Contra Costa County CA Archives Biographies.....Portman, Andrew 1832 - 
************************************************
Copyright.  All rights reserved.
http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
http://www.usgwarchives.net/ca/cafiles.htm
************************************************

File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Joy Fisher sdgenweb@gmail.com November 29, 2005, 12:15 am

Author: W. A. Slocum & Co., Publishers (1882)

ANDREW PORTMAN.—The subject of this sketch is a native of Pennsylvania, and was
born November 25, 1832. At the age of thirteen years his parents both died, and
he went and made his home with a brother-in-law for one year, then he went to
Ohio and stayed two years, when he returned to his birthplace and remained until
1852, at which time he concluded to seek his fortune on the golden shores of the
Pacific. But, on arriving at Panama he concluded to remain there, therefore sold
his through ticket to San Francisco and found employment on the railroad at that
time being built across the Isthmus. Remaining in Panama some four years, we
next find Mr. Portman again in his native State, where he resided for a short
time, when he again, in July 1856, started via Panama for San Francisco, and
arrived the following August. His first venture on this coast was in the mines
for two years. In November, 1858, he came to this county and worked at
wood-chopping, and in 1860 purchased his present place of one hundred and sixty
acres of land, where he has since bought one thousand and eighty acres of swamp
and overflowed land which he is now trying to reclaim. On taking an inventory of
his stock in 1860, Mr. Portman found himself possessed of fifty-two head of
sheep, one cow and calf, one hen and four chickens, but the old saying of "small
beginnings make large endings " still holds good in this case, as Mr. Portman is
now in affluent circumstances and possesses a well-stocked farm of over one
thousand two hundred acres. Was united in marriage at Babbe's Landing, July 27,
1870, to Miss Johanna C. A. Babbe, a native of Germany. They have four children,
all living: Frederick A., Sophia E., William N. and Andrew F.

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.

File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ca/contracosta/bios/portman67bs.txt

This file has been created by a form at http://www.poppet.org/cafiles/

File size: 3.1 Kb