Butte County
Biographies
WILLIAM C. SPANGLER
WILLIAM C SPANGLER.—A descendant of early pioneers of Butte County, William C. Spangler was born in Dayton, Ohio, November 8, 1850, the son of William Frederick and Amelia (Frevert) Spangler, both natives of Germany. The father was a molder by trade and followed that occupation in Ohio. He was a veteran of the Mexican War, serving in an Ohio regiment, his enlistment taking place after his marriage. He first came to California in 1850, via Panama, and after his arrival followed mining for three years, in Lovelock, Butte County. He returned East to Dayton and engaged in his trade as molder once more. The lure of the West was too strong, however, and he returned to California, in 1860, again by the Panama route, this time remaining four years, when he went East again. In 1873 he came back, and engaged in mining at Lovelock, having as a partner, Fred Lang. His family joined him here in 1874. His death occurred in Chico, in 1899, at the age of eighty-one, his last days having been spent here with his son, William C. The mother died in Sacramento, in March, 1914, aged eighty-five. They were the parents of four children: William C., of this review; Henrietta, in Sacramento; Amelia, Mrs. Fred Dent, and Charles, both of Sacramento.
William C. Spangler was raised in Dayton, Ohio, and attended the public schools there. When fourteen he learned the boilermaker’s trade, with E. H. Brownell and Company, of Dayton, afterwards going to Columbus, where he worked at his trade with the Pennsylvania Central Railway. While in Columbus his marriage occurred, to Miss Annia Wahlenmaier, the date being November 27, 1872. She was born in Columbus, a daughter of John and Catherine (Shrum) Wahlenmaier. After their marriage, Mr. and Mrs. Spangler moved to Louisville, Ky., where Mr. Spangler was in the employ of the Joseph Mitchell Boiler Works, continuing with them until 1874, when they decided to migrate to California, bringing with them Mr. Spangler’s mother, brother, and sisters. After arriving on the Coast, Mr. Spangler first found employment in Sacramento as boilermaker for the Central Pacific Railway, under A. J. Stevens, master mechanic. He remained there until April, 1875, when he came to Lovelock and the family located there. Here he engaged in mining, first doing placer-mining, and then he put in a hydraulic and did hydraulic mining, continuing for four years. He then began placer-mining on Big Butte Creek, meeting with reasonable success. In 1894 he went to work for the Sierra Lumber Company as engineer and sawyer, first at Chico Meadows, and later at West Branch. His children were coming to the age where they needed better school facilities, and in 1896 the family located in Chico. In 1902 Mr. Spangler bought his present property, of two acres, and built his residence, a comfortable home of two stories. He continued with the Sierra Lumber Company until October, 1903, when he resigned and accepted a position with the Diamond Match Company, at Barber, as foreman of their boiler shops. He continued in this position until 1910, when he resigned. For two seasons thereafter he was in the employ of the Great Western Power Company at Big Meadows, as sawyer, until the timber was all cut, when he returned to Chico, and here went to work for the Northern Electric Railway, and built their motor No. 1020, which is running on the road today. Since that time he has been with the Diamond Match Company, as boilermaker.
Mr. Spangler has, during his long years of residence in the county, won the respect and esteem of all who know him, and has been an active and hard worker all his life. He still owns the old ranch at Lovelock, where he mined so many years and where all of his children were born. He was raised a Lutheran, and adheres to that faith. To him and his faithful wife, thirteen children have been born, as follows: William Charles, Jr., residing in Chico; Mamie, deceased at Lovelock; Annie, Mrs. Raymond Hancock, of Willows; Edward F., foreman boiler shop of Diamond Match Company at Chico; Caroline, of Sacramento; Kate, Mrs. Otto Croisant, a graduate of Chico State Normal, who taught school before her marriage; Cora, also a graduate of Chico State Normal and now a teacher in Sacramento; George, deceased at fourteen years; Thomas, deceased at fourteen years; Etta, deceased at thirteen years; Freda, a graduate of Chico State Normal and now a teacher in Sacramento; Charles, machinist in Chico; Wilhelmina, a graduate of the San Jose Normal and now a teacher.
Transcribed
by Sharon Walford Yost.
Source: "History of
Butte County, Cal.," by George C. Mansfield, Pages 1174-1175, Historic Record Co, Los Angeles, CA, 1918.
© 2009 Sharon
Walford Yost.
Golden Nugget Library's Butte County Biographies