John Reedy and Eliza Desmond

The history of La Grange in Stanislaus County, California illustrates the vagaries of politics and the power determined men can wield. The history of John Reedy is intimately tied with the history of La Grange.

Stanislaus County was formed in 1854 by taking parts of Tuolumne and San Joaquin Counties. In less than two years the new county moved the county seat three times! La Grange had a brief moment of glory being the Stanislaus County seat for six years from 1856 to 1862. La Grange, on the northeast edge of the county won over Empire City in 1856 by a vote of 558 to 139. Founded in 1850 by a group of Frenchmen searching for gold, La Grange was on the route to the northern gold mines, the mining towns of Coulterville, Mariposa, Hornitos and the Tuolumne mines. It grew from a mining camp into a bustling town of several thousand people. John Reedy and his wife Eliza arrived in La Grange sometime before March 1856 when their first child, a daughter, was born.

From his obituary in the 15 March 1875 issue of the Stanislaus County Weekly News we learn John Reedy was born circa 1826 in Ireland:

Death of John Reedy: On last Saturday John Reedy, an old and much esteemed citizen of this county, died at Lagrange. At the time of his death Mr. Reedy was in the 49th year of his age and a native of Ireland. If we mistake not he settled in the county prior to its organization. In 1857 he was elected County Treasurer and re-elected to the same position in 1859. In 1861 he was elected County Clerk. In 1867 he was defeated for that position on the Independent ticket. He has served several terms as Justice of the Peace of his township, and in all the relations of life, whether in a public or private capacity, he was ever a courteous, honorable and upright man.

His headstone in the St. Louis Cemetery in La Grange, California and a duplicate monumental marker in the St. Stanislaus Cemetery, Modesto, state he was born in County Clare, Ireland. The Clare Heritage Centre in Quin, County Clare, Ireland, is one of many such centers in Ireland established to re-construct the genealogical records lost in the Irish war for independence. A request left at Clare Heritage Center in August 1988 for a search for the Reedy family brought this reply:

The Reedy surname is very numerous in Co. Clare with there being approx. 450 families recorded in the County during the last century. You stated that 'your' John Reedy was born approx. 1827, we conducted our search up to 1835, however of the 47 parishes in the county, only 20 have records commencing before 1835, which in itself gives you a less than 50% of locating the correct family.

A list of 17 parishes and their references to birth and marriage records containing a John Reedy is included. This conclusion follows:

The Question remains - which (if indeed any) of the above John's is the correct one? Unfortunately without having his parents it is almost impossible to establish the correct family?

According to your own information John Reedy's and Eliza Desmond's eldest son was an Andrew, you will note from the above list that a John Reidy was born in this parish of Corofin in 1826 his father being an Andrew. And I am sure that you are aware that it is an Irish tradition to name ones eldest son after the paternal grandfather - so perhaps this is the relevant family!

The referenced record is a son John born in 1826 to Andrew Reidy and Bridget Curtis in the Parish of Corofin. Clare Heritage Centre found only two Desmond families recorded in Co. Clare, both in the parish of Parteen. However they had no daughter Eliza recorded.

Carlo DeFerrari, Tuolumne County Historian and retired County Recorder, found a record of John Reedy being naturalized (becoming a citizen of the United States) in the Fifth District Court of Tuolumne County on 6 July 1859¹. The 1860 census is the first in which John Reedy appears in the United States. In that census daughter Margaret is listed as four years old having been born in California. It can be assumed therefore that John and Eliza Reedy were living in that state in March 1856. The earliest listing of residents of the area, the Miners & Business Men's Directory of Tuolumne County published in January 1856 does not have a record of John Reedy living in La Grange or any other town or camp.

John Reedy's prominent role in his community is well documented. The obituary quoted above was in error about the dates and offices to which he was elected. According to the Almanac 1874 An Early History of Stanislaus County and History of Stanislaus County originally printed by Stanislaus County in 1881 he was elected to a two year term as the Stanislaus County Treasurer in the general state election of 1859²; was re-elected Treasurer in the 1861 election; and was elected County Clerk, Recorder and Auditor (apparently a combined position) in the 1863 election but lost the position in the election of 1867. On page 2 of the Tuolumne City News of 9 October 1868 he was reported elected Clerk of the La Grange Election District of the county.

In the same paper in which his obituary appeared, and on the same page is a notice that John Reedy was elected to the Democrat Central Committee at the General Convention 7 June 1873.

