Alameda County CA Archives Obituaries.....Huff, Socrates September 26, 1907
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Steve Harrison raleighwood@juno.com April 28, 2007, 7:53 am

The San Francisco Call, September 27, 1907
"DEATH OF SOCRATES HUFF PIONEER BANKER AND STERLING CITIZEN. [PHOTOGRAPH AT TOP
OF COLUMN]  Socrates Huff, Argonaut of  '49 Who Passed Away Yesterday at his San
Leandro Home.
OAKLAND, Sept 26. - Socrates Huff, one of the earliest settlers in Alameda
county, prominent in banking cirlces and political life, and vice president of
the California Society of Pioneers, died early this morning at his residence in
[sic] Estudillo avenue, San Leandro, in his eightieth year.  He had been
seriously ill for some time and the end was expected.

Huff was born in Crawford county, Ohio, in 1827.  When he was 2 years of age his
parents moved to St. Joseph, Mich., where his mother died in 1830.  He grew to
man's estate in the Michigan town, acquiring an education such as the schools of
the place offered at that time.  On New Year's day, 1849, letters were received
at St. Joseph corroborating the exciting intelligence of great gold discoveries
in California.  Huff immediately organized a party to set out for the land of
promise.  Mules were purchased in Indiana, wagons in Chicago and provisions in
St. Louis.  In February, 1849, the fortune hunters, including Socrates Huff,
L.[ucien] B.[onaparte] Huff, L. C. Wittenmyer, A.M. Church, James M. Morton and
A. P. Pinney, started up the Missouri river on their way to California.  Sixteen
miles below Council Bluffs the steamer Dacota, carrying the pioneers and their
outfit, was sunk and all of the party's equipment with the exception of the
mules and wagons, was lost.

The gold hunters made another start from the place where they had been wrecked
and following the old emigrant route by the way of Salt Lake, entered California
through Truckee and arrived at Bear river August 12, 1849.  There Huff tried his
hand at mining, but after two weeks experience with the pick and rocker he
proceeded to Sacramento and engaged in business.  His health became impaired
shortly thereafter and, desiring a more genial climate, Huff went to Mission San
Jose and entered the employe of H.[enry] C.[lay] Smith, with whom he remaned
until March, 1851, when he journeyed back to the eastern states.

Returning to Mission San Jose in August, 1851, Huff purchased a vessel and
operated it between Alvarado and Stockton until November, 1852.  Huff then made
another trip east and on February 14, 1853, was married to Miss Amelia Cassidy,
a native of Pennsylvania.  Huff and his bride started from Iowa for California
on May 1, 1853, with a large drove of horses and cattle which were driven to
Green Valley [Contra Costa county], later owned as a farm by D. N. Sherburne. 
Huff lived at Green Valley until 1857, when he located in Hayward.  Huff took up
his residence in San Leandro in 1859.

Huff was elected treasurer of Alameda county in 1863 and held the office four
years, being engaged at the same time in mercantile business at Carson City,
Nev., which he continued until 1870.  Huff embarked in the real estate business
later and was one of the founders of the Union savings bank of Oakland.  In 1880
he was a delegate to the republican national convention at Chicago which
nominated James A. Garfield for president.  Huff was a man of sterling worth,
unswerving rectitude and rugged honesty and was respected by all who knew him. 
His wife preceded him to the grave a year ago.  He is survived by five daughters
- Mrs. J. F. Sloane of Spokane, Wash.; Mrs. Orin P. Downing of San Francisco,
and the Misses Jennie, Carrie and Mamie Huff, who live at the family home in San
Leandro.

The funeral probably will be held Saturday." END


Additional Comments:
"The San Francisco Call", Friday, September 27, 1907. Page 6, column 5:

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