Central California Biographies

A 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 (1893)

Publisher: Chicago : Lewis Publishing Company
Author: Barrows, Henry D; Ingersoll, Luther A

Transcribed by Peggy Hooper

This file is part of the California Genealogy & History Archives 
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cagha/index.htm

MICHAEL BARRY is a well-known farmer of Castroville, who came to California in 
April, 1858, from East Abington, Massachusetts. He is a native of county Cork, Ireland, 
where he was born, March 25, 1835. His parents both died in 1850, and he almost 
immediately set sail for the United States, bringing with him a small sum of money. 
His relatives had all preceded him to this country, one of them, an uncle, Michael Barry, 
was for seventeen successive years Town Clerk of New York city. Our subject remained 
in the East for some time, where he learned and pursued for seven years the trade of 
shoemaking. Later he learned stove cutlery and pursued that calling for three years. 

Upon arrival in San Francisco, he shipped as fireman on the Golden Gate, a steamship 
which then plied between that city and the Isthmus of Panama, but finally, tiring of 
the sea life; he located at Castroville, in the fall of 1863, where he now owns a valuable 
farm, of 350 acres and ranges five herds of stock. 

Mr. Barry was married, March 13, 1858, in Boston, Massachusetts, to Margaret Hoyes, a 
native of Ireland, born in county Cork. She has born him seven living children, namely: 
Mary A., now Mrs. Daniel Hurley, of Castroville; Edward H., a farmer of Gonzales; 
Annie, now Mrs. William Sterling, of St. Louis, Missouri; Margaret, Kate, John and 
William, the last four of whom are at home. 

Mr. Barry is a well-informed man of sterling integrity, a successful farmer, a prominent 
Democrat and respected citizen.