Colusa County
Biographies
JAMES M. STOVALL
JAMES M. STOVALL. The third son in a family of eight children,
James M. Stovall was born on the old home place of the Stovalls
in Colusa county, February 17, 1869. His father, Jesse Curl Stovall, was among the
earliest pioneers of this section and established a home and a business which
have been important factors in the development and upbuilding of Williams and
vicinity. Further mention is made of the
elder man in another part of this volume.
James M. Stovall received his preliminary education in the common
schools in the vicinity of his home, after which he entered Pierce Christian
College of College City, Colusa county, Cal., graduating from the commercial
department when about seventeen years of age.
Following this he engaged with his father in general farming until 1892,
in which year the Bank of Williams was incorporated and he was installed as
bookkeeper. He held that position with
constantly increasing commendation for the business ability and judgment he
displayed until 1898, when he was elected to the position of cashier, which
office he has since held. This is a
state bank, doing a general banking business on a capital of $100,000, and is
an institution of financial importance in the valley and an especially important
factor in the business life of Williams.
In 1903 Mr. Stovall became vice-president of the Stovall-Wilcoxson
Company, a land company with a capital stock of $1,000,000, and which owns
between thirty-six and forty thousand acres of land in Colusa county, as well as several business houses in Williams. Mr. Stovall is a successful business man
and has risen to a position of trust and responsibility absolutely on his own
merits, depending on his own ability rather than on the strength of his
father’s name and influence.
In Williams Mr. Stovall was married to
Hattie Wilcoxson, a native of Fayette, Mo., and a daughter of George H.
Wilcoxson, also a native of that locality.
The latter is an extensive farmer of Howard county,
Mo., and is now acting as president of the Stovall-Wilcoxson Company. To Mr. and Mrs. Stovall were born
two children, Ruth and Russell. In his
fraternal relations Mr. Stovall is a Mason, being a member of Tuscan Lodge
No. 261, F. & A. M., where he was made a member of the
organization. He belongs to the
Christian Church, of which he is a trustee, and politically casts his ballot
with the Democratic party. He is associated with the California State
Bankers’ Association, and also the American Bankers’ Association.
{Inserted by D.
Toole.]
James M. Stovall
1898
Apr 13, Woodland Daily Democrat, P3, Woodland, California
Wilcoxson Will
One
and a Half Millions[sic] Divided Among Relatives
Miss
Kate Stephens and Mrs. G. J. O’Connor, of Woodland, Among the Heirs-at-law
George
H. Wilcoxson, of Williams, Colusa county, a nephew of
the late Jefferson Wilcoxson, the pioneer and
millionaire who died a few days ago, Tuesday filed in the county clerk’s office
of Sacramento a petition for the probate
of the will of his uncle. The petitioner
is named in the will as executor, without bonds. The estate left by Jefferson Wilcoxson is valued at $170,000, but this is of course only
a very small portion of the wealth that he had accumulated. Some time ago he divided among his relatives
the princely sum of about $1,200,000, and on his last birthday, in February, he
divided $100,000 more among them. The
wealth thus disposed of cuts no figure in his will, nor
in the settlement of his estate. The
will divides the estate into fifteen equal parts, giving one share to each of
his nephews and nieces. In two instances
(where dead) these shares are to go to their children. The will was made on the 24th of February,
1898, the eighty-ninth anniversary of deceased’s birthday, the day on which he
divided among his heirs the $100,000 referred to. The petition for probate alleges that the
deceased left an estate in real and personal property valued at $205,000. A will was executed on the 24th of February. The names of the divisees[sic]
and legatees in said will and their places of residence are: George H. Wilcoxson,
aged about 62 years, residing at Williams, Cal.; Thomas Jefferson Wilcoxson, aged about 48 years, residing at Nevada City,
Mo.; Mary E. Austin, aged about 64 years, residing at Carrollton, Mo.;
Josephine Smith, aged about 56 years, residing at Fayette, Mo.; Theodora
C. Tindall, aged about 46 years, residing at Fayette,
Mo.; John Isaac Wilcoxson, aged about 59 years,
residing at Carrollton, Mo.; James M. Wilcoxson, aged
about 57 years, residing at Carrollton, Mo.; Nora Holland, aged about 40 years,
residing at St. Louis, Mo.; Amanda Blackwell, aged about 38 years, residing at
St. Louis, Mo.; Lulu Wilcoxson, aged about 35 years,
residing at Carrollton, Mo.; Bettie Wilcoxson, aged
about 33 years, residing at Carrollton, Mo.; Sallie Wilcoxson
Mitchell, aged about 30 years, residing at Columbia, Mo.; Harrison H. Wilcoxson, aged about 28 years, residing at Carrollton,
Mo.; Joseph W. Hughes, aged about 38 years, residing at Sacramento, Cal.;
Minnie Hughes Clinkscales, aged about 32 years,
residing at Carrollton, Mo.; William Hughes, aged about 36 years, residing at
Fayette, Mo.; Morrison Hughes, aged about 28 years, residing at Fayette,
Mo.; J. R. Hughes, Jr., aged about 23 years, residing at Fayette, Mo.; Gussie
Hughes, aged about 26 years, residing at Fayette, Mo.; Kate Lee Stephens, aged
about 24 years, residing at Woodland, Cal., and Josephine Stephens O’Connor,
aged about 22 years, residing at Woodland, Cal.
