Mr. Farrell is a native of Alabama, having been born October 16, 1843, in that state, of English-Dutch stock commingled with Irish. His father, John Farrell, was born in Ireland, but emigrated to Alabama when a young man, and was there married to Miss Margaret Carl, born in the city of Washington. D. C. By occupation he was a stonecutter. He removed to Arkansas and crossed the plains to California in 1852, making the trip with oxen and bringing with him his family, including John C. who was then but nine years of age. He located in Stockton. California, and worked at his trade helping to build the court house in that city. He died there in 1859, aged fifty-five years. His wife made her home with her son, John, from 1863 until 1897, when she died, aged eighty-three years. She was a Methodist and her husband a Catholic.

Mr. John C. Farrell married, in 1873, Miss Elizabeth Kemp, a native of London, England, and a daughter of John Kemp, who died when crossing the plains with his family. Mr. and Mrs. Farrell have the following children all living: Mary Ann, of Butte, Montana; Ida May; Alice Rebecca, Mrs. George Martin, of Yerington; Isabella; John Henry; James C.; William C.; Joseph; and Lillian. Mrs. Farrell's religious faith makes her a Methodist but her husband is not connected with any church, although he contributes liberally towards benevolent enterprises, and believes in living an upright, honorable life and wronging no one by either word or deed.

Source:
A History of the State of Nevada: Its Resources and People
By Thomas Wren, Lewis Publishing Company
Published by The Lewis publishing company, 1904