McCray, Ira

Arriving in Millerton in the early 1850s after accumulating $40,000 from Tuolumne County sawmills and a Texas cattle drive, Ira McCray became one of Fresno County’s most prominent early pioneers and county creation commissioners. In 1857, he constructed the town’s famed $15,000 Oak Hotel, which served as a social hub featuring a commodious saloon, livery, and stage lines. McCray also served continuously as county coroner from 1861 to 1871, earned a widely respected reputation for absolute integrity, and planted one of the earliest recorded vineyards in the region.

McCray’s fortunes suffered severe setbacks from major San Joaquin River floods in 1862 and 1867, leading to mounting financial distress, bankruptcy, and eventual sheriff sale of his holdings. Penniless and suffering from declining health, he departed Millerton in 1874 to prospect in Arizona before returning to California in 1877 as a ward of charity. Following a battle with cancer, McCray passed away at the Fresno County Hospital on October 5, 1877, at age fifty, leaving behind a lasting legacy in the pioneer history of Millerton.