That the next kin and heirs-at-law of said deceased are all named as
follows: The said George H. Wilcoxson, a nephew; the said Thomas Jefferson Wilcoxson, Nephew, the said Mary E. Austin, a nice,; the
said Josephine Smith, a niece; the said Theodora C. Tindall,
a niece; the said John Isaac Wilcoxson, a nephew; the
said James M. Wilcoxson, a nephew; the said Joseph W.
Hughes, a grand-nephew; the said Minnie Hughes Clinkscales,
a grandniece; the said William Hughes, a grandnephew; the said Morrison Hughes,
a grandnephew, the said J. R. Hughes, Jr., a grandnephew; the said Gussie
Hughes, a grandniece; the said Katie Lee Stephens, a grandniece; the said
Josephine Stephens O’Connor, a grandniece; and Harrison Wilcoxson,
a brother of said deceased, of the age of about 84 years, a resident of
Carrollton, Mo.
1898
Apr 13, The San Francisco Call, P4, San Francisco,
California
Enriched
Nieces and Nephews
Sacramento,
April 12 – Thomas H. Wilcoxson of Colusa to-day filed
for probate the will of his uncle, the late Jefferson Wilcoxson. The estate is valued at $170,000 and is
divided into fifteen equal shares among the nephews and nieces of the
deceased. Only last February Wilcoxson gave $100,000 to the same heirs and not long
before that he divided $1,200,000 between them.
He was a pioneer of ’49 and made his fortune in this and Yolo counties.
1898
Aug 16, The Record-Union, P2, Sacramento, California
Wants
Her Compensation
Amanda
P. Austin Sues the Executor
She
Demands $150,000 From the Estate of the Late Jefferson
Wilcoxson
Amanda
P. Austin has commenced suit in the Superior Court against George H. Wilcoxson, executor of the will and estate of Jefferson Wilcoxson, deceased, through her attorneys, Grove L.
Johnson and J. M. Fulwiler. The complaint is an interesting one, and
recites that Jefferson Wilcoxson was the uncle by
blood of plaintiff’s mother, making him her grand-uncle; that she resided in
July, 1879, in Missouri with her parents, being about 20 years old, and was
completing her education and studying art, with the intention of becoming an
artist by profession. She further states
that Mr. Wilcoxson corresponded by letter with
her and her parents, desiring her to come and keep house for him and care for
him in his old age, nurse and watch over him in his sickness, and when he
needed care and attention, and in his letters he promised that if she would do
so he would treat her as his own child and provide for her well while he lived
and that at his death she should be amply compensated for all her sacrifices
and care. She accepted his offers, and
acting upon his promises, came to Sacramento in 1879 and entered upon her
duties. She alleges that she continued
in such employment, caring for Mr. Wilcoxson, nursing
him when he was sick and ministering faith fully to his wants as if he were her
father, and at his wish and request she remained single and unmarried up to the
time of his death in 1898, faithfully performing all her duties according to
the contract. She further alleges that from
time to time he renewed his promises, himself fixing her compensation, to be
paid in event of his death, at not less than $150,000, and at times as high as
$250,000. She claims that at his death
he left a will; that he left $170,000 in money in his safe, besides other
property worth $100,000, and that previously he had distributed among his other
relatives, by deed of gift, over $1,200,000, but had given her nothing, and
that, as she is informed and believes, that the $170,000 in the safe was set
apart and intended for the payment of her claim for services under conditions
of the contract. She states that she
presented a claim to the executor of $45,000, which he neither allowed nor
rejected, and that subsequently she presented a claim for $150,000 as a just
and reasonable amount for her services and sacrifices; that he has neither
accepted nor rejected the latter claim, and she now asks that judgement be granted her against defendant, as executor of
the estate, for $150,000, with interest form August
3, 1898, and costs.
