[3] He was a grandson of Irish-American mathematician Robert Adrain,[2] who is chiefly remembered for his formulation of the method of least squares.

[4][5] In 1854, at age 16, he traveled to San Francisco aboard the Adelaide and he took a job with Wells Fargo where he delivered the first pony express package from San Francisco to Sacramento.

He later joined the San Francisco Committee of Vigilance during the presidency of William Coleman.

[1] In New York City, he became associated with Fox & Polhemus, cotton manufacturers and brokers, where he later became an owner.

They were the parents of one son and six daughters, including:[1][8] He died in Englewood on March 23, 1913, and was buried in Brookside Cemetery there.