Surnames: PIPPIN, McCLUNG, RUTLEDGE, McDOWELL. McABEE, HOLLAND, BEVERSON

JAMES K. KENNEDY.--Among the men of affairs who left their imprint on Santa Clara County and by their well applied energy helped to make the county more prosperous must be mentioned the late late James K. Kennedy. He was of Scotch descent and a native of St. Johns, New Brunswick, Canada, where he received a good education. After spending a few years in New York City he came to California in the early '70's, locating in San Francisco, where he was married on July 1, 1876, to Miss Mary F. Pippin, a native daughter of Samuel H. and Sarah A (McClung) Pippin. His maternal grandmother was a member of the Rutledge family that settled in Nashville, Tenn. Her father, Samuel H. Pippin, was a native of Maryland and in frontier times he removed with his family to Warsaw, Mo. In 1852, in company with thirty other families, he started for California, this being one of the largest trains of emigrants that ever came into the state. They were six months in reaching their destination, the journey being one of great hardship and peril. Grandfather McClung and his wife were in the train, and they were very kind to the Indians, giving them food at various points on the road, and one evening when the party was camping on the banks of the Platte, River, an old Indian crept up to the grandmother and indicated by signs that an attack was to be made upon them that night. She implored the leader of the train to break up camp and move to a point farther on, but this he refused to do. The grandfather, feeling uneasy, the McClungs and a few others left the remainder of the party and sought a more remote place in which to spend the night. This was in the vicinity of Fort Laramie and they subsequently learned that of the original band all except one were massacred that night by the Indians. Owing to her robust constitution, Grandmother McClung was able to withstand the hardships of the journey and passed away at the venerable age of eighty-six years and four months.

Samuel H. Pippin first located in Stanislaus County, whence he later removed to Montezuma, in Tuolomne County, where he successfully followed mining. Subsequently he went to Sutter County, where he purchased a tract of land comprising 160 acres, devoting his attention to the raising of grain, in which he continued active until ten years ago, then moved to Sacramento and resided there until he died, at the age of ninety, his wife having preceded him. A short time before his death he took a ride in an airplane, being one of the oldest residents of the state to venture on a trip of this nature. Mary F. Pippin was one of three children, the other members of the family being Zella and William P., the latter a resident of Oakland.
In 1892 Mr. and Mrs. Kennedy removed to San Jose; wishing to rear their family, particularly their sons, on a farm, they selected and purchased a ranch of ninety-five acres on Capitol Avenue. It was raw land and no fruit to speak of was raised in that section, but with true optimism he set out orchards and devoted his attention to the growing of prunes and apricots. Although his ranch was not irrigated, he raised some of the finest fruit in the Santa Clara Valley, being very successful as a horticulturist, and bringing his ranch to a high state of cultivation. However, his health failed and he passed away in 1905. In his demise San Jose lost a valued citizen, for his life was a upright and honorable one, his earnest toil bringing him success and his integrity winning for him the high regard of all with whom he was associated.

Mr. and Mrs. Kennedy became the parents of four children: Robert K., now a resident of Portland Ore., married a Miss McDowell and they have three children--Robert K. Jr., James and Betty. William F., of Los Angeles, Cal., married a Miss McAbee, of San Jose, and they have become the parents of two children--William F. and June Ethel. Allen Rutledge, a resident of San Jose, wedded a Miss Eva M. Holland, a native of this city, and they now have two children--Mary A. and John Rutledge. Bessie C., the youngest in the family, married L. B. Beverson, of San Jose. There are seven grandchildren, who represent the third generation of the Rutledge family in California and the sixth generation in the United States. Mr. Kennedy was an adherent of the Republican party, to which his widow also gives her political allegiance, while she is likewise a member of the Eastern Star and White Shrine. Fraternally he was identified with the Masons and Odd Fellows, belonging to the San Francisco lodges.

Transcribed by Jjoseph Kral, from Eugene T. Sawyers' History of Santa Clara County,California,  published by Historic Record Co. , 1922. page 1304

SANTA CLARA COUNTY BIOGRAPHY PROJECT

SANTA CLARA COUNTY The Valley of Heart's Delight