J. B. Larue
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|---|---|
| Member of the California State Senate from the Alameda County district | |
| In office 1857 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | James Buskirk Larue (1800-02-06)February 6, 1800 Franklin, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Died | January 7, 1872(1872-01-07) (aged 71) Alameda County, California, U.S. |
| Profession | Politician, businessman |
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James Buskirk Larue (February 6, 1800 – January 7, 1872) was a California businessman and politician who founded the village of San Antonio in what is now Oakland, California.[1]
Larue was born James Buskirk Larue[2]inFranklin, New Jersey, on February 6, 1800.[3][4]
In 1835, Larue migrated from New Jersey to Pipestone Township, Michigan, where he purchased land and built a sawmill.[5] From 1840 to 1841, Larue served as a representative in the Michigan legislature.[6][7] In 1850 he left Michigan for the California gold rush.[5]
Once in California, Larue purchased part of the Rancho San Antonio lands from Luis Maria Peralta in 1851, building a wharf and store at the same location.[8][9][10]
In 1857, Larue was elected to the California State Senate representing the county of Alameda.[11]
In 1858, Larue began the Oakland and San Antonio Steam Navigation Company, operating a cut-rate passenger ferry between Oakland and San Francisco.[12][13][14] Larue was sued by his competitor Minturn, who claimed an exclusive contract with the city of Oakland to operate the Oakland-San Francisco ferry route. The case was appealed to the U.S. Supreme court, with Minturn's exclusivity claims being rejected.[15]
Larue died January 7, 1872, in Alameda County.[3][16]
