JAMES FARIS KENNEDY
Bio-Pen Pictures
SURNAMES: FARIS, SALTER, MYERS, BRAY, MOODY, QUINBY
deceased, son of William and Jeannette (Faris) Kennedy, was
born in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, January 18, 1810. William's parents
came to the United States in Colonial days, and his father, supposed to have
been John Kennedy, served in the Revolutionary War. Before the close of the war
he became a captain and was sent with his company to dispatch a set of Danish outlaws who were at this time
infesting the country, and whom the government had been unable to control. In a
skirmish with them Captain Kennedy was wounded in the shoulder and died from its
effects. The Kennedys came from the North of Ireland. The Faris family were from
Scotland and came to this country about the same time. The Kennedy family first
settled, in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. William, with some of his brothers,
afterward moved to Philadelphia, where they went into business, and he died
there in 1861. In his family there were eight children who lived to maturity, of
whom James, the subject of this sketch, was the eldest.
He lived in Philadelphia until he was twenty-one years old, when he spent about eight years in traveling around. For several years he was in the lead mines at Galena, Illinois. He then returned to Philadelphia, where, in June, 1840, he married Serena Salter, a native of that city, who was born January 6, 1820, and died near Los Gatos, California, June 16, 1888. Her father, Samuel Salter, was an Englishman, who came to the United States in 1790. Upon his arrival here, finding looking-glasses very high, he engaged in their manufacture, importing for that purpose plain glasses from Paris. He followed this business for several years and became independently rich and retired from business. His wife was Catharine Myers, a native of Pennsylvania, and of German descent. James resided in Philadelphia and was Superintendent of the Fairmount Water Works until he came to California, in 1850. He came out as agent for Commodore Stockton, and had charge of the sale of 3,000 acres of land between San Jose and Santa Clara and between the Alameda and the Guadaloupe. He made his home on this ranch for ten years. During this time he was nominated and ran for Lieutenant-Governor, when Leland Stanford ran for Governor, on the Republican ticket, and was defeated, although he ran ahead of his ticket. In 1863 he was elected Sheriff of Santa Clara County and filled the office until he died, February 6, 1864. In the fall of 1860 he bought 356 acres near Los Gatos, of which 220 acres now belong to his estate. The place is managed by his sons. His children were: William C., James F., Samuel T., Edwin A., Clara C. (wife of Frank Bray), and Robert F. William C. Kennedy married Kate Moody, and Edwin A. Kennedy married Minnie A. Quinby. On their ranch they have twelve acres in almonds twelve years old; twelve acres in French prunes and apricots (one-half of each) six years old ; twelve acres of pears (for shipping) six years old; six acres in French prunes set out in 1888, and about ten acres in a nursery containing a general assortment of trees, including the olive and citrus fruits. They have about forty acres in barley and twenty-five in wheat, which is cut for hay.
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. 496-497
SANTA CLARA COUNTY The Valley of Heart's Delight