Sierra County Biographies

H. H. Purdy 

Transcribed by Craig Hahn, Nov. 2004

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


 
was born in Buffalo, New York, in 1828. In 1831 his parents moved to Oneida 
county, where our subject live until 1846, when he went to Utica to learn the 
jeweler�s trade. Three years after, he opened a shop in Rome, New York, and 
remained there until he came to California, in 1852, starting in March, via the 
Isthmus, and arriving in San Francisco in July. In August, 1852, he came to 
Downieville, and purchased an interest in the jewelry store of Benjamin Green, 
which they ran for four years. In 1856 Mr. Purdy acted as deputy county 
treasurer, and with Mr. Green, was engaged in constructing a ditch at Eureka, 
doing their banking with Langton & Co. This house failed and Mr. Purdy lost 
heavily; sustaining losses also on the Minnesota ditch, which proved 
unremunerative. In 1859 he was engaged with his father, S. Purdy, in a foundry 
at Downieville. In the following year he went to Silver City, Nevada and worked 
at his trade there a year. In 1861 he went on his ranch in Long valley, and 
remained there until 1869, when he returned to Downieville, and opened the store 
in which he is now interested. 
 
Illustrated History of Plumas, Lassen & Sierra Counties, with California from 
1513 to 1850. - Fariss and Smith, San Francisco,  1882. p 494