He had been a river boat captain; and later a partner with Ross McCloud in gold mining. He and "Uncle Dick" Mannon bought a 1/2 interest in Upper Soda Springs from Ross. He married Mary two years after Ross died, by following her to Iowa to win her hand there with her family. Four years later he completed a new hotel building at Upper Soda Springs in 1874 and died in November of that same year, followed by Mary's death a month later. (Moral: Don't work yourself to death contstructing buildings.) He built the new hotel after the model of the cabins on the river boats he captained, with the floor of the rooms higher than the deck (veranda) around the cabins. This well built hotel like a river boat without the boat was a favorite summer vacation resort for hundreds of guests and lasted until torn down for lumber when it was scarce in 1945 during WWI. He is buried in the family cemetery in Yreka with Ross, Mary, Lucy McCloud and Elda McCloud Masson, John Masson, and Uncle Dick-Richard Mannon.

There were no children from this marriage.