George McKinstry, Jr. (1810-1890)
George McKinstry, Jr. was born in 1810 in Claverack, New York. He left New York owing money to an associate, and ultimately a judgement was made against him. He was about 36 years old when he arrived in northern California in July, 1846. This would prove to be one of the most exciting times in California's history.
At John Sutter's Fort in Sacramento, McKinstry helped Sutter write legal documents involving payments he owed the Russians for Fort Ross. After the Mexican-American War, McKinstry petitioned the United States Government to reimburse settlers, such as the Swiss immigrant Sutter, who had provided materials and supplies to the American troops during the war. This effort failed.
McKinstry was known to have an interest in medicine while at Fort Sutter and there are reports of his treating an Indian girl. He also helped Sutter draft an unsuccessful attempt to lease the land surrounding the now famous sawmill at Coloma after James Marshall announced to Sutter the discovery of gold in January of 1848. McKinstry invested in Sutter's town of Sutterville, which failed with the burgeoning growth of Sacramento.
McKinstry left Sacramento for San Diego. He purchased a Santa Ysabel ranch, perhaps with a sister. He was chairman of the Republican Committee of Southern California and used his office in support of the preservation of the Union around the time of the Civil War. He was subsequently rewarded with the post of Collector of the Customs for the Port of San Diego.
After 1865, McKinstry spent the last part of his life practicing medicine in Old Town San Diego and surrounding Indian villages. He was not known to have ever married. He lived at the Thomas Wrightington adobe in Old Town, which still exists and is open to the public. Wrightington died in 1853 and his widow Juana Machado Alipaz de Wrightington lived in the home until the 1890s. Juana Wrightington distinguished herself as nurse and professional partner to McKinstry, who used rooms in her adobe house for his personal residence and office for almost thirty years. He and Juana Wrightington provided medical care for Native Americans in San Diego County.
[adapted from a California State University, San Jose, Masters' Thesis by Johanna Cecilia Ross, 1972, available in the SDHS Research Archives]
See also The Diaries of Dr. George McKinstry, Jr. 1858-1879
an article from the Journal of San Diego History, June 1965.Order prints of images from the Photo Archives of the San Diego Historical Society. Print out the photos you want reproduced, with the SDHS photo number. This will help us know exactly what photos you want.
