Contra Costa-Placer-San Francisco County CA Archives Biographies.....Davis, John 1825 - 
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Author: W. A. Slocum & Co., Publishers (1882)

JOHN DAVIS.—Whose portrait finds a place in this volume, was born on the island
of San Martina, on the coast of Dalmatia, September 20, 1825. There he resided
for the first eleven years of his life, when he took up the labors of a sailor,
proceeded to Trieste, and afterwards, with an uncle, to Constantinople. From the
city of Constantine he found his way to Odessa, in the Black Sea, whence he
sailed down the Mediterranean to Marseilles, in France, where, taking on board a
cargo of wheat, a return to the Adriatic was made. The next cruise was along the
ports on the northern coast of Africa, and, touching at the island of Cyprus,
loaded with wine and sailed for Trieste, whence he once more found himself in
Turkey's capital; and finally loading wheat at Odessa for Liverpool. From this
last port our subject visited the Cove of Cork, in the south of Ireland, whence
he went to Ardrossan, Scotland; then back to the Black Sea; subsequently to
Naples, Genoa, the Black Sea, Belfast, Ardrossan, and was wrecked on the Island
of St. John's, when, though no one was lost, great privations were suffered for
over a week. After traveling on foot to Belfast, he was sent by the Austrian
Consul there to Liverpool, where Mr. Davis severed his connection with his
comrades, and shipped on board a British ship bound for Rio de Janeiro. This was
in 1837. He there left his ship, and, after a month, proceeded to China and
Liverpool, returning to the Celestial Empire—in short, he made eight voyages in
all between China and England. He then shipped in Liverpool for New Orleans, in
1838, returning to England in the Spring of 1840. He then engaged in the China
trade until the discovery of gold, in California, when he came to the Pacific
Coast in the ship Antelope, arriving in San Francisco June 10, 1849. Mr. Davis
almost immediately proceeded to the mines at Auburn, on the American river,
Placer county, but at the end of three months forsook the pick and rocker, and
established a pack-train between Sacramento and the mines for the purpose of
supplying the gold-seekers with groceries. Ill-luck now commenced to make itself
felt. Our subject was stricken with mountain fever; during his illness his mules
were stolen, and on final recovery, so disgusted was he, he gave a Mexican his
packing fixtures, and started to the Mariposa mines, ultimately returning to
Stockton and San Jose, the Mission Dolores and San Francisco. Between the last
two points nought prevailed but a wild wilderness, through which he passed on
foot, his horse having been stolen. Here he met several wagons laden with
victims of cholera, which was epidemic during the summer of 1850. After
remaining three months in San Francisco, he erected a house on what is now
Commercial street, and opened a restaurant and lodging house, where he remained
until 1851; in that year he sold out and came to his present residence in Contra
Costa county, where he owns four hundred and forty-two acres of land. Married in
Oakland, this being the first wedding of Westerns to take place in that city,
Anna Connor, a native of Scotland, and has six surviving children, viz.: Frank,
John, Geovienia, Connor, Mary, and William. Mr. Davis, and his son John, are
members of the Society of California Pioneers.

Additional Comments:
Extracted from:

HISTORY OF CONTRA COSTA COUNTY,
CALIFORNIA,
INCLUDING ITS GEOGRAPHY, GEOLOGY, TOPOGRAPHY, CLIMATOGRAPHY AND DESCRIPTION;
TOGETHER WITH A RECORD OF THE MEXICAN GRANTS; THE BEAR FLAG WAR; THE MOUNT
DIABLO COAL FIELDS; THE EARLY HISTORY AND SETTLEMENT, COMPILED FROM THE MOST
AUTHENTIC SOURCES; THE NAMES OF ORIGINAL SPANISH AND MEXICAN PIONEERS; FULL
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY OF THE COUNTY; SEPARATE HISTORY OF EACH TOWNSHIP, SHOWING
THE ADVANCE IN POPULATION AND AGRICULTURE;
ALSO,
Incidents of Pioneer Life; and Biographical Sketches
OF EARLY AND PROMINENT SETTLERS AND REPRESENTATIVE MEN;
AMD OF ITS TOWNS, VILLAGES, CHURCHES, SECRET SOCIETIES, ETC.
ILLUSTRATED.
SAN FRANCISCO: W. A. SLOCUM & CO., PUBLISHERS
1882.

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