Plumas-San Francisco-Alameda County CA Archives Biographies.....Compton, John Davenport 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 January 12, 2006, 5:44 pm Author: Fariss & Smith (1882) JOHN DAVENPORT COMPTON, son of David and Sarah Compton, was born at New Egypt, Monmouth county, New Jersey, March 9, 1832. When thirteen years of age he went to Allentown and lived four years. After a residence of short periods in various places he started from New York February 5, 1853, for California, coming via Aspinwall. He sailed from this point for San Francisco on the ill-fated steamer Tennessee, which was lost four miles above the heads, named from this accident Tennessee Cove. The passengers were rescued by the tug Defiance. Mr. Compton kept books a short time in San Francisco, dealt in general merchandise for three years at Union city, Alameda county, and then embarked in the same business in Marysville, in partnership with John Quin. In November, 1862, he came to Round valley and opened a branch store. In 1864 he bought out his partner, and continued the business until 1870. Four years after he came to Greenville, and in 1876 opened the present business with John McBeth. Mr. Compton was engaged in mining at Cherokee from 1870 to 1875, and lost $75,000. He was married in 1878 to Miss M. A. Holland, of Boston, Massachusetts, who has given birth to two children, Virgil D. L., born August 13, 1870, and William H. T., born September 27, 1881. In 1865 Mr. Compton was elected county surveyor and served two terms. He is a member of the Masonic and Workmen orders. Additional Comments: Extracted from: Illustrated History of Plumas, Lassen & Sierra Counties San Francisco: Fariss & Smith (1882) File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ca/plumas/bios/compton303bs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.poppet.org/cafiles/ File size: 2.1 Kb