monterey County and Nevada.
Background
William Dunphy was born in small village in Kilkenny County, Ireland on December 24, 1829. At age 12, he ran away to sea working
at one point for
Newfoundland fisheries and later shipped on a vessel bound on a sealing voyage. He ended his seafaring days and went to New york, then
down to Texas, still only 18 years of age. When the Mexican War broke out, he became a contractor to supply the troops with
beef. He then joined the Texas Rangers and ended his service at Brownsville, Texas and became involved with raising cattle
there. After the discovery of gold in California, he headed there to search for gold. He reached San Francisco on December
21, 1849 and his party went at once to Tuolumne county and in thirty days had a paid all the expenses of their trip, and had
a profit as well. He married in Tuolumne County in 1852, a Carmen Uvilla, daughter of a Chilean miner, she was born in Chile
- and they had seven children. He tired of mining after 30 days, and became a cattle dealer and raiser. By 1881, his firm,
which he ran with Thomas Hildred, was one of the largest in ranching operations in the West. Dunphy owned ranes in Elko, Eureka
and Lander Counties, Nevada, co vering about 2000,000 acres and at times there were as many as 30,000 head of cattle and herds
of horses on his patures. he also owned another rance of 12,000 acres in Monterey County. He helped establish the Dunphy &
Hildred slaughter house of San Francisco, and acquired large parcels of San francisco real estate. His children were James
C., Carrie, Mary, Julia nad Jennie. Julia married Samuel Pearson and Mary married Noah Flood. He became a life member of the
Society of California Pioneers in 1849 and found his 30 ounces of gold dust a year later. He was also a member of the Pacific
Yacht club, the Olympic Club, and the Pacific Union Club. He passed away on September 17, 1892 at his home in San Francisco,
2122 Washington Street.