William
Duffy was born in Lansingburg, NY on October 28, 1852. At the age of
one, the family moved to San Francisco where he was raised. At 17 he
went to sea, and worked on the railroads. By the time he returned to
San Francisco, seven years had passed. He moved to San Pablo where he
met Eugenia Palmer. They were married on February 6, 1884. William
was a Justice of the Peace, in San Pablo, for 10 years. Jennie
(Eugenia) wanted to move away from San Pablo and so William signed on
at San Quentin.
He
came to San Quentin ahead of the family. He rented a house outside
the east gate, now known as 21 Mc Kinzie. A few months later, Jennie
brought the children - Ethel- Grace - Ray - Bill - Alma.
When
William Duffy started as a guard, the prison was under Warden Hale.
Williams first day as a prison guard was July 4, 1894. That day he
met several of the inmates he had sent to San Quentin when he was a
judge in San Pablo. The meeting was friendly and from then on he was
known to all, at the prison, as Judge Duffy.
Two
children were born at the Mc Kinzie house. Clinton
Truman on August 4, 1898 and Eugneia Katheryn on April 28, 1906.
During 1910, they moved to a larger house directly below the present
house. They lived there for three years. When William became Steward,
in 1913, they moved onto the reservation, the third house inside the
east gate.
William
retired in July 1925, at the age of 72. They moved back into the
first house they had when they arrived at San Quentin in 1894.
William died died in 1931. eventually, Jennie moved in with her
daughter Grace Zubler and died there
in 1940.
William
lived 37 years at San Quentin and Jennie 46 years. Daughter Grace
lived at San Quentin for 75 years and Clinton over 50 years.
Author:
William J. Duffy, Jr.
For
more on William Duffy
and Eugenia Palmer
visit their website.