ARNERICH, MATEO Vineyard-Farm-Goldminer
Mateo
Arnerich was born on the island of Brac, Dalmatia, Croatia in the Adriatic
Sea. In 1826, when fourteen years of
age, he became a sailor boy. He followed
a sea faring life for fourteen years, visiting every sea and ocean. He came
from China to San Francisco in 1849, and never left the State of his adoption
but once, when he went, in 1872, to visit the scenes and friends of his
childhood days. From 1849 to 1852 Mateo
mined for gold in the Calaveras. In 1852 Mr. Arnerich came to the Santa Clara
Valley, and soon after became interested in agriculture. In May, 1856, he was
united in marriage with Mrs. Elizabeth (Brown) Moylan, widow of Edward Moylan.
They bought property in the Narvaze grant, and opened a farm, which they
occupied for twelve years. They then found that no valid title to it could be
obtained, and so left the place, and by pre-emption and purchase secured 160
acres of choice land, which constitute the present family homestead in the
Union District. The ranch is located in an angle of the Santa Clara and
Guadaloupe road, which bounds it on the north and east. Mr. and Mrs. Arnerich
commenced life on the ranch in a comfortable house, which several years ago
gave place to the substantial family residence
of today. Mr. Arnerich was an active, energetic man, and carried forward
the improvement of his property quite rapidly. The neighborhood lost in him a
citizen actively interested in all movernents tending to the general good. His
death, which occurred May 3, I883, was caused by injuries received in being
thrown from a buggy, near his own home. His widow and her seven children, John,
Catharine, Elizabeth, Mateo, Paul, Isabelle, and Margaret all yet making their
home with their mother, are quite well provided for. Mrs. Arnerich was born in
County Tipperary, Ireland, in 1831. She was nine years of age when her parents,
William and Catharine Brown, emigrated to Australia, whence, after a residence
of ten years, they came to San Francisco. Later they becarne pioneers of Union
District. Mr. Brown's death, resulting from an accidental fall, occurred in
1854. William D. Brown, the chief of police at San Jose, is a brother of Mrs.
Arnerich. The first marriage of Mrs. Arnerich occurred at San Francisco in
January, 1851. Her husband died of consumption ten months later. Quite a large
portion of the family homestead is now devoted to the raising of grapes and
fruit. A vineyard of sixty acres
furnishes a general variety of wine and table grapes. In the orchard can be
found olive, fig, pomegranate, orange, and lemon trees. Mrs. Arnerich and her
children are members of the Catholic church.