Biography of William Irelan, Jr.
William Irelan, Jr., born on August 7, 1842, in Wilmington, Delaware, is a notable mining and consulting engineer. Son of William Irelan, a sea captain and inventor, and Elizabeth Hancock Clark, Irelan pursued extensive education in Delaware, London, and Leipzig. Moving to California in 1870, he contributed significantly to the state’s mining industry and served as state mineralogist and engineer. Irelan managed the California mining exhibit at the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition. He married Linna Vogel in 1870 in Germany, and they have one son, Oscar. Linna is an esteemed artist and pioneer in California art pottery.