1898
Dec 20, The Record-Union, P5, Sacramento, California
Miss
Austin’s Case
Argued
on Amended Complaint and Demurrer Yesterday
The
case of Amanda P. Austin against George H. Wilcoxson,
executor of Jefferson Wilcoxson, deceased, was again
before Judge Ellison of Tehama in Department Two of the Superior Court
yesterday. A motion to strike out parts
of the amended complaint and the amended demurrer were argued and submitted.
1899
Jun 17, The San Francisco Call, P3, San Francisco,
California
Mourning
in Williams
Williams,
June 16 – William Preston Stovall died at his home west of Williams at 1:30
o’clock this morning. He was born in
Colusa County and was 35 years old.
Heart failure was the cause of death.
He was the eldest son of J. C. Stoval[sic] of the Stovall-Wilcoxson
Company and had charge of 10,000 acres of farming land for the
corporation. In May, 1898, Mr. Stovall
was married to Miss Cook, daughter of A. J. Cook, at Oakland.
1899
Nov 25, The Record-Union, P3, Sacramento, California
About
Eighteen Thousand
Amanda
Austin’s Share of “Uncle Jeff’s” Estate
Judge
Ellison’s Decision in the Celebrated Wilcoxson Estate
Case
Superior
Judge J. F. Ellison of Tehama yesterday filed his decision in the case of
Amanda Austin against the estate of the late Jefferson Wilcoxson,
the trial of which recently occupied several weeks in this city. Miss Austin sued for $150,000, claiming that
her grand-uncle had promised her that sum and that he intended her to have it
because of her long and faithful services as companion and nurse. There were many points on which the plaintiff
relied to prove her claim, but Judge Ellison recognized but one. He thinks it was shown that Jefferson Wilcoxson induced her to come here from Missouri and make
her home with him, and that he promised to reward her for her services. So he allows her $1,200 per year for the rest
of her life, the actual value of which he calculates would be about $18,000,
accepting the standard life insurance statistics as approximately
reliable. <snipped>
1902
Nov 25, Woodland Daily Democrat, P1, Woodland, California
Jesse
C. Stovall Dead
Williams,
November 25 – Jesse C. Stovall, pioneer banker, member and honored citizen,
died at his home, 9 miles west of here Monday of heart failure at the age
of 80 years. He was a native of
Tennessee and came to Colusa county in 1850. Stovall attended a meeting of the directors
of the Stovall-Wilcoxson company last Saturday and
was re-elected president. He also was
president of the Bank of Williams. The
funeral will be held tomorrow afternoon under the auspices of the Odd Fellows.
1904
Nov 22, Woodland Daily Democrat, P1, Woodland, California
The
Stovall Accident
Particulars
Furnished by a Correspondent at Williams
Brief
mention was made in Monday’s “Democrat” of the accident that cost C. E. Stovall
his life. After the paper went to press
the following information, kindly furnished by a Williams
correspondent, was received:
Charles
Edwin Stovall, a native of Colusa county, Cal., died
at Venado, Sunday morning, November 20, 1904,
aged 29 years, 6 months and 16 days. He
was with “Indian Joe,” a bronco breaker, and was riding a young horse, when it
stumbled and fell. Mr. Stovall was
thrown forward, striking the left side of his head and face on the hard road,
causing concussion of the brain. The
accident occurred one mile west of the Mountain House,
and his companion rode to that place and notified Frank Schuckman,
who went to the scene with a spring wagon and took the injured man to the
Mountain House. The accident occurred at
8 o’clock Saturday evening, and the young man died at 8 o’clock Sunday
morning, without regaining consciousness.
Dr. A. W. Kimball of Williams and Doctors I. G. Cason
and W. T. Rathbun of Colusa were summoned,
but could do nothing. Deceased was the youngest son of the late Jesse Stovall,
who died two years ago next Wednesday, and was the brother of H. C. Stovall,
president, and J. M. Stovall, cashier, of the Bank of Williams. He leaves a widow and a little daughter about
8 years of age. The funeral services
will be held Tuesday afternoon at 2 o’clock from the Christian church, under
the auspices of Central Lodge No. 229, I.O.O.F., of which deceased was a
member. The wife, mother, sisters and
brothers of the deceased were in attendance at a church social in the opera
house when the accident occurred, but were driven to the Mountain House and
remained until after the death. The town
is shocked by the sad affair, as he was on the streets Friday afternoon in the
prime of health.
1911
May 25, San Francisco Chronicle, P6, San Francisco,
California
Personal
and Hotel Gossip
<snipped>
J.
M. Stovall and George H. Simmons, business men of Williams, Cal., are at the
Stewart.
1911
Oct 29, The San Francisco Call, P55, San Francisco,
California
First
Olds Delivered by Factory Branch
D.
L. Whitford, manager of the newly established Oldsmobile
branch, reports his first delivery to J. M. Stovall, cashier of the Bank of
Williams. Stovall, who formerly owned a
1908 Oldsmobile, has taken a 1912 Autocrat model. Whitford is proud
of the sale, as it was made while he was still busy arranging his new quarters
on Van Ness avenue and had few facilities for handling
patrons.
1920
Jun 20, Petaluma Daily Morning Courier, P1, Petaluma, California
Natural Gas in Colusa Co.
Williams,
June 19 – A report that the Mountainhouse Standard
Oil Company has struck a flow of natural gas at a depth of 100 feet in a well
being bored near here, in an effort to develop petroleum in commercial
quantity, has been received here and is characterized as probable by J. M.
Stovall, cashier of the Bank of Williams.
He says the well is near the place where natural gas was struck twenty
years ago.
1930
Feb 25, Woodland Daily Democrat, P5, Woodland, California
Russel Stovall of San Francisco visited at the
home of his mother Mrs. Harriet Stovall.
1930
Aug 2, Woodland Daily Democrat, P5, Woodland, California
Attack
Made on Stovall Will
Petition
asking for revocation of the last will and testament of the late Mrs. Mary E.
Stovall, pioneer resident of the Williams district, well known over Yolo
county, and who died January 14, and left property, real and personal, of the
estimated value of $75,000, has been filed with County Clerk T. D. Cain at
Colusa by H. Foster Clark, Eloise M. Clark, Olene
Clark Connell and Cordelia Baker, grandchildren of
the deceased. The contest seeking to
have the will set aside, alleges that the instrument made and executed in
Colusa county on March 17, 1919, was made at a time when the venerable woman
was infirm, weak and not of sound and disposing mind because of her great age,
she being 89 years of age at death. It
is alleged that H. C. and J. M. Stovall, surviving sons and in the banking
business in Williams, were her sole advisers and looked after the collection
and disbursement of her moneys.
Son
Charged
It
is further alleged that H. C. Stovall prepared and dictated the last will and
testament, which it is intimated deprives the petitioners of an interest in the
estate. The legatees and devisees named
in the last will under probe are alleged to be:
H. C. Stovall, J. M. Stovall, Mabel A. Brim, Cordelia
Stovall, Elmer R. Clark, Stovall Baker and H. Foster Clark. It is expected that a bitter contest will be
waged.
1938
Aug 13, The Petaluma Argus-Courier, P3, Petaluma,
California
Hunter
Killed at Clear Lake
Lakeport,
Aug. 13 – Russell Stovall of Williams was killed Thursday in a deer hunting
accident near Clear Lake Park. The
coroner’s office ordered the body brought here.
Details of the accident were not learned. Information telephoned by Dr. Holden Brink,
who gave Stovall emergency treatment indicated the accident occurred while
Stovall was changing clothes preparatory to a swim.
1938
Aug 12, Berkeley Daily Gazette, P6, Berkeley, California
Accident
Fatal to Deer Hunter
By
United Press
Lakeport,
Aug. 12 – Russell H. Stovall, 35, Williams, Cal., who had been on a deer
hunting expedition with a friend on Bartlett Mountain, died yesterday shortly
after he was found shot through the head in what police said apparently was a
hunting accident. Stovall was found
slumped forward in the front seat of his car.