An American Family History

In 1885 John Patrick purchased land and gave his address as Weed, California. The August 18, 1885 Testimony of Claimant for his homestead said he settled on the land on October 15, 1884 with his wife and one child. He had cleared the land and planted.  "There was a small abandoned shanty belonging to one Patrick who has been in Arizona for the last two years. I built an addition to the shanty, dug a well, built a reservoir, set out vineyard, and cleared off the land." 

May Violet Treahy Dobler Miller was born on January 19, 1886 and Wilbur John Treahy was born on November 23, 1887. 

In 1890 and 1891 Nellie and May attended the San Dieguito School near their grandmother, Eliza McKellar's ranch and Eliza was listed as their guardian in the school records. Four of John and Victoria Miller's children were also enrolled in the San Dieguito School from 1890 to 1893, including Nellie's future husband, John Delbert Miller and May's future husband, Robert Wilson Miller, Sr.

Jessie Belle Treahy Randall Kuhen was born on May 27, 1892. In 1893 and 1894, John Patrick was living away from the family with his cousin, Miss Bessie Treahy at 350 Tenth Street. Matilda and the childen were probably living with her mother, Eliza McKellar.

Matilda left in about 1895. Hester Miller told the story

Matilda Jones ran off with someone (a traveling musician, Aunt Nellie said) and left the children and her husband. She was shot in a dance hall in Arizona by the man she ran off with because she danced with someone else. This my mother would not tell me for years, but Aunt Nellie finally did. Aunt Nellie was only 11, but raised the children and kept the home together. I never felt she blamed my grandmother, she said she was beautiful, young and gay and liked fun, and my grandfather was a stern, unfun person. She seemed to understand why she did it.

SHE HAS GONE
Left Her Husband and our Children
The Departure of Mrs J Treahy

The police all over the state are looking for a man known as "Three fingered Bill” and a Mrs J. Treahy who left this city together about May 20th. As yet no trace of them has been found. Some 16 years ago J.

Treahy who is now an employee of the Standard Iron Works met and married the lady who still bears his name.

They lived happily together and Treahy became reasonably prosperous. Out of his wages he took care of his wife and four children and laid by some money. Everything was placed In his wife’s name and at the first of the present year this amounted to $800 cash in the bank 750 in notes and deeds to four valuable pieces of property in the city.

Early in May a gray horse owned by Mrs. Treahy became sick and he sent a veterinary surgeon known as “Three fingered Bill” from the fact that he had lost three fingers on his right hand, to his home at 525 Milton avenue to look after the horse.

The animal did not improve rapidly and Bill became acquainted with Mrs Treahy and later was a frequent visitor at the house.

About a week before Decoration day Mr. Treahy arrived at home one evening to find his wife gone. Upon investigation he discovered that she had taken his horse and buggy all his money and papers and left with "Three fingered Bill." She had not even told her children good-bye and had ransacked the house taking everything of value which was small enough to carry.

The couple were seen the next day at Ramona where Mrs. Treahy bought a big bay horse to take the place of her gray.

Since then they have not been seen since except once and then Mrs Treahy was recognized in Los Angeles on Decoration day.

Warrants have been Issued for their arrest and their description sent to the police all over the country but they seem to have completely effaced themselves from the country. The children at home are cared for by Mrs. Treahy’s mother.

from the San Diego Sun, , Fri, Jul 22, 1898, Page 5

Nellie, Jessie and May

In 1889 and 1900 the family lived at 330 Tenth Street. Between 1895 and 1904, John Patrick lived at 525 Milton Avenue. His cousins, Bert and Katherine Treahy also lived there from 1895 to 1897.

The Treahy family was listed in the 1900 Federal Census. They were living at 525 Milton Avenue in San Diego. The household consisted of John age 36, Matilda age 34, Ella age 15, May age 14, Wilber age 12, Lillie age 9 and Jessie age 8. John was a Iron Molder. According to probate records Matilda had died the year before. Between 1908 and 1912 they lived at 551 National Avenue (Milton changed to National).  Eliza McKellar lived nearby. In 1906 and 1907 she lived at 521 Milton Avenue and from 1908 to 1910 she lived at 543 National Avenue.

The children began to marry and establish their own homes. May married Leo Dobler in 1906 and Nellie married John Delbert Miller in 1908.  

At the time of the 1910 census they were living in Ward 9 in San Diego. The household consisted of John P. age 42, Wilbur J. age 22, Lilly E. age 19, and Jessie B. age 17.  Wilbur was working as an iron molder and John was the proprietor of a brass(?) works. Wilbur (Bill) married Esther Delcine Johnson (Ettine) in 1910.