Conness, John, 1821-1909

John Conness was born in Ireland, September 22, 1821. He moved to New York when he was fifteen and followed the Gold Rush to California. There he mined Mormon Island, and the Middle Fork of the American River.

From the description of Autobiography and Reminiscence of John Conness, San Francisco, 1904. (The Society of California Pioneers). WorldCat record id: 55979376

John Conness was a United States Senator from California from 1863 to 1869.

J. Sloane may be Joshua Sloane of San Diego, Calif., a member of the San Diego City Board of Trustees.

From the description of John Conness letter : Washington, [D.C.], to J. Sloane, San Diego, Calif. : ALS, 1865 Apr. 30. (University of California, Berkeley). WorldCat record id: 56712948

John Conness (1821-1909) was born in Ireland. In 1833, he moved to the United States, and eventually made his way to California. He served in the California State Assembly twice (1853-1854, 1860-1861) and ran an unsuccessful gubernatorial campaign in 1861. He served in the U. S. Senate from 1863 to 1869 before retiring to Massachusetts. He died in 1909.

Source: Biographical Dictionary of the United States Congress ( online ).

From the guide to the John Conness Correspondence, 1903, (Special Collections, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Va.)