Horatio Goldsmith Finch (1819 - 1893)

Born 12 Jun 1819 in Connersville, Wayne County, Indiana

Ancestors

Husband of Mary A. (Casebolt) Finch — married 4 Jul 1872 in San Francisco, California

Died 25 Aug 1893 at age 74 in San Francisco, San Francisco County, California, United States

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Biography

Horatio was born June 12, 1819 in Connersville, Wayne County, Indiana. He was the son of John Finch and Mehitable Brown. He passed away August 25, 1893 in San Francisco, San Francisco County, California, United States.

Moved with his family to Horseshoe Prairie, Hamilton County, Indiana in August of 1819. Studied Law. Lived in Hamilton County, Indiana until the Mexican War (1846-1848), when he was employed as clerk of a quartermaster's office, serving in that position until 1849.

Moved to California in 1849 during the Gold Rush, traveling through the Straits Of Magellan, aboard the steamship, Panama, a 107 day trip commanded by Admiral D. D. Porter, U.S.N. Mined on the north fork of the American River in CA., and also mined for approx. 3 months at Big Bar.

Moved to Benicia California, and again was employed as clerk in the quartermaster's office, where he likely served as a civilian employee under the direction of Maj. Robert Allen, Depot Quartermaster. Maj. Robert Allen was the brother-in-law of Fabius Maximus Finch, older brother of this Horatio Goldsmith Finch. Horatio later took a similar position as civilian quartermaster clerk in San Francisco, when the Benicia Depot was relocated there.

In 1861 Maj. Robert Allen was called to the front as Chief Quartermaster of Missouri and of the Valley of the Mississippi. It was around this same time, during the Civil War, that Horatio G. Finch spent a year and a half in St. Louis, Missouri, and later traveled the United States as an employee of the U.S. Government.

Per the 1867 Great Register of San Francisco, Horatio G. Finch resided at 506 Market Street in the 5th Ward. (Registered July 12, 1866.) Settled in Solano County, California in 1871, within five miles of Winters, Yolo County. Horatio owned and rented out 182 acres of "well improved land", on most of which he grew fruit. When renting his land in Solano County, Horatio resided in Winters, CA.

Horatio G. Finch married Mary A. Casebolt on July 4, 1872 in San Francisco, California, Minister John Kimball, officiating. Mary A. Casebolt was born in 1838, in West Virginia, and was the daughter of Henry Casebolt, who built the first cable car line in San Francisco. Mary was a member of the 1859 first graduating class of San Francisco High School, (formerly Union Grammar School, now Lowell High School.), and in 1861 she graduated Minns' Evening Normal School. Minns later became California State Normal, which relocated to San Jose, and was renamed San Jose State University, (and later CSU.)

Mary (Casebolt) Finch died tragically February 10, 1888 in Suisun, California, being hit by a run-away freight car, while attempting to cross the tracks (abt. age 50).

Horatio is named as an heir and Executor in father, John Finch's will - drawn Jan. 26, 1841 (probated Jan. 12, 1850).

Per the California Genealogical Society, both Horatio G. and Mary A. (Casebolt) Finch were cremated at the San Francisco Independent Order Of Odd Fellows Crematorium.

See:

• Solano County Genealogical Society
• "A Memorial and Biographical History of Northern California" c. 1891, Lewis Publishing Co., Chicago, (page #454).
• San Francisco Call Newspaper Vital Records for 1869-1895 (Record #s1872M-795 and 1893D-1662)

Sources

• http://finchroots.com/