David Gilrye Muir was born in Scotland on July 11, 1840. He was the brother of naturalist, John Muir. In 1849, David sailed from Scotland and came with the rest of his family to Wisconsin.
In 1863, David was 22 years old and a clerk when he filled out his Civil War Draft Registration in Wisconsin. In 1870, he was a dry goods merchant.
By 1870, David was married to Catherine Cairns in Wisconsin where they had four children: Anna, Carrie, John and Willerford. Catherine passed on March 27, 1885 and is buried in Wisconsin.
Two years later, David married Juliaette Treadway on July 11, 1887 in Columbia, Wisconsin.
David had been a partner in a successful dry goods store business in Wisconsin. Unfortunately, his partner embezzled funds over a period of 20 years which caused the enterprise to fail.
John Muir invited his brother and sisters to move from Wisconsin to California to help manage his farm. In 1892, David accepted his brother’s invitation, bringing along his wife, Juliaette, and his son, Willerford.
David ran the valley ranch properties when John Muir and wife, Louie Strentzel Muir, became responsible for the estate of her father, Dr. John T. Strentzel. In the 1900 U.S. Census his occupation is listed as horticulturist. David lived in the old Strentzel home in Alhambra Valley.
In 1910, David, Juliaette and her sister, Ida, are living in Pacific Grove, Monterey County, California near David’s sister, Sarah. Sarah is now a widow and living with her daughter, Anne.
David passed on October 28, 1916 in Monterey County, California and is buried in the Alhambra Cemetery. Juliaette passed on March 8, 1936 and is buried with her husband.
Also buried in the same cemetery is his two sisters, Margaret and Sarah, and his son, Willerford (1920).
The original content of this post was taken from the previous website and updated for republishing in 2021.