John G. Downey

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John Gately Downey (June 24, 1827 – March 1, 1894) was Governor of California from January 14, 1860 to January 10, 1862. Born in 1827 in County Roscommon, Ireland, he was elected as Lieutenant Governor and became governor upon the resignation of Governor Milton Latham, 5 days after Latham's January 9 inauguration.
In 1883, Downey was despondent over the recent and tragic death of his wife, Maria Jesus Guirado. Downey, who had been traveling with his wife, scarcely escaped from the burning railroad car in which they had been trapped at the Tehachipi Pass. A porter pulled Downey to safety, but Mrs. Downey's body was never found. Downey stopped grieving for his wife when his friend Frank M. Pixley introduced him to the twenty year old Yda Hillis Addis, a new writer on Pixley's San Francisco journal The Argonaut. Although Downey was 32 years older than Addis, they became engaged to marry. When Downey's two sisters discovered the betrothal, they were not pleased. Downey was a wealthy man, if he should pass away, his wealth would shift to Addis. The sisters kidnapped Downey and put him on a boat to Ireland. Addis sued for breach of promise, but left San Francisco before the trial.
Downey, California is named after him. He died in 1894 in San Francisco, California and is buried at Holy Cross Cemetery, Colma.

Also a founding father of The University of Southern California.

Preceded by: Milton Slocum Latham	Governors of California 1860–1862	Succeeded by: Amasa Leland Stanford
Preceded by: John Walkup	Lieutenant Governor of California January 1860	Succeeded by: Isaac N. Quinn

Governors of California
Burnett • McDougall • Bigler • J. Johnson • Weller • Latham • Downey • Stanford • Low • Haight • Booth • Pacheco • Irwin • Perkins • Stoneman • Bartlett • Waterman • Markham • Budd • Gage • Pardee • Gillett • H. Johnson • Stephens • Richardson • Young • Rolph • Merriam • Olson • Warren • Knight • P. Brown • Reagan • J. Brown • Deukmejian • Wilson • Davis • Schwarzenegger