His political activities were not the only contribution John Reedy made to his community. He was an active businessman, purchasing with John Bixby the Stanislaus County Water Company from Elam Dye in 1863. He is listed with Elam Dye as owners of a flour mill in the 1867 Pacific Coast Business Director for Stanislaus County. As a miner and mill owner John was concerned with the water development of the Tuolumne River because it was crucial to the success of the mining and agricultural life of the area. When registering to vote 16 April 1867 he listed himself as a "Ditchowner". In August and September of 1870 the following notice appeared in the Tuolumne City News:

Lagrange Water Company

Notice is hereby given that at a meeting of the Trustees of the "Lagrange Flouring-mill and Ditch Company," held this day, the following resolution was adopted: That 25 per cent of the capital stock of said Company is now due and payable to the Secretary of his office in Lagrange, on or before the 10th day of August, 1870.

JOHN REEDY, Sec'y
Lagrange, July 25, 1870

The first substantial dam on that river was built by M. A. Wheaton on properties and water rights owned by the Stanislaus County Water Company which he purchased from John Reedy and John Bixby. The La Grange dam is well documented in Quest for Deep Gold, The Story of La Grange, California by Thorne B. Gray.

On page 133 of In Gold Fields to Grazing Fields by Franklin Beard, John is shown as an officer of the Masonic organization at La Grange Lodge No. 99. In the proceedings of 1869 he is an "officer" and in 1870 listed as Treasurer.

There is some evidence John Reedy may have had Reedy relatives living nearby. A Peter Reedy appears in the 1860 index for Stanislaus County living in Branch Township (which includes La Grange). In June 1872, when he sold land to the La Grange Ditch and Hydraulic Mining Co Peter Reedy was living in Utah.

John's wife, Eliza Desmond, was also born in County Clare, Ireland but nothing more is known about her family. John and Eliza had four children, three of whom were listed in the 1860 census as Margaret Reedy born 1 March 1856, Anna Reedy born 1858 and Eliza Reedy born 1860. The 1870 census lists Margaret age 13, Anna age 11, Eliza age 9 and John age 7. The senior John Reedy died 28 February 1875.

The last documentation found for John is a Petition for Probate³ of his estate filed by his widow, Eliza. At the time of this petition, the surviving heirs could ask the court for a Letter of Administration in the absence of a will and thereby inherit the estate. A copy of that document lists his next of kin as Margaret Ann Reedy aged about 19, Andrew Reedy aged about 18, Eliza Reedy aged about 15 and John Reedy aged about 13. What a surprise! The child listed as a female named Anna in both the 1860 and 1870 census is now a male named Andrew!

Eliza Reedy must have stayed in the family home in La Grange for a number of years after the death of her husband. A plat map of the town showing the location of that house was found in Gold Fields to Grazing Fields and is included after this section.

Eliza Reedy was listed in the 1893 Modesto/Stanislaus County Directory as living at Seventh and I Streets in Modesto, the home of her daughter Maggie and John Dunn. She continued to live with her daughter until her death on 23 February 1900. The Modesto Daily Evening News notice of her death also contained a small paragraph noting the arrival of her children for her funeral:

Mrs. Philip Kiernan, of Alameda, arrived yesterday afternoon and John Reedy this afternoon on account of the death of their mother.

An Obituary for Eliza printed in the Mariposa Gazette, March 3, 1900 finally gives us information about where and when John Reedy and Eliza Desmond came to the U.S. and when they married:

At an early hour this morning Mrs. Eliza D. Reedy, one of Stanislaus county's earliest settlers, breathed her last at her home in this city. The cause of death was pneumonia. Her age was 75 years and she was a native of Ireland. In early childhood she came to the United States with her parents. Her marriage took place at New Orleans and she came to California with her husband in 1850 and resided in Tuolumne county. Later her home was at La Grange and Knight's Ferry. Her husband, who preceded her to the grave twenty-five years ago this month. Was one of the best known men in the county and for a number of years was the County Clerk and County Treasurer of this county in the early history of the county. About twenty years ago Mrs. Reedy brought her children to Modesto to reside and this has been her home since. She was a thoroughly devoted woman to her children and friends and all who knew her loved and respected her. Of late she had been an invalid on account of complications of ailments and advanced years. Four children survive to mourn her loss, viz: Mrs. John Dunn of Modesto; Mrs. Philip Kernan of Alameda; Andrew J. Reedy of Coulterville; and John Reedy of San Francisco. The funeral will take place from St. Stanislaus (Catholic) Church on Monday next at 10 o'clock a.m. A solemn requiem high mass will be celebrated for the repose of her soul by Rev. Father W.J. Madden. Eliza Reedy's head stone states she was born in County Clare, Ireland.

1. Tuolomne County Court Minute book, Vol. C, page 187. Witnesses Patrick McPike and Michael Maher.

2. History of Stanislaus County California, 1881, p. 253. According to the Annals of Stanislaus County, River Towns and Ferries by I.N. "Jack" Brotherton, p. 123 John Reedy was first elected County Treasurer in 1857 by vote of 200 to 177 winning over A.B. Anderson.

3. Stanislaus County Probate Case Files # 139 1/2. Found on Film # 1,255,729.

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