John G. Downey
| John Gately Downey | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| 7th Governor of California | |
|
In office January 14, 1860 – January 10, 1862 |
|
| Lieutenant |
Isaac N. Quinn (acting) Pablo de la Guerra |
| Preceded by | Milton Latham |
| Succeeded by | Leland Stanford |
| 6th Lieutenant Governor of California | |
|
In office January 9, 1860 – January 14, 1860 |
|
| Governor | Milton Latham |
| Preceded by | John Walkup |
| Succeeded by |
Isaac N. Quinn as Acting Lieutenant Governor |
| Member of the California State Assembly | |
|
In office 1856–1857 |
|
| Personal details | |
| Born |
June 24, 1827 County Roscommon, Ireland |
| Died | March 1, 1894 (aged 66) Los Angeles, California |
| Political party | Lecompton Democrat |
| Spouse(s) | Maria Guirado (d. 1883) Rosa V. Kelly |
| Profession | Apothecary |
John Gately Downey (June 24, 1827 – March 1, 1894) was an Irish-American politician and the seventh governor of California from January 14, 1860 to January 10, 1862. Until the election of Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2003, Downey was the only governor of California to be born outside the United States. Downey was also the first man from Southern California to be elected as governor.
Downey was born on June 24, 1827 in the townland of Castlesampson, Taughmaconnell parish, County Roscommon, in central Ireland, to Denis Downey and Bridget Gately. Castlesampson is 12 kilometres west of the town of Athlone. He emigrated with his family at the age of 14 to the United States in 1842, before the famine years. Settling in Charles County, Maryland, the Downeys joined two stepsisters who had already settled in the U.S. Dwindling family finances forced Downey to halt his education at age 16 and start working to become independent. He apprenticed at an apothecary in Washington, D.C. until 1846.
Downey relocated to Cincinnati, Ohio, where he worked as a druggist. Like many who heard about the California Gold Rush, Downey decided to go West. He stopped along the way at Vicksburg, Mississippi; then Havana, Cuba and finally New Orleans, Louisiana. By 1849, Downey had arrived in California, briefly prospecting in Grass Valley before finding a job at a drug store in San Francisco.
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