JAMES CROWLEY
Bio-Pen Pictures
SURNAMES: McCARTY, DESMOND, SULLIVAN, JAMES. COLLINS,
deceased, was born in Kilbrittin Parish, County Cork, in Ireland, in 1831. His father, Michael, died there. His widow was Mary (McCarty) Crowley. They were both natives of the same parish. After her husband's death she emigrated to and settled in Boston, Massachusetts, where she died. There were seven children in her family, three sons and four daughters, of whom Julia Desmond resides in Boston, Catharine Sullivan in San Francisco, Mrs. Mary James at Elmira, California, Timothy Crowley at Murphy's Ranch, Santa Clara County, and Con. Crowley, who resides at the same place. The other children are James and Johanna.
James lived with his parents while in Ireland, and was raised on a farm. In 1849 he came to New York city, where he remained until 1852, when he came to California, by way of Panama. He came at once to Martin Murphy's ranch, where his sister, Mrs. Sullivan, was living. He lived and made his home with Murphy until 1867, when he went to farming. He rented about 600 acres from Mr. Murphy and lived on it for seven years. During his residence on the Murphy ranch he bought sixty-five acres at Oak. Grove. He died October 3, 1873. He was married in 1866, to Margaret Collins. She was born in the Parish of Baleno, County Cork, Ireland, March 17, 1836, and when eighteen years of age came to the United States, and in 1864 to California, after a residence of ten years in New York. After the death of her husband she moved to the farm at Oak Grove, where she lived until 1883, when she sold out and moved into Mountain View, where she bought property and has since been dealing in real estate to some extent. She has been very fortunate in her investments, and now owns some of the best business property in Mountain View.
Mr. Crowley was
interested in raising stock, and when he married had but one cow; but he kept
adding to his stock until at the time of his death he possessed forty horses and
eighty cows and calves. It was his habit to buy up his neighbors' calves and
raise them. He was well liked by his neighbors, and was an honest, hard-working
man, and successful in his dealings. Mrs. Crowley is a stockholder in the
Mountain View Cannery, and in the Olympic Hall of Mountain View.
Pen Pictures From The Garden of the World or Santa Clara County, California, Illustrated. - Edited by H. S. Foote.- Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Company, 1888.
Pg. 589-590
SANTA CLARA COUNTY BIOGRAPHY PROJECT