"Peter Quivey was a native of New York, born at Syracuse, in 1807, and was reared there to the age of eighteen years." 1

"Peter Quivey in 1825 left the State of New York, where he as born, and went to the State of Kentucky. He married in 1832 in the latter State, and about four years thereafter he removed to Indiana."2

"He married Sarah McConnell, a member of one of the old Kentucky families, and a native of Frankfort. He was a slave-holder, and when, in 1841, he removed to Missouri, he took with him a man and a woman servant.

They resided in the neighborhood of Independence until 1846, when they became members of a party which started across the plains for the Pacific Coast, and which afterward became historic as the Donner party.

One evening, while encamped on the banks of the Humboldt River, a large party of Indians attempted to drive off their cattle, and a fight ensued, during which a large number of the red men were killed. One of the whites, Benjamin Lippincott, was shot through both knees, but he pulled the arrow out in a proper manner and recovered. Another man, Mrs. Salle, who was shot, pulled the arrow backward, and his death resulted. One of the party, A.J. Grayson, lost all his cattle, but they were afterward recovered, some of them with arrows in them.

By pushing forward on Sundays and nights, Mr. Quivey's family, and others, got a long distance ahead of the Donner party, and reached California seven months in advance of them. They stopped at Sutter's Fort, and from there Mr. Quivey went with Fremont to fight the Mexicans, and helped to raise the American flag at Monterey."1

The following newspaper article appeared in THE GAZETTE of St. Joseph Missouri in 1847. It was entitled "Emigration To California".

"The Western Expositor, contains a letter by Peter Quivvey, of Jackson County, Missouri, who went out last year with a company of emigrants to California. This letter is dated on the 24th of March last, at Lower Puebla. We condense an account of it, which we copy: The writer arrived at the first settlement in California on the 14th of October, after a very long and tiresome journey. Very soon after their arrival in California, hearing of the revolution, and that the American colors were raised, these emigrants enlisted as volunteers in a regiment under Col. Fremont, with the promise of twenty five dollars per month - sargents thirty five. He speaks very favorably of the country over which he has passed, and says, that if he were now back in Missouri with his family, and with his present knowledge of the country, he would not hesitate to move there.

The charms of the country must be very great to counterbalance the difficulties there, and of which he gives some account in this letter. He went out with Moran and Boon, who changed their minds on route and went to Oregon. Gov. Boggs reached California, about the same time Mr. Quivvey did, after much difficulty, having lost his cattle.

A party of emigrants, who went out, or started, with Col. Russell, suffered almost incredible hardships in the mountains last winter, having been prevented from crossing them by snow. This company composed of twenty-three wagons and left Indian Creek on the 13th day of May 1846. About a month previous to the date of the letter, five women and two men arrived at Capt. Johnson's, the first house of California settlements, entirely naked, and their feet frost-bitten. They stated, that their company had arrived at Truckey's Lake, on the east side of the mountains, and found the snow so deep that they could not travel. Fearing starvation, sixteen of the strongest (eleven males and five females) agreed to start for the settlements on foot. After wandering about a number of days, bewildered, their provisions gave out. Long hunger made it necessary to cast lots to see who should be sacrificed, to make food for the rest, but at this time the weaker began to die, which rendered the taking of life unnecessary. As they died, the company went into camp and made meat of the dead bodies of their companions. Nine of the men died and seven were eaten. One of the men was carried to Johnson's on the back of an Indian.

From this statement, it would seem that the women endured the hardships better than the men, as none of them died. The company left behind numbered sixty souls, ten of them men, the other women and children. They were in camp about one hundred miles from Johnson's. Revolting as it may seem, it is stated that one of the women was obliged to eat part of the dead body of her father and brother, and another saw her husband's heart cooked. It ought to be a very fine country to justify an exposure to such sufferings and horrors.

Benjamin Hudspeth had been appointed Captain of a company in the California Battalion, with a salary of $120 per month. The writer says that Gen. Kearney was then Governor and Commander-in Chief of Upper and Lower California."3

Back to the story of Peter Quivey.

"After the expedition had done its work, he returned to Sutter's Fort, and in 1847 removed with his family to San Jose, where he put up the first frame house. He had the timber for the house cut in the Redwoods, and while engaged in hauling it, the wagon chain broke, and he was thrown against the oxen, breaking both legs. He recovered their use, however."1

"Mr. Quivey was an industrious man. He followed the business of stock-raising and farming, and became at one period possessed of very considerable means. The decline in the value of stock, consequent upon an overplus in the country, weakened him financially, almost to bankruptcy. He rallied, however, again from that position and secured quite a competency."2

In 1848 he went to the mines at Dry Diggings and remained there with his family for three months. He then returned to San Jose and opened the Miners' Home, the first hotel in San Jose, and conducted it between one and two years. The family, however, continued to reside in the frame house before mentioned. He had this torn down in 1850, and put up another and larger residence in its place, the family removing into it before it was dry, on account of the cholera epidemic then prevailing. This second house is still standing, opposite the Fourth Street fruit factory. The tract of land on which it was located, consisting of ten acres, was afterward sold to Robert Beatty, who cut it up and sold it in lots.

In partnership with William C. Wilson, Mr. Quivey owned hundreds of square miles of land in and about Hall's Valley. He sold his interest in this land to Samuel and William Miller, of Stockton, for $60,000. He imported some fine horses from Kentucky, and was the owner of two well-known racers - Dashaway, a runner, and San Jose Damsel, a trotter.

He was a stanch Democrat, politically, and an active man in public affairs. His death occurred January 28, 1869. His widow, who resides with her son, Francis Marion, in San Jose, was born September 14 1805. They had four children, viz.: Lizzie, wife of George H. Jefferson, of San Jose; James; Angeline (Mrs. Carr), and Francis Marion."1

"[Mr. Quivey] had not the benefit of an education, but he possessed a strong mind and in the general transactions of lie he exhibited a good deal of sound judgment. He was endowed with a kind heart and generous nature. He was at all times inclined to assist the needy, and often loaned his name where losses were the consequence... He was strong in his likes and dislikes, but honest in the opinions he advocated. He had many warm friends and bor, in general, the character of an excellent citizen."2

1. PEN PICTURES FROM THE GARDEN OF THE WORLD OR SANTA CLARA COUNTY CALIFORNIA, edited by H.S. Foote. Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Company. 1888.
2. THE HISTORY OF SAN JOSE AND SURROUNDINGS WITH BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES OF EARLY SETTLERS, by Frederic Hall. San Francisco: A.L. Bancroft and Company, 1871.
3. NORTHWEST MISSOURI GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY JOURNAL, volume 16, number 1, page 19-20.