Sacramento County Biographies

CORNELIUS O'DONAHUE

Transcribed by: Nancy Pratt Melton

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

CENTER TOWNSHIP. 
Page 253

	was born near the Lakes of Killarney, county of Kerry, 
Ireland, in 1828. He came to the United States in 1844, on the ship Pampera, 
which, after thirteen weeks' voyage, was wrecked on the banks of Newfoundland. 
After three months' stay in Boston and Chelsea, he went to work on the survey of 
the Erie Railway, Western Division. After that work was finished, he drove stage 
from Big Valley to Elliotville and Old Buffalo for eight months. In 1848 he went 
to Chicago and worked at iron-moulding for one year; afterwards followed farming 
in McHenry County, Illinois, for one year, with his brother-in-law, Daniel 
O'Connell. Thereafter he worked at La Salle, Illinois; Chicago, St. Louis, Lake 
Providence, Tennessee, and Natchez, Mississippi. Stayed at the latter place for 
three years as overseer on David & Huitt's plantation. In 1854 Mr. O'Donahue 
started for California by the Panama route. In California he followed mining for 
fourteen years, working at Grass Valley, Nevada City, American Hill and Bunker 
Hill. Here he lost heavily in the tunnels, Brother Johnathan and Morning Star. 
In 1857 he invested $8,000 in the Bay State Tunnel at Alleghanytown, Sierra 
County. Of this company, John W. Mackey---the �Bonanza Millionaire�---was the 
bookkeeper. The company, having lost $72,000, squared up and quit business in 
1860. His next investment of $2,400 was in the Excelsior Tunnel at Cumberland 
Town. Afterwards, he removed to Virginia City and engaged as contractor and 
superintendent for Captain Gates. In 1863 he bought the present home of one 
hundred and sixty acres, a mile and a half south of Antelope; to this he added, 
by purchase in 1872, a tract of three hundred and twenty-two acres, situated two 
and a half miles south-east of the first purchase. Mr. O'Donahue was first 
married in New Orleans in 1854. The bride was Miss Margarette Culhane, a native 
of County Kerry, Ireland. They had the following named children by this 
marriage, viz.: John, born May 2, 1856; Mary, born June 27, 1857; died May 29, 
1875. Daniel, born April 22, 1859; Clar Ellen, born June 22, 1861. His wife, 
Margarette, died July 14, 1864. On the 20th of April, 1865, he married Miss Mary 
O'Hea, a native of Cork, Ireland. By this union, they have one child---Katie, 
who was born February 22, 1866, and who is now a promising miss of thirteen. Mr. 
O'Donahue is assisted in his farm work by his sons, John and Daniel. In 1879 Mr. 
Donahue visited the East, spending a few months in rest and sight-seeing at 
Chicago, and in the several places of interest in Minnesota. He has held the 
office of Constable for eight years. A fine view of Mr. O'Douahue's premises may 
be seen on another page. Post Office, Antelope. 
 
Source: History of Sacramento County, California With Illustrations 1880 by 
Thompson & West.