Yolo-Contra Costa County CA Archives Biographies.....McNeill, Henry 1840 - 1898
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Joy Fisher sdgenweb@gmail.com January 18, 2006, 8:13 pm

Author: Tom Gregory (1913)

HENRY McNEILL

    The first excitement caused by the discovery of gold in California had
subsided and the tide of emigration had passed its flood when the McNeill family
left their Illinois home for the undeveloped regions of the vast western portion
of our country. There were not wanting, however, thousands of emigrants to
pursue the popular route of overland travel and in their own party were a goodly
number of resolute pioneers intent upon reaching the distant land of their
opportunity. With the expedition there was a lad in his fourteenth year, Henry
McNeill, who with the fearless nature of youth saw much to enjoy and nothing to
discourage or depress in this move from the old friends and the former
associations of his parents, William H. and Christina McNeill. With the heritage
of Scotch and Irish blood they were the inheritors of the energy, thrift and
shrewd judgment characteristic of that race and these qualities aided them in
their efforts to earn a livelihood in the west.

   The native place of Henry MeNeill was in the vicinity of Chicago, Ill., and
the date of his birth was August 16, 1840. When he was in his fourteenth year,
in 1854, he crossed the plains and afterward he had little opportunity to attend
school, it being necessary for him to earn his own way in the world. The first
western location of the family was at Bay Point, Contra Costa county, whence
they went to Oregon, but in a short time returned to California and bought one
hundred and sixty acres of land near Plainfield, Yolo county. The parents spent
their declining days in Lake county, this state, where they died at advanced
ages. When it was possible for Henry McNeill to acquire land of his own he
bought six hundred and forty acres seven miles southwest of Woodland and there
for many years he carried forward agricultural pursuits with considerable success.

    In order that his children might enjoy good educational advantages Henry
McNeill removed from the ranch into the village of Woodland and bought a house
on West Main street. Surrounding the residence were three acres suited for
gardening purposes, and thus he found abundant opportunity to gratify his
fondness for work. Six of his children attended the Catholic convent and all
were given the best possible advantages in order that they might be prepared for
life's responsibilities. At his town residence his death occurred February 14,
1898. Many tributes of sympathy were conveyed to the wife and children. There
was universal expression of an appreciative sense of his labors as a pioneer and
a regard for his honesty as a man, his patriotism as a citizen and his sagacity
as a farmer. His wife still survives him and resides in the city home. She was
formerly Miss Julia Finegan, a native of Ireland, who upon coming to this
country landed in New York City. In 1856 she came across the Isthmus of Panama
with a sister to San Francisco, where they had two sisters living. The marriage
of Mr. and Mrs. McNeill occurred in San Francisco July 10, 1862, and they became
the parents of eight children: Henry W., of Woodland; Frank, who died in early
life; James P., manager of the home ranch; Julia Christine, who married Hiram
Bullard, of Woodland; Margaret May, Mrs. Burtt, of Woodland; Frederick Charles,
of Woodland; D. Byron, of Antioch, and Mary Florence, who became the wife of
George Herrington, and resides in Woodland. All of the boys attended St. Mary's
College, where they finished their educations. The ranch, still owned by the
wife and mother, is under the capable supervision of James P. McNeill, who was
born near Antioch, Contra Costa county, this state, and received excellent
educational training in the public schools, Hesperian College at Woodland and
St. Mary's College of San Francisco, now of Oakland. The same wise lines of
agriculture followed by the father are utilized in the ranching operations of
the son, who further with a growing appreciation of the value of the stock
industry is raising the best grades of stock on the farm. One of his specialties
is the raising of horses and mules; another specialty is his flock of six
hundred sheep headed by an animal for which recently he paid $50 and which is a
pure-bred Merino with the ideal markings of that popular breed.


Additional Comments:
Extracted from

HISTORY OF YOLO COUNTY CALIFORNIA
WITH
Biographical Sketches
OF
The Leading Men and Women of the County Who Have Been Identified With Its Growth
and Development From the Early Days to the Present

HISTORY BY
TOM GREGORY
AND OTHER WELL KNOWN WRITERS
ILLUSTRATED COMPLETE IN ONE VOLUME

HISTORIC RECORD COMPANY
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA [1913]


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