Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-05-07
SAMUEL BRANNAN DEAD.
Sketch of the Life of Prominent Call
fOrnIa Pioneer.

Sketch OF the Life of Prominent Call
fornia Pioneer.
Samuel Brannan, the well-known Cali.
fornia pioneer, died at Escondido on Sunday
evening. He had been i'll with infiamma
| ton of the bowels tor about two weeks
| Deceased was well known in Sacramento
aud throughout California. At one time
he was one of the most prominent men in
this city, and amassed fortune here.
| Samuel Brannan was born in the State
of Maine in 1919, and after an eyentful
career in his youthful days as journey.
man printer and publisher, he came to
| California in 1916. on the ship BROOKLYN,
| arriving on July 31st. Before the discoy.
| cry of gold in California he engaged in
merchandising at Suffers Fort in Sacra-
| mento, and amassed great wealth by reason
| OF his shrewn business capacity, and was
for years recognized as the richest man in
| California. In the early history of San
| Francisco he always connected himself
prominently with all charitable and worthy
objects, and was in the fifties elected SEN
| ator from San Francisco, Immediately re-
signing on account of important business
| engagements in New York. He was prom
| inently connected with the Vigilance Com
mittee movement in early days, and did
much by bis bravery to rid the city of the
Hounds" In 1861 he was one of the Presi.
| Dental Electors for the Republican party.
| and during the Rebellion a stanch Re.
| publican, contributing many thousands of
dollars from his own pocket for the sani-
| tary fund, and otherwise sustaining the
Union cause.
Among the prominent pieces of property
owned by him in San Francisco was the
cf 10 of ka IT
Mission street; the location of Murphy.
Grant & Co.'S Building, corner of Bush and
Sansome streets Annoy Building, corner
of Sacramento and Montgomery streets
the Express Building, on the corner of CAL
norma and Montgomery streets, and over
one hundred feet in the middle of the
block now owned by the estate of Peter
Donahue. His ownership extended over
many full blocks in other portions of the
city, and he had over two hundred acres in
the Western Addition, and other outside
lands. Mr.. Brannan at one time owned al
most quarter of the city of Sacramento.
and in 1861 purchased the Calistoga Springs
property, now owned by Leland Stanford,
from John Nugent, then editor of the Her
aid. and expended fully halfmillion of
dollars in the Identification of the place.
In 1866 his wife was divorced from him.
he deciding her the bulk of his property.
Business stagnation and financial reyerses
soon took away what little remained, and
he proceeded to the City of Mexico to pro-
! cure the repayment of money loaned the
Mexican Government, during the Maximil-
ian war, Brannan having furnished a suffi-
Gent amount of money and arms to equip
a company of Americans who served the
Republic faithfully and were known as
the "Brannan Contingent" The Govern
ment gave him two million acres of land
in the Yaqui and Mayo country, with such
restrictions upon it that il was impossible
to obtain any benefit therefrom Suisse
quently the Mexican Government gave
him concession in the State of Sonora.
on condition that he would survey and
| map the same. This was done at an ex-
pense of over hundred thousand dollars.
the company organizing for that purpose
having taken almost the entire concession
| for their pay
In the last two years Mr.. Brannan has
resided in San Diego county, and recently
| purchased and planted fine piece of land
near Escondido. where he has laid out an
| orchard of Smyrna figs. His former wife
| is living IN San Francisco, as we'll as four
| children. Mr.. Brannan, although a de.
termined and positive man at times, was
noted for his generosity and kindness oil
heart when confronted with a case reauir.
| ing sympathy or assistance.