Contra
Costa County
Biographies
WILLIAM
FORSYTH BELDING
WILLIAM FORSYTH BELDING. Owing to his prominence in public affairs,
his connection with many of the largest mining concerns in the country, and his
position as candidate for various political honors, the limelight of public
investigation has been often turned in the direction of William Forsyth Belding
in its most searching form. It is safe
to say that no other prominent citizen of Contra Costa county has stood this
test with greater fortitude, or emerged with the expectations and hopes of his
friends more nearly realized.
Mr. Belding represents the strong, virile, resourceful, and
progressive spirit of the west, the man of large affairs, of splendid
reputation, and utter fearlessness. He
comes of the farming and trade stock of the far east,
and has depended upon his hands, his heart, and his honor, to cement his
opportunities in a compact and forceful whole.
Born in Caughdenoy,
Oswego county, N.Y., January 3, 1842, Mr. Belding is a son of Oren
and Jane (Culver) Belding, natives of Oswego and Tompkins county, N.Y.,
respectively. His parents were seventy-four
years old at the time of their death, his father passing from earth in
California in 1888, and his mother’s death being occasioned by an accident in
San Francisco in 1897, owing to her effort to save the life of a child. Mr. Belding inherits his mechanical
ability from his father, who was a millwright by trade, and who came to
California in 1850, locating near Placerville, Eldorado county, where he
started and ran a sawmill. In 1854-55 he
came to San Francisco and worked in the Miners’ Foundry, and later engaged in
contracting and building quartz mills throughout the state. In 1861 he moved to Nevada and erected the
Sucker Mills on the Carson river, and also mills at
Gold Hill, and during 1863-64 erected the Delmonte
silver mills at Aurora, and a number of others in Nevada. He was the inventor of the Belding
amalgamating pan for reducing gold and silver ore, and for many years he
erected and ran the machinery for mines and reduction works in different parts of
the west. Of his two sons and three daughters,
Charles, now deceased, was older than William Forsyth; Anne E. lives in the Sandwich Islands,
the widow of the late Charles Eldridge; Mary L., is an educator in the
public schools of San Francisco; and Josephine is deceased.
William Forsyth Belding was seventeen
years old when he arrived in San Francisco in January, 1860. Thus far his education had been acquired
chiefly in the school of experience, for his attendance at the public
institutions of Oswego county had necessarily been
irregular and unsatisfactory. He was
strong of body, and had already evidenced that determination and perseverance
which have accomplished his success in life.
His first field of activity in the west was the old Miners’ Foundry,
where he served an apprenticeship of eighteen months, at pattern making,
receiving for his labor $1 a day. When
it is known that the cheapest board and lodging procurable was $7 a week it is
not supposed that he was able to save anything, yet through his indefatigable
energy, and his willingness to work overtime making models for inventors, etc.,
he amassed $400, and was the master of a paying trade. His next employment was at the Pacific
Foundry at $4 a day, and in 1861 he went to Nevada with his father and assisted
him in the construction of the Sucker silver mills at Gold Hill. It was while in Nevada that he became
acquainted with David E. Buel, a well known
mining man, and brother-in-law of the late G. W. Terrill. This association resulted in advancement for
Mr. Belding, for he was identified in business with Mr. Buel for a period of eighteen years. In 1863 he went to Austin, Lander county, Nev., and took charge of the Pioneer Silver Mill for
Mr. Buel, and later of the Big Creek Silver
Mill, where the ores of the celebrated Whitlatch Union
Mine were reduced. In the spring of 1865
he went to Aubrey City, Ariz., as assistant constructor of a smelter for a New
York copper company. At this time
Mr. Buel became the owner of a
large silver mine at Belmont, Nye county, Nev., and Mr. Belding was
sent for to assist in its development and had charge of the reduction
works. After this he became associated
with the Hidden Treasure Mining Company of White Pine District, Nevada, having
direct charge of the reduction of their ores.
Seven silver mills were working their ores under his charge, and his
duties were of such a nature that they could be performed only by the most
capable of metallurgists. Later he went
to Utah as superintendent of the Wellington Smelting works of Little Cottonwood
Canyon, owned by David E. Buel. His next work was as superintendent of the
reduction works of the Camp Floyd Mining Company. All of the work of this company, in the
assaying and reduction department, passed under his inspection and he was held
responsible for the quantity of work done and the quality of bullion
produced. It was while he was at this
reduction mill that the Camp Floyd Mining Company shipped five bars of silver
bullion to the Bank of England through the Wells Fargo Express Company. The silver, tested by the expert assayers of
the bank, was pronounced chemically pure, that is, one thousand fine. This degree of purity had never before been
known in the great bank without refining.
