The subject of this narrative, whose portrait appears in this work (above), was born in Pulaski, Giles County, Tennessee, on September 23, 1826.
1834 When nearly nine years old his parents took him to Marshall County, Mississippi, where he was educated.
1847 When the war with Mexico came on, Mr. Yancey enlisted in the First Mississippi Infantry, commanded by Jefferson Davis, in which regiment he served with honor till the close of the war.
1848 Mr. Yancey early in life learned the printer's trade, following it until after returning from the war, until he came to this State.
1851 He crossed the plains, and first made a halt in California at Sonora, Tuolumne County.
1852 September 17 - He came to Columbia where he was engaged in mining.
1853 May 17 - He went on the Gazette and continued on the paper until 1858. Yancey had commenced his career in Tuolumne County as a partner of John C. Duchow in the Columbia Gazette, and was by profession a printer.
1858 October - He was appointed Deputy Sheriff, in which office he remained for three years.
1860 September 12 - Mr. Yancey married Eosa B. Crowell. She is a native of Maine. Their children are: Louisa (now Mrs. Geo. McQuade), Mabel, Edna, Henry L. and Nellie.
1863 He moved to Mono County, and was appointed one of the Commissioners of the Mono road.
1864 In Silver City, Idaho, where he remained about one year.
1865 Returning to Sonora, entered the Democrat office, and there remained for eleven years and four months.
1876 He was elected Sheriff of Tuolumne County and so faithfully has he discharged the duties of his office that he has been his own successor to the present time. One cannot speak too highly of Mr. Yancey's administration as Sheriff. Common thieves, highwaymen, stage robbers and murderers have all found their detection and conviction sure, if their depredations were committed within the jurisdiction of our Sheriff.
Later he was also associated for many years with the Union Democrat. He retired in favor of his son-in-law, George McQuade, after a stormy tenure in office in which he was bitterly opposed by his former newspaper partner, John C. Duchow, who was now the proprietor of the Tuolumne Independent. Following McQuade's death in 1889, Yancey again began to take an active interest in politics and succeeded once more in winning the office of sheriff at the election of 1892. He was re-elected for four years in 1894, but died in office on January 12, 1898 before the end of his term.
Research from: A History of Tuolumne County, California B.F. Alley, 1882
Columbia Archives
Page created for the public by
Floyd D. P. Øydegaard.
