Lindley family

Biography

Thomas Morton Lindley was born on August 19, 1819 in Orange County, Indiana to Thomas and Jane (Hoops) Lindley. On March 4, 1849 he left Indiana to seek gold in California. Once in Sacramento, California, Lindley and Lucius A. Booth, set up a mercantile firm, Lindley & Booth, which continued until the Flood of 1849 destroyed the business. Later, two establishments grew out of the early firm: Lindley & Fry was established with a new partner, John Douglas Fry and Booth's firm was passed on to Newton Booth, a cousin by marriage to Thomas Lindley.

Floods in 1852-1853 and 1861 destroyed subsequent firms of Fry, Hoops, and Co. and Lindley, Worcester, & Weaver. After the Flood of 1861, Mr. Lindley bought out his partners' interest and the firm became Lindley, Hull, and Lohman, and later Lindley and Lohman. Circa 1869, Mr. Lindley bought out the interest of Mr. Lohman, admitted two men as partners and the firm became Lindley and Co. In 1886, Douglas A. Lindley, Thomas M. Lindley's oldest son, became a member of the firm.

In November 1857, Thomas M. Lindley married Isabelle Victoria Arrington (1838-1880), a native of North Carolina. They had nine children: Leila Jane Witherbee (1858-1905), Douglas Arrington (1861-1928), Morton (d. 1915), William, Helen, Mary Hunt, Alice Reith (1870-1904?), Flora (1870-1882), and Edith. The Lindley Family resided at 1314 H Street in Sacramento. Thomas M. Lindley died on June 6, 1896.

Sources:

Guinn, J.M. History of the state of California and biographical record of Oakland and environs, also containing biographies of well-known citizens of the past and present. Los Angeles: Historic Record Co., 1907.

An illustrated history of Sacramento County, California: containing a history of Sacramento County from the earliest period of its occupancy to the present time, together with glimpses of its prospective future ... portraits of some of its most eminent men, and biographical mention of many of its pioneers and also prominent citizens of today. Chicago: Lewis Pub. Co., 1890.

From the guide to the Lindley Family Papers, 1849-circa 1922, (University of California, Davis. General Library. Department of Special Collections.)