San Diego County CA Archives Biographies.....Kelly, Robert 1825 - ************************************************ 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 February 21, 2006, 1:51 am Author: Theodore S. Van Dyke ROBERT KELLY. ONE of the pioneer residents of San Diego County is Robert Kelly. The ground where thirty-five years ago his cattle grazed at will, is now the site of a thriving city, and the bay on the shores of which he assisted in building the first wharf, is now thronged with shipping from all parts of the world. Mr. Kelly was born on the Isle of Man, Christmas day, 1825. His boyhood days were spent upon a farm, though when he was about fourteen he began to learn the carpenter's trade. When he was sixteen years old he left with his parents for the United States. They landed at New Orleans. Soon afterward his parents moved to Illinois, but Robert decided to earn his own livelihood and remained for a time in Louisiana working as a carpenter. He went from there to St. Louis, where he continued at carpentering and cabinet making, and in the evenings after his day's labor was over he attended school. Thus he acquired the rudiments of a fair education that was of great advantage to him in after years. From St. Louis he went to Galena, Illinois, and then to the Wisconsin pineries, where for about a year he was engaged, most of the time, in rafting timber on the Wisconsin River. At the end of this time, he went to Hancock County, Illinois, where he worked at his trade. In the summer of 1850 he started across the plains for California. The party came by the southern route and their objective point was Yuma on the Colorado River. Here Kelly went to work for the Government and built a ferry-boat to cross the river. This craft was made out of cottonwood, the only timber growing there, which was sawed with a whipsaw. After a few months he crossed the State to San Diego. Here he assisted in building the first wharf that was ever made in San Diego harbor. It was near where the Santa Fe wharf now stands. In the latter part of 1851 he went to work for the Government driving a six-mule team, hauling freight across the country to Fort Yuma. After several trips as a driver he was appointed wagon master, a position of greater responsibility, but more agreeable. In September, 1852, he went into partnership with Colonel Eddy on the Jamacha Ranch, where he engaged in farming and cattle raising. He planted rye, wheat, oats, barley and potatoes on three hundred acres and made a success of it. The ranch contained eight thousand eight hundred and seventy-six acres and was situated about twelve miles east of the present city of San Diego. At the time he sold out his interest in 1857, they had between two hundred and three hundred head of horses and one thousand cattle, and their stock often grazed on the shores of the bay, where is now the city of San Diego. Having sold out his interest in Jamacha he went into the mercantile business in Old San Diego with Frank Ames. He continued in this business for about a year. In i860 he again engaged in cattle raising on the Agua Hedionda Ranch in partnership with F. Hinton. This ranch, which consisted of thirteen thousand three hundred and fourteen acres, is situated on the coast thirty-live miles north of the city. He now owns the whole of it, with the exception of three hundred and sixty-four acres, which he sold, and makes his home there. The ranch is all inclosed with twenty-five miles of fence. The California Southern Railroad Company has a station on the ranch. Mr. Kelly has had quite an adventurous life. In early days he was one of the Judges of the Plains. These were men appointed by the Supervisors of the county to settle all disputes over the ownership of cattle. They naturally provoked enmity, especially from the lawless portion of the community. About dark on the evening of July 16, 1856, after a hard day's ride looking after some cattle, he was attacked on the Cajon Ranch by a gang of Mexican desperadoes who attempted to kill him. They succeeded in wounding him severely, three bullets taking effect; one grazed the top of his head, one struck him in the back of the neck, sideways, coming out about two inches above, and the other went through the muscles of his left arm. He carries the marks of these wounds to this day. He had the satisfaction of knowing that all of his assailants were killed a short time after in a revolution in Lower California, Mexico. Mr. Kelly owns a good deal of real estate in the city and considerable outside property. He is one of the public-spirited men of the county and has contributed liberally to every movement tending to advance the public interests. He gave forty acres of land in the city and a money consideration, besides the right of way through his ranch, as his share towards bringing the railroad here. Although over sixty years of age, Mr. Kelly is as alert and active as most men twenty years younger. The many days spent in the saddle and nights passed beneath the canopy ot heaven have served to insure a state of health that many/might well envy. He is firmly of the opinion that there is no place like San Diego, and as a climate for prolonging life it has no equal. Mr. Kelly is a bachelor. Additional Comments: From: THE CITY AND COUNTY OF SAN DIEGO. ILLUSTRATED, AND CONTAINING BI0GRAPHICAL SKETCHES OF PROMINENT MEN AND PIONEERS. SAN DIEGO, CAL. LEBERTHON & TAYLOR 1888 File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ca/sandiego/bios/kelly829nbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/cafiles/ File size: 5.8 Kb