Andrew George McManus was born in Ireland in 1838, and emigrated to Boston around 1860. He married Catherine Hayes, the US-born daughter of Irish immigrants John and Johanna Hayes, in Greenfield, Massachusetts in 1861. Soon after, Andrew and Catherine moved across the country and first settled in San Francisco, then in Virginia City, Nevada; they would have children born in all of these places. According to the 1910 census, Catherine would have 13 children, but only 3 of them – Margaret, Edward, and Alice – would live to adulthood. Andrew died in Sacramento in 1911, and Catherine in 1915.

Catherine and Andrew's oldest surviving daughter, Margaret McManus, was born in San Francisco in 1867, and lived most of her adult life in Sacramento, California. She never married and was a devout Catholic. She died in Marin County, California in 1958.

Andrew and Catherine's younger daughter, Alice Genevieve McManus, was born July 22, 1882 in Virginia City (some records give Alice's birthdate as 1884, but based on the 1900 census and her 1902 marriage record, 1882 or 1883 appear to be more accurate). By 1896, Alice was already publicly recognized for her beauty and poise: Nevada newspapers from the time record her election by a poll of students as a “Venus.” By 1902, Alice was 19 years old and living in Butte, Montana where she worked as a telephone operator. In that year, she eloped in Butte with divorcé and fellow Virginia City native Marco J. Medin. Marco was a successful merchant in Butte and Alice quickly became a popular figure in Butte social life, as evidence by the frequent mentions of her and her clothing in Butte-area newspapers. After a November 1906 divorce from Marco, Alice and William Andrews Clark, Jr. were married in May 1907 in Butte at the home of one of Alice's good friend, Grace McStay Carnochan. The Clarks moved to Los Angeles in 1908, and in 1910, purchased of what was then called the McCan estate at 2205 West Adams Boulevard - the same parcel the Clark Library occupies today. In addition to becoming socially active in Los Angeles, Alice also became involved in charity work in the city, especially at the YWCA, and throughout World War I, she was deeply involved in Red Cross fundraising and other efforts related to child refugees. Alice McManus Clark died November 17, 1918, at the age of 34, after being diagnosed with colon cancer 8 months earlier.

Alice and Margaret's brother, Edward J. McManus was born in San Francisco in 1877, and married Stella Murphy in 1902 in Reno, Nevada. He served at one time as Storey County Commissioner and spent most of his adult life in Reno, before resettling in Sacramento in the 1950s. Edward and Stella's oldest daughter, Ethyl McManus was born in 1903 and, with her younger sister Alice Catherine McManus (1906-2005) were educated at various private schools in both Northern and Southern California. Alice (sometimes referred to as "Alice Jr.") was particularly close with their aunt, her namesake Alice McManus Clark. Ethyl attended the University of Nevada, Reno, graduating in 1925, and spent most of her adult life living in San Francisco. She died in Marin County, California in 1977.

Ethyl and Alice's brother, George Edward McManus, was born in 1907 in Nevada and in 1935 married Margaret Hall of Chicago. They had 3 children: George E. McManus, Jr., Margaret "Peggy" McManus Brennan, and Leonard McManus.

** A family tree of the descendants of Andrew McManus and Catherine Hayes McManus compiled during the description of this collection is located in Box 43/Folder 6.

Sources consulted:

* Vital records indexes and census records via Ancestry.com * Montana and California state vital records, digital surrogates via Familysearch.org * Obituaries and newspaper articles via Newspapers.com