After severing his connection with the Camp Floyd Mining Company Mr. Belding
became manager of the quartz mill of the Mammoth Copperopolis Gold,
Silver & Copper Mining Company in the Tintic
district, then returned to Salt Lake City and was with the Spriggs
Coal Mining Company, at the head of which was David E. Buel
and I. C. Bateman. He then
took charge of the reduction works of Mr. Bateman’s mine called Northern
Belle, in Esmeralda county, Nev., and at the same time
superintended the construction of two large quartz mills of twenty stamps
each. He was with this company from
January 1, 1875, until January 1, 1884, a period of nine years,
during which time the property paid to its shareholders over $2,000,000 in
dividends. During the last four years of
Mr. Belding’s management Capt. G. T. Lawton was president
of the Northern Belle Company, and at the time of his death was president of
the California Powder Works. For several
years after leaving the Northern Belle Mining Company, Mr. Belding was
identified with George W. Terrill in the San Francisco Produce Exchange,
and sixteen years ago sold out his interests and came to San Pablo, where he
entered into partnership with Mr. Terrill in a mercantile establishment
under the firm name of Terrill & Belding. Ten years ago Mr. Belding became sole
owner of the mercantile business, and since then has conducted the store alone,
his sagacious management resulting in a doubling of the business. In the meantime he has been a member of the
Producers’ Oil Exchange of San Francisco, serving as treasurer for two years,
and defeating Henry J. Crocker, the millionaire of San Francisco, for the
office. He is one of the organizers and
vice-president of the Bank of Richmond, a monetary institution which reflects
distinct credit upon the intelligent financiering of the west. He is vice-president of the Contra Costa
board of Trade, and president of the Point Richmond Chamber of Commerce.
In Salt Lake City, in 1882,
Mr. Belding married Herma E. Pratt, who was born in Utah, and who,
upon her death in Salt Lake City, left a son, William F., Jr, at present a
merchant of Point Richmond. The second
marriage of Mr. Belding was contracted in San Francisco, with Emma V.
Taylor, a native of Kentucky. For more
than a third of a century Mr. Belding has been a Mason, holding membership
in St. John’s Lodge of Perfection, of Salt Lake City, and now a member of
McKinley Blue Lodge No. 347 of Point Richmond; the Alcatraz Chapter
No. 83, of Oakland; and the Oakland Commandery No. 11, of
Oakland. He is also connected with the
Ancient Order of United Workmen, the Ancient Order of Foresters, the Knights
and Ladies of Honor; in most of which he has held high honors, and with few
exceptions has served as treasurer. His
political affiliations have been with the Democratic party
since the beginning of his voting days, but he favors rather the old
Jeffersonian school, than that established by latter day enthusiasts. While in Nevada in 1880 he was elected to the
legislature in a strong Republican community, and his service evidenced his
keen appreciation of the duties and obligations resting upon the legislator
chosen by the people. Of the high
character, noble aims, and unquestioned integrity of Mr. Belding too much
cannot be said. His best years have been
spent in the mines, and every position held by him during these years of
activity have entailed great responsibility, and a wise conception of
everything pertaining to the science of metals, and the best means of
extracting them from the virgin ores.
His political services have been entered into with the same degree of
thoroughness and knowledge of his ground, while his social obligations have met
every requirement of noble and capable manhood.
There are few religious or charitable organizations which have not
profited by his generosity in Contra Costa county, and
elsewhere where his home has been, and to himself only is known the number of
people who have been helped on their pilgrimage by his timely assistance. His friends have been recruited from the
ranks of the most brilliantly successful men of the west, and the associations
thus formed have stood the test of years of closest intimacy.
[Inserted by D. Toole]
1913
Jan 28, Oakland Tribune, P5, Oakland, California
Richmond
Notes
The funeral of William F. Belding,
prominent San Pablo and Richmond capitalist and old-time resident, who died
here early yesterday morning, took place today at 2 p.m. from the mortuary
parlors of the Curry Undertaking company and was strictly private. A wealth of beautiful floral tributes was
sent by hundreds of friends. Interment
was at Sunset View cemetery.
Transcribed by Donna Toole.
Source: History
of the State of California & Biographical Record of Coast Counties,
California by Prof. J. M. Guinn, A. M., Pages 963-964. The Chapman
Publishing Co., Chicago, 1904.
© 2016 Donna Toole.
Contra Costa County Biographies