Sonoma-San Francisco County CA Archives Biographies.....Biggins, James 1825 - 
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Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com March 3, 2006, 6:24 pm

Author: Alley, Bowen & Co. (1880)

Biggins, James, Born in county Cavan, Ireland, in 1825, where he resided until
1844, when he came to America. After spending a few months in Philadelphia, he
took up his abode in Burlington, New Jersey, where he was employed as salesman
in a wholesale and retail grocery store until 1851. On May 9th of the above year
he sailed from New York on the steamer "Brother Jonathan," to the Isthmus, and
from this point he took passage on the steamer "Pacific" to San Francisco,
arriving August 1st. Was engaged in running an express wagon in San Francisco
until November 1st, when he came to Sonoma, having been brought hither through
the influence of Haven and Smith, to transact business for them on their ranch
in this county. After taking charge of their affairs one year, he purchased
their interest, and then formed a partnership with John A. Hill. In 1854 they
bought of General Vallejo the ranch now known as the Lawler ranch, which they
sold to Lawler in 1857, when they dissolved partnership. The subject of this
sketch was then engaged in a milk ranch, in San Francisco county, until 1861,
when he returned to this county, and engaged in stock-raising until 1864, when
he purchased his present estate of three hundred acres of B. B. Munday. He also
owns some property in the city of Petaluma, and a tract of land known as the
Fowler ranch, and purchased from W. D. Bliss a part of his Sonoma valley ranch
in 1878. In 1876 he visited the Centennial Exposition and his sisters and
friends in the city of Philadelphia, and the scenes of his youthful days at
Burlington, New Jersey, the Gazette of that city noticing his arrival in the
following complimentary manner: "James Biggins, who resided in Burlington
twenty-five years ago, arrived here this week from California, whither he went
in 1851 to seek his fortune. This is his first visit to the scenes of his
boyhood since he went west. He lives near San Francisco, and owns about six
hundred acres of land. He gives an interesting and flattering account of the
resources and productiveness of California, and says men who are skilled in
their trade or profession can always find employment for their talents, while
the true inwardness of those who profess to be what they are not is soon
discovered." Mr. Biggins returned home in December following. He has held the
office of School Trustee for six years. Married Miss Annie Brady, April 18,
1860, in San Francisco, and has had five children, two of whom, a girl and a
boy, are dead. Mary A, born January 13, 1861; Maggie T., born December 11, 1863;
and Annie L., born August 10, 1864, are the names and dates of birth of their
three living children.

Additional Comments:
Sonoma Township

Extracted from:

HISTORY
—OF-
SONOMA COUNTY,
-INCLUDING ITS—
Geology, Topooraphy, Mountains, Valleys and Streams;
—TOGETHER WITH—
A Full and Particular Record of the Spanish Grants; Its Early History and
Settlement, Compiled from the Most Authentic Sources; the Names of Original
Spanish and American Pioneers; a full Political History, Comprising the Tabular
Statements of Elections and Office-holders since the Formation of the County;
Separate Histories of each Township, Showing the Advancement of Grape and Grain
 Growing Interests, and Pisciculture;
ALSO, INCIDENTS OF PIONEER LIFE; THE RAISING OF THE BEAR FLAG; AND BIOGRAPHICAL
SKETCHES OF EARLY AND PROMINENT SETTLERS AND REPRESENTATIVE MEN;
—AND OF ITS—
Cities, Towns, Churches, Schools, Secret Societies, Etc., Etc.
ILLUSTRATED.
SAN FRANCISCO:
ALLEY, BOWEN & CO., PUBLISHERS.
1880.


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