- Jasper O'Farrell
Jasper O'Farrell (1817-1875) was the first surveyor for San Francisco. He designed the "grand promenade" that became today's Market Street. O'Farrell Street in San Francisco is named after him.
O'Farrell was born in
County Wexford ,Ireland in 1817 and was educated inDublin . He went toLondon ,England , where he boarded a ship bound forSouth America . After leavingChile , he moved toCalifornia in 1843, and was one of the first settlers of Sebastopol, where he purchased Rancho Estero Americano in 1843.He soon surveyed the new settlement of Yerba Buena (later to be called San Francisco) and was the city's first engineer and became active in politics. He was elected as State Senator from Sonoma County in 1858.
O'Farrell was an eye-witness to the murders of Jose R. Berreyesa and his nephews, Francisco and Ramon De Haro, in 1846. His account of the murders, which were given on the orders of
John C. Frémont , are believed to have hindered Fremont's political career. [http://www.sfgenealogy.com/sf/history/hbbegd.htm]According to a local legend in San Francisco, O'Farrell named several alleys south of Market Street after his girlfriends.
He died
November 16 , 1875 in San Francisco.References
* [http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/read/NORCAL/2003-03/1046748084 Biography from Roots Web]
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