Monterey-Santa Cruz-Mariposa County CA Archives Biographies.....Dorn, N. A. 1852 - 
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Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com January 20, 2007, 12:47 am

Author: Luther A. Ingersoll, Editor (1893)

HON. N. A. DORN.-This gentleman, who now tills the responsible position of
Superior Judge, is a native of Council Bluffs, Iowa, born May 27, 1852. When
almost a year old he crossed the plains to California with his parents, and
hence is not far removed by age and circumstances from the distinction of being
a "Native Son." On arriving in California, the family first located near
Watsonville, in the Pajaro valley. Most alluring tidings of the fortunes so
readily acquired in the mines reached the new immigrants, and again they were on
the move, pushing forward to the mines of Mariposa county. After spending nearly
four years in this exciting pursuit, the family went to Visalia for a short
time, then to Los Angeles, and finally took up their abode near Marysville. At
the latter place they remained eight years, young Dorn making himself useful on
the farm and inuring himself to that sturdy labor, to which, no doubt, he is
greatly indebted for his fine physique. On leaving Marysville, he accompanied
the family to Santa Cruz, where he passed one year. After that they located
permanently at Pajaro, Monterey county. During nearly all of this period of
unsettled habitation, the subject of our sketch was availing himself of every
opportunity for instruction by attending such schools as the various localities
could afford, or when work on the farm would permit of his attending them. With
a keen desire for knowledge, stimulated perhaps by his chagrin at the sparse
opportunites for obtaining it, he set himself diligently to the task of
self-instruction, reading whatever he could find in his spare moments, so that
on reaching his majority he passed an examination as teacher, and was employed
for two years as teacher in Santa Cruz and Monterey counties.

  Through all these years young Dorn's chief aspiration was to become a lawyer.
With this end in view, he entered the office of Judge Lawrence Archer, of San
Jose, and after a course of study was admitted to practice by the Supreme Court
of the State, October 13,1874. Thus fortified by his chosen profession, he came
to Salinas and waited for business. He was not, however, obliged to wait long,
for clients came, and so successful was he with the cases intrusted to him that
he was chosen District Attorney in 1875, and for a second term of the same
office in 1880. Retiring from this position with a record, of which any young
practitioner might be proud, he associated himself with Judge W. M. R. Parker,
of Salinas, in the practice of law, a partnership which continued till he was
elected Superior Judge of Monterey county in 1890, defeating Hon. John K.
Alexander, and strengthening the forces of the Republican party by the
popularity of his name at the head of the county ticket.

  In 1873 Judge Dorn was married in San Jose to Miss Josephine McCusker, and has
a promising family of six children.


Additional Comments:
Extracted from:

Memorial and Biographical History of the Coast Counties of Central California.

Illustrated.

Containing a History of this Important Section of the Pacific Coast from the
Earliest Period of its Discovery to the Present Time, together with Glimpses of
its Auspicious Future; Illustrations and Full-Page Portraits of some of its
Eminent Men, and Biographical Mention of many of its Pioneers, and Prominent
Citizens of To-day.



HENRY D. BARROWS,
Editor of the Historical Department.

LUTHER A. INGERSOLL,
Editor of the Biographical Department.

"A people that take no pride in the noble achievements of remote ancestors will
never achieve anything worthy to be remembered with pride by remote
descendants."-Macaulay.


CHICAGO: THE LEWIS PUBLISHING COMPANY.
1893.


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