Jeremiah J. Hanifin - Oakland

1910 ⁴

Jeremiah Joseph (“Jerry” or “J.J.”) Hanifin (May 15, 1834 – May 4, 1917) was a hotel owner, saloonkeeper/liquor store owner, and a member of the Alameda County Board of Supervisors.

Jeremiah Hanifin and Eliza Jane Farley (Hanifin) (c.1841 – March 27, 1870) married in 1856 in New York, and they had four children: Adaline Hanifin (McClatchy), Eliza Hanifin, Jeremiah Joseph “Jedd” Hanifin, Jr., and Alice Hanifin (Casey). Eliza Jane died March 27, 1870, and was buried in St. Mary's Cemetery.

J.J. married his second wife, Eugenia Segelkin (Hanafin) (September 16, 1854 – July 16, 1885), in 1875 and they had three children: Herbert Hanifin, Irene Hanifin, and Edward Hanifin. Eugenia died July 16, 1885, and was buried in Mountain View Cemetery.

J.J. then married his third wife, Jane “Jennie” Cooper (Hanifin) in 1891, and they had two more children: Ada Hanifin, and Frank Hanifin.

The 1877 directory lists the family address as 458 - 7th Street. By the 1878 directory, the family had moved to 1403 Grove Street (now 1807 Martin Luther King Jr. Way.)

Hanifin's daughter, Eliza Hanifin, became a nun in 1891 and became Sister Agatha, of the Order of the Holy Family in San Francisco.

Hanifin's eldest son, Jedd Hanifin, used his given name, Jeremiah Joseph Hanifin, Jr. in some official documents, and appeared in the papers sometimes as J.J. Hanifin, Jr., but generally he went by Jedd. He served as an undersheriff of Alameda County. He was a founding member of the cycling team at the Acme Athletic Club, and later served as club president.

Hanifin's youngest daughter, Ada Hanifin, was the drama critic for the San Francisco Examiner for many years.

Business and Government

Oakland Tribune 1904 ¹

In 1868 Hanifin bought the Cosmopolitan Hotel, which was located on second floor of the building at the corner of 7th and Broadway, from Joseph Dieves. Some sources say Hanifin sold the hotel in 1872, focusing his attention on a chain of liquor stores he owned; the disappearance of ads for the hotel support that.

After closing a saloon in the building in 1874, Hanifin turned around and opened another saloon known as the Cosmopolitan Saloon. Hanifin apparently operated the saloon until 1904, when he sold it to Gus Dahlke. The saloon, near the County Courthouse and Hall of Records, was a popular spot for local politicians to spend time socializing.

Hanifin served as an an Oakland Fire Commissioner for at least one meeting in 1873.⁵ In a lengthy remembrance published in 1910, J.J. states that he was one of three members of the board of fire commissioners appointed by the City Council, but does not state how long he served on that Board. ⁴ One source ³ states that Hanifin was an Oakland Fire Commissioner from 1873 to 1876, but thus far we cannot locate more than the one reference to his attendance at a meeting of the board.

In 1878, Hanifin had the building at San Pablo and 19th (then Curve Street) constructed.

Hanifin was elected to the Alameda County Board of Supervisors in 1880, but incumbent John F. Smith disputed it. After discussion, Smith finally stepped down. Hanifin served until January 1889; he was chairman board of supervisors from 1885 to 1889.

The 1887 directory lists Hanifin as the chairman of the Alameda County Board of Supervisors, a liquor dealer, and the proprietor of Hanifin's Billiard Parlors on 14th between Broadway and Washington.

In 1895, Hanifin opened a wholesale wine and liquor business at 471 - 14th Street, along with Frank Kane.

In 1910, Hanifin had a building at Market and San Pablo constructed.