Monterey-San Francisco-Santa Clara County CA Archives Biographies.....McKinnon, Duncan 1836 - ************************************************ 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@yahoo.com January 17, 2007, 10:13 pm Author: Luther A. Ingersoll, Editor (1893) DUNCAN McKINNON, a well-known, thrifty farmer and successful business man of Monterey county, is a native of York county, Canada, where he was born, June 15, 1836. His parents were natives of Scotland who emigrated to America in 1835. When our subject was only nine years of age he suffered the loss of his father, who left a widow and seven dependent children, of whom Duncan was the second child and oldest son. At an early age he assumed the responsibilities that seldom fall upon the shoulders of boys much his senior, and when but a youth took charge of the household and ran the farm. During this time he acquired a good common-school education and remained at home until 1862, when the gold excitement in British Columbia broke out, and his ambition was fired and he determined to seek his fortune in the gold fields. Accordingly, April 7, of that year he started for New York city by rail, and April 11 sailed from that port on the steamer Northern Light, for Aspinwall, arriving at his destination on the twenty-second. Crossing the Isthmus at that point, he sailed for San Francisco, on the Golden Age, and reached that city, May 5. From thence he proceeded to Victoria, Vancouver's Isle, and after several days started for the mines, arriving September 11, 1863. After some thrilling experiences in this wild country, in 1865 he returned to San Francisco, arriving November of that year. In May, 1866, he resumed farming, working in Santa Clara county, and for the first time in his life received wages for his work. In 1867 he returned home to Canada, but he found that his boyhood home had lost its early charm as his mother was dead and the family scattered; so, in October, 1867, he returned to California with his brother Anthony, and settled in Monterey county, where he rented land of Don Juan M. Soto, near Salinas. Here the two brothers farmed until 1874, when they purchased 1,100 acres of the Sausal rancho, paying $60,000 for it. To this they added about 200 acres more from the Natividad ranch. Mr. McKinnon purchased his brother's interest in this property in 1881, and now is sole owner of 1,300 acres of the best land in this county. His residence is two and one-half miles northeast of Salinas, and surrounded by this fine ranch of 1,300 acres of land, which is perfectly level. The soil is very productive, but at present Mr. McKinnon is devoting less attention to farming than to dairying. He has recently constructed an immense barn for his cows, the plans of which for utility and convenience are unexcelled. He also has a fine machine shop, where he could make a thresher if he needed it. In this machine shop he has a magnificent lathe, an excellent carpenter shop, barley crusher, steam engine, etc. He is not only a mechanical genius, but a careful and methodical business man, and the success he has attained has been the result of his own efforts. Mr. McKinnon was married, January 1, 1877, to Miss Alice M., a daughter of J. R. Hebbron, Esq. She died in 1889, leaving two children, namely: Duncan P., born December 6, 1877, and William E., born May 12, 1880. 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. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ca/monterey/bios/mckinnon481gbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/cafiles/ File size: 4.5 Kb