Peter Donahue (businessman)

Peter Donahue

Peter Donahue, a founder of industrial San Francisco, made his way to gold-rush San Francisco aboard the steamship Oregon by way of Peru.^{[citation needed]}

In 1849, Peter and his brothers (Michael and James) opened a blacksmith's shop at First and Mission Streets. Later, they expanded it into a foundry (which became known as the Union Iron Works) and added a gas works,^[1] the San Francisco Gas Company, a forerunner of Pacific Gas and Electric Company.^[2]

In 1860, Donahue organized the San Francisco and San Jose Railroad, and in the 1870s he built a North Bay line from Donahue, California (at 38°11′22″N 122°32′31″W / 38.189362°N 122.541926°W / 38.189362; -122.541926 on Petaluma Creek^[3]) to Cazadero, California which eventually became the Northwestern Pacific Railroad.^[1] Donahue built the first railroad to serve Santa Rosa, California.^[4]

The Mechanics Monument in San Francisco, unveiled in 1901, was a tribute to the Donahue brothers' contributions, commissioned by his son James Mervyn Donahue.^[2]

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Dillon, Richard. "Those Amazing Donahue Boys". http://www.baycrossings.com/archives/2000/05_May_June/bay_characters.htm. Retrieved 2007-12-05. 
2. ^ ^{a b} Anderson (May 15, 2001). "The Mechanics Monument". Sandow Museum. http://www.sandowmuseum.com/monument.html. Retrieved 2007-12-05. 
3. ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Donahue
4. ^ Gaye LeBaron (September 30, 1990). "It was a long way to Gettysburg". Santa Rosa Press Democrat. http://northbaydigital.sonoma.edu/cgi-bin/showfile.exe?CISOROOT=/sunday&CISOPTR=486&filename=430.pdf. 

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Name	Donahue, Peter
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