Jim Sam: The Legendary Chinese Cowboy

Without a doubt the most colorful character in Nicasio history is Jim Sam. His story is unique, and he left an imprint on generations of Nicasio residents. Jim Sam was a cowboy, cook, jockey, gambler, and for many Nicasio youngsters, the only Chinese man they had ever seen. What may have started as a felonious, drunken prank, seemed to have ended well for the man, who spent his Nicasio life full of adventure, respect and love. According to census records, Jim Sam was born in China in 1859 and came to America the next year. He lived in San Francisco, and here’s where the story gets interesting. No one knows his situation there, whether he had a loving family or was a neglected street urchin; around 1870 fate brought him to Nicasio rancher Neil McIsaac and his Civil War buddy Hugh Monroe, who were in San Francisco “for some reason or another” (in the words of McIsaac’s grandson, the late Don McIsaac). <a href="https://medium.com/anne-t-kent-california-room-community-newsletter/jim-sam-the-legendary-chinese-cowboy-66d806a29983">Website</a>