Land Surveyor
San Francisco, Marin, Sonoma county

State Senator, Sonoma County

California State Harbor Commissioner

O'Farrell was born in County Wexford, Ireland in 1817 and was educated in Dublin. He went to London, England, where he boarded a ship bound for South America. Working his way up the coast of South America, he learned surveying and became fluent in Spanish. After leaving Chile, he traveled to the United States and arrived in Yerba Buena in 1843.

O'Farrell was soon employed by the Mexican government and surveyed much of Marin and Sonoma counties. His surveys were extremely reliable and considered the "gold standard" of the time.

He was one of the first settlers of Sebastopol, where he purchased Rancho Estero Americano in 1843.

He named his land, Annaly Ranch. Historian J.P. Munroe-Fraser suggests the "rather pretty" name was in honor of O'Farrell's sister. Other sources, state it was named for the valley of Annaly, Ireland, the home of his descendants.

O'Farrell acquired other significant land holdings. He was claimant for Rancho Cañada de Jonive, Rancho Cañada de Capay and Valle de los Flores de Capay in Yolo co. At one time, he owned a part of Rancho Nicasio in Marin county.

In the spring of 1846 the Mexican-American War had begun and on July 9, 1846 the USS Portsmouth arrived at the coastal village of Yerba Buena to take control of the area for the United States. Commander John B. Montgomery detailed Lt. Washington A. Bartlett to take command at Yerba Buena. Bartlett became the first American alcalde, or magistrate, of Yerba Buena and commissioned a land survey for Yerba Buena from Jasper O'Farrell.

Bartlett ordained the name change of Yerba Buena to San Francisco on January 30, 1847.

Jasper O'Farrell improved the 1839 street maps produced by the former Mexican alcalde of Yerba Buena, Francisco Guerrero, and his Swiss surveyor, Jean-Jacques Vioget, who laid out the eastern side of town, which now constitutes the financial district, in a grid-like pattern borrowed from New York. It was O'Farrell who extended this plan up to Western, now Van Ness Avenue, superimposing a grid on to the entire eastern half of the San Francisco peninsula bisected by the diagonal that is Market Street. O'Farrell's plan ignored the physical contours of the landscape and wherever needed the landscape was remade in order to conform to plan.

O'Farrell corrected the Vioget street designs, which were 2½ degrees off true right angles.

O'Farrell was influential in naming the streets of San Francisco.

O'Farrell named Valparaiso Street after the port in Chile.

O'Farrell Street is named in honor of Jasper.

Jasper O'Farrell was personable, with a reputation for integrity and was elected State Senator and was almost elected Lt. Governor in 1860.

Jasper O'Farrell married Mary McChristian in 1849 and they had 8 children together.

In 1850 O'Farrell built a 32-room home on Analy farm.

He financed the construction of St. Therese Catholic Church in Bodega, which still stands today.

O'Farrell had lived in San Francisco the last years of his life.

Original member of The Society of California Pioneers, est. 1850

Today, Annaly Ranch is known as Analy township.

* * *

Death of Jasper O'Farrell
Hon. Jasper O'Farrell, ex-State Senator, and the first Surveyor of the city of San Francisco died last night at nine o'clock.

Published San Francisco Call
Nov. 17 1875

Death of Jasper O'Farrell
Jasper O'Farrell died in his chair about half-past eight o'clock this evening. The deceased was Harbor Commissioner with Marks, and under went investigation at the time Marks' speculations were being ventilated. No evidence was found affecting O'Farrell's character. The deceased was an old resident, a civil engineer by profession, and laid out the city in the early days, O'Farrell street being named after him. He was a native of Ireland and 57 years of age.

Published Los Angeles Herald
-printed in other papers as well
Nov. 18, 1875


* * *

A restaurant in San Franciso called "Jasper's Corner Tap" is named for O'Farrell. it has an interesting and poetic summary of O'Farrell's contribution to San Francisco, it reads as follows;

"Jasper O'Farrell, The Irishman Who Paved the Streets of San Francisco.

The blueprint of San Francisco lies on the footprint of an Irishman. With a bullock hide fashioned into a surveying chain, Jasper O’Farrell laid out the future of San Francisco. Coming to the city as a surveyor, O’Farrell was a self-made American man with Irish blood. He took a village of 400 gritty pioneers and miners and dreamed up San Francisco’s rise from humble beginnings, one street at a time. He drafted Market Street to be the grand promenade it is today, 120 feet wide and nestled in the sandy valley of Los Pechos de la Choca, or, “the Breasts of the Maiden.”

When San Francisco shifted from Mexican territory to American soil, it was an Irishman that laid out the heart of the city, a city which would in turn steal our hearts. Fighting off an angry mob and a noose with his name on it, the people of early San Francisco didn’t sleep with big dreams. Yet even empty promises of pay in gold did not keep him from putting Market Street forever on the map. Said to be San Francisco’s most forgotten pioneer, O’Farrell penned grids reaching to the bay, today’s wharfs and sea-lined streets. He had the vision for the business street of America right in the heart of our great city.

A civil engineer, a farmer and politician, he embodies what America is: a blend of dreamers, workers, thinkers and a country where we can all pursue our dreams. From horses to stage coach, from trollies to automobiles, Market Street has progressed into the “Path of Gold” which lines the street today, reminding of the pioneers and gold-miners who became the city. But it reminds of none more so than Jasper O’Farrell, the man who laid out the path for one of the greatest streets in the world."

* * *

bio by Colletta, obtained from various sources

Land Surveyor
San Francisco, Marin, Sonoma county

State Senator, Sonoma County

California State Harbor Commissioner

O'Farrell was born in County Wexford, Ireland in 1817 and was educated in Dublin. He went to London, England, where he boarded a ship bound for South America. Working his way up the coast of South America, he learned surveying and became fluent in Spanish. After leaving Chile, he traveled to the United States and arrived in Yerba Buena in 1843.

O'Farrell was soon employed by the Mexican government and surveyed much of Marin and Sonoma counties. His surveys were extremely reliable and considered the "gold standard" of the time.

He was one of the first settlers of Sebastopol, where he purchased Rancho Estero Americano in 1843.

He named his land, Annaly Ranch. Historian J.P. Munroe-Fraser suggests the "rather pretty" name was in honor of O'Farrell's sister. Other sources, state it was named for the valley of Annaly, Ireland, the home of his descendants.

O'Farrell acquired other significant land holdings. He was claimant for Rancho Cañada de Jonive, Rancho Cañada de Capay and Valle de los Flores de Capay in Yolo co. At one time, he owned a part of Rancho Nicasio in Marin county.

In the spring of 1846 the Mexican-American War had begun and on July 9, 1846 the USS Portsmouth arrived at the coastal village of Yerba Buena to take control of the area for the United States. Commander John B. Montgomery detailed Lt. Washington A. Bartlett to take command at Yerba Buena. Bartlett became the first American alcalde, or magistrate, of Yerba Buena and commissioned a land survey for Yerba Buena from Jasper O'Farrell.

Bartlett ordained the name change of Yerba Buena to San Francisco on January 30, 1847.

Jasper O'Farrell improved the 1839 street maps produced by the former Mexican alcalde of Yerba Buena, Francisco Guerrero, and his Swiss surveyor, Jean-Jacques Vioget, who laid out the eastern side of town, which now constitutes the financial district, in a grid-like pattern borrowed from New York. It was O'Farrell who extended this plan up to Western, now Van Ness Avenue, superimposing a grid on to the entire eastern half of the San Francisco peninsula bisected by the diagonal that is Market Street. O'Farrell's plan ignored the physical contours of the landscape and wherever needed the landscape was remade in order to conform to plan.

O'Farrell corrected the Vioget street designs, which were 2½ degrees off true right angles.

O'Farrell was influential in naming the streets of San Francisco.

O'Farrell named Valparaiso Street after the port in Chile.

O'Farrell Street is named in honor of Jasper.

Jasper O'Farrell was personable, with a reputation for integrity and was elected State Senator and was almost elected Lt. Governor in 1860.

Jasper O'Farrell married Mary McChristian in 1849 and they had 8 children together.

In 1850 O'Farrell built a 32-room home on Analy farm.

He financed the construction of St. Therese Catholic Church in Bodega, which still stands today.

O'Farrell had lived in San Francisco the last years of his life.

Original member of The Society of California Pioneers, est. 1850

Today, Annaly Ranch is known as Analy township.

* * *

Death of Jasper O'Farrell
Hon. Jasper O'Farrell, ex-State Senator, and the first Surveyor of the city of San Francisco died last night at nine o'clock.

Published San Francisco Call
Nov. 17 1875

Death of Jasper O'Farrell
Jasper O'Farrell died in his chair about half-past eight o'clock this evening. The deceased was Harbor Commissioner with Marks, and under went investigation at the time Marks' speculations were being ventilated. No evidence was found affecting O'Farrell's character. The deceased was an old resident, a civil engineer by profession, and laid out the city in the early days, O'Farrell street being named after him. He was a native of Ireland and 57 years of age.

Published Los Angeles Herald
-printed in other papers as well
Nov. 18, 1875


* * *

A restaurant in San Franciso called "Jasper's Corner Tap" is named for O'Farrell. it has an interesting and poetic summary of O'Farrell's contribution to San Francisco, it reads as follows;

"Jasper O'Farrell, The Irishman Who Paved the Streets of San Francisco.

The blueprint of San Francisco lies on the footprint of an Irishman. With a bullock hide fashioned into a surveying chain, Jasper O’Farrell laid out the future of San Francisco. Coming to the city as a surveyor, O’Farrell was a self-made American man with Irish blood. He took a village of 400 gritty pioneers and miners and dreamed up San Francisco’s rise from humble beginnings, one street at a time. He drafted Market Street to be the grand promenade it is today, 120 feet wide and nestled in the sandy valley of Los Pechos de la Choca, or, “the Breasts of the Maiden.”

When San Francisco shifted from Mexican territory to American soil, it was an Irishman that laid out the heart of the city, a city which would in turn steal our hearts. Fighting off an angry mob and a noose with his name on it, the people of early San Francisco didn’t sleep with big dreams. Yet even empty promises of pay in gold did not keep him from putting Market Street forever on the map. Said to be San Francisco’s most forgotten pioneer, O’Farrell penned grids reaching to the bay, today’s wharfs and sea-lined streets. He had the vision for the business street of America right in the heart of our great city.

A civil engineer, a farmer and politician, he embodies what America is: a blend of dreamers, workers, thinkers and a country where we can all pursue our dreams. From horses to stage coach, from trollies to automobiles, Market Street has progressed into the “Path of Gold” which lines the street today, reminding of the pioneers and gold-miners who became the city. But it reminds of none more so than Jasper O’Farrell, the man who laid out the path for one of the greatest streets in the world."

* * *

bio by Colletta, obtained from various sources