Malcolm F. Tarpey
Valley Pioneer
Malcolm F. Tarpey was born in 1848 in County Mayo, Ireland. In 1856, eight years from his birth, Malcolm accompanied his parents and brother Michael on their move to Brooklyn, New York. His first lessons and schooling were learned in the public schools of that city. The family stayed in New York until 1859, three years after their arrival.
They then moved to California, making San Francisco their new home where he continued his education in a small classroom. After that he attended the St.Ignatius College, which was once only a small one story building, but now has become the site of the Emporium building.
In 1868 Malcolm F. Tarpey joined the rush of miners to compete in the "White Pine," which because of the reputed abundance of the silver in the district. Tarpey and fifteen other miners, on reaching the end of the railroad at Elko, being unable to purchase ticket for a stage coach. Mr. Tarpey and the other miners plodded waist deep in snow for seven days to reach the white pine "mines", but finding it a myth!!
After returning to California he purchased land and tried his luck at farming. In 1884 Malcom bought 160 acres of farm land in the San Joaquin Valley.. After a slow start his He quickly became involved with local the government and politics. His name still is known. He has a school, a village and a Depot with his name on the signs.
(The following report was put together by Stacy Freeman, Trevor Tice and Jessica Brunsvik when they were sixth graders at Tarpey Elementary School.)