Jacob Hart Neff (October 18, 1830 – March 26, 1909) was an American

politician A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking, a ...

. He served as the 22nd

Lieutenant Governor of California The lieutenant governor of California is the second highest executive officer of the government of the U.S. state of California. The lieutenant governor is elected to serve a four-year term and can serve a maximum of two terms. In addition to l ...

from 1899 to 1903.

Personal information

Neff was born in

Strasburg, Pennsylvania Strasburg is a borough in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. It developed as a linear village stretching about along the Great Conestoga Road, later known as the Strasburg Road.Susan M. Zacher, NRHP Nomination Form Strasburg/ref> The population w ...

on October 18, 1830. His parents later moved their family to

Iowa Iowa () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wisconsin to the northeast, Illinois to the ...

, where Neff completed his education and learned the blacksmith trade. In 1849, he moved to

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

. As an adult, Neff resided primarily in

Placer County Placer County ( ; Spanish for "sand deposit"), officially the County of Placer, is a county in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 404,739. The county seat is Auburn. Placer County is included in the Great ...

, where he had large mining interests.

Early years

Neff moved to California during the 1849 gold rush, and he worked as a miner until 1863, when he had accumulated enough capital to become involved in other business ventures, including ownership stakes in several mines, construction of a toll road and bridge across the Bear River, and a general store in Dutch Flat Station.

Career

Neff was elected sheriff of Placer County in 1867. From 1871 to 1876, he was in the state senate. After completing his senate term, he carried out an appointment as a member of the federal commission tasked with inspecting the new Oregon-California Railroad. Beginning in 1877, he served for 10 years on the board that oversaw California's state prisons. For many years he was the president of the California Miners' Association.''Los Angeles Times'', Mar. 27, 1909, "Jacob Neff Passes Away," p. 11 He served as chairman of three Republican state conventions, and in 1898 was the successful Republican nominee for lieutenant governor. He served from 1899 to 1903, after which he retired.

Retirement and death

Neff resided in

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...

after retiring. He died there on March 26, 1909, at the age of 78. He was buried in Section E of

Woodlawn Memorial Park Cemetery Woodlawn Memorial Park Cemetery is located at 660 Thompson Lane in Nashville, Tennessee. It is one of the largest cemeteries in Nashville. Among those interred or entombed in the cemetery, there are many prominent members of the country music ge ...

in Colma.

References

1830 births 1909 deaths Lieutenant Governors of California Burials at Woodlawn Memorial Park Cemetery (Colma, California) People from Strasburg, Pennsylvania People from Placer County, California Politicians from San Francisco {{california-politician-stub