Merced-Tulare-Santa Clara County CA Archives Biographies.....McCoy, Dan 1843 - 
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com February 8, 2006, 11:31 pm

Author: John Outcalt (1925)

DAN McCOY

   Among the substantial and respected residents of Merced County is Dan McCoy,
a successful rancher residing on his twenty-acre farm one mile west and
three-quarters of a mile south of Livingston. He was born at Bloomfield, Iowa,
on April 13, 1843, a son of Joseph and Nancy (Pelly) McCoy, both natives of
Virginia. Joseph McCoy went to Iowa in the early days and became the owner of
1000 acres of land in Davis County, which he farmed successfully. In 1858, with
his family, he joined a train of emigrants and started across the plains to
California. There were sixty persons in the company, bringing 2000 head of loose
stock. They lost 1000 head in the first Indian encounter. Eight persons were
killed by the Indians during six hard fights; one woman and three little girls
were taken prisoners and were never heard of again. The last fight occurred on
the Colorado River at the California-Arizona line. The company was forced to
return to Santa Fe, N. M., where they remained until the following year when
they came through to California, but not without suffering indescribable
hardships, many of the company dying of starvation. Of the remaining 1000 head
of stock, very few got through to California. Joseph McCoy settled near Visalia
and became a rancher and teamster.

   Dan McCoy was a young lad when he went to work earning his own living; he
first herded sheep for a year and a half; then began driving a ten-horse team
for his father from Visalia to the mines in the mountains east of this place. In
1862 he removed to Santa Clara County and settled at Los Gatos, where he engaged
in hauling lumber from the Santa Cruz mountains until 1913, when he came to
Merced County and settled on his present ranch home.

   On November 12, 1871, Mr. McCoy was married to Miss Sarah Crews, who was born
in Harrison County, Mo., on March 31, 1853. To them have been born ten children,
viz.: Burton, of San Jose; George, deceased; Oscar, at Cressey; Mrs. Adah Grove,
in San Francisco; Mrs. May Love, of Livingston; Perley, deceased; Stella, Mrs.
Watson, of Santa Barbara; Elsie, deceased; Mattie, married Alfred Baker and
lives in Altadena; and Philip L., who is at home and assists his father with the
ranch work. Mr. McCoy has now reached the age of eighty-two years and still
takes a great pride in raising fine horses, which he learned to love when a
young man and which he still drives with the greatest ease and pleasure.


Additional Comments:
From:

HISTORY OF
MERCED COUNTY
CALIFORNIA
WITH A
Biographical Review
OF
The Leading Men and Women of the County Who Have Been
Identified with Its Growth and Development
from the Early Days to the Present

HISTORY BY
JOHN OUTCALT

ILLUSTRATED COMPLETE IN ONE VOLUME
HISTORIC RECORD COMPANY
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA
1925

File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ca/merced/bios/mccoy206gbs.txt

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