A native of Ireland, Anthony Kilkenny was born in County Mayo in 1840, of parents who gave to him an education in those essential things of life in which work, industry and thrift largely enter. After his schooling was completed he worked in his native land until he was twenty-five years old, and in the meantime he determined to come to the United States. The port of Philadelphia was reached after a tempestuous voyage of several weeks. He went almost immediately to New Jersey, and for three years lived there, learning much of the ways and manners of the people with whom he had come to live. At the end of three years he came to California on a sailing vessel by way of the Isthmus of Panama. From San Francisco he journeyed to Jamestown and engaged in mining for a time and then in viticulture and horticulture. Later he went to the San Joaquin Valley and obtained work with a threshing machine outfit. Here for two years land was leased and barley raised, and he also engaged in the transfer of sacks of copper from freight teams to shipping for a portion of the time.

 

In 1875 Mr. Kilkenny came to Solano County and bought one hundred and sixty acres of land, paying $4,100 for it. This quarter section was added operated with success, ten acres being planted to vineyard, the balance being used for growing grain and hay and as pasture land for horses, sheep and hogs. Politically Mr. Kilkenny gave his support to the Democratic Party and was zealously devoted to the cause of the people.

 

Mr. Kilkenny was married to Catherine Lydon, a native of Ireland, who came to this country when but eighteen years of age, and to this union there were born nine children, all sons, of whom eight are now living. They are john L., Thomas A., James J., Lucas E., Anthony F., Tobias D., Herbert L. and Henry M. Martin H. is deceased. Lucas, a graduate of the University of California, class ’98, lives in Salinas, where he is superintendent of schools and principal of the high school; Tobias, also a graduate of the University of California, is a civil engineer; Anthony has for six years been in the service of the United States in the capacity of mail clerk between San Francisco and Ogden, Utah. The rest of the sons follow agriculture and attend to the home ranch. Anthony Kilkenny was a member of the Roman Catholic Church and his widow and her eight sons are communicants of the same church. He passed away in 1886, leaving his family to mourn the loss of a loving husband and a kind father.