This gentleman is a native of County Carlo, Ireland, and was born December 11, 1827. His father was a farmer, and emigrated to America the next year after Thomas was born. Mr. Corcoran's boyhood was spent with his father. When the Mexican War began he enlisted in the American army, and served a short time as a teamster. After the discovery of gold in California he joined the westward emigration. Mr. Corcoran's company crossed the Missouri River at Omaha in a flat boat, swimming their horses and cattle. Their pilot was Greenwood, an old Rocky Mountain guide. The captain of the train was P.B. Cornwall, since a resident of Santa Cruz. The trip was devoid of accident.
Arriving in California, Mr. Corcoran went to the Yuba River country and emigrated at mining, his only implements being a butcher knife, a wooden crowbar, and a tin pan. Even with this crude apparatus he managed to take out from three to four ounces of gold per day. After he had saved about $2,000 worth of dust, he started to visit Mart Murphy, an old acquaintance who was living on the McCozzum River, near Sacramento. On the trip his gold was stolen. His friend loaned him money to buy a new outfit and get back to the mines again, also two pack horses loaded with blankets and shoes to sell at the time. Mr. Corcoran went this time to Woods Cree, Tuolumne County. He sold the blankets at $75, and the shores at $16 a pair. In a very short time he had replaced his lost $2,000 and had another $2,000 with it.
From mining Mr. Corcoran went to teaming, and then engaged in General merchandise trade, at San Andreas, California, where he remained until 1865. Good success attended him in all his undertakings, and he accumulated a comfortable fortune.
Mr. Corcoran relates many interesting and amusing stores of early days. Among them may be mentioned his tale of the circumstances attending the discovery of one of the richest gold mines in Tuolumne County. Mr. Corcoran, with a member of his companions, most of them must from the Mexican War, was mining in the bed of a river, when a party of New England men came along and asked for advise as to where was the best place to dig. Now the ex-soldiers had small love for the Yankees, because the latter had opposed the war with Mexico. So they instructed the strangers to dig on top of a neighboring h ill, where they told them prospects were excellent, but where they really thought was the very last place3 on earth that gold might be. The Yankees did as directed, to the great glee of Mr. Corcoran and his comrades. The jokers did not laugh long, however, for in a very short time the verdant strangers from Yankee-land had reached a pocket of pure gold dust, which netted them several though dollars apiece.
In 1853 Mr. Corcoran was united in marriage to Miss Bridget McGraw. Three children were born to them? Frank, Mary, and Hannah. His wife died 1885. His children are now all grown.
From Calaveras County Mr. Corcoran moved to San Joaquin, and afterward to Santa Cruz. In San Joaquin he joined the society of California Pioneers, in which he still retains his membership. His life here has been one chiefly of leisure. Much of his time is devoted to crayon work and painting pictures, to which work he is very much attached, and at which he has won considerable success. Several of his pictures have been awarded premiums at the Santa Cruz County Fair, and also at the San Joaquin District Fair.
History of Santa Cruz County, California
by E.S. Harrison
Published by Pacific Press Publishing Company
San Francisco, Cal., 1892
Transcribed by Yvonne Valentine 1/9/09, Page 229
Santa Cruz County Biographies ~ Archive Biography Index ~ Archive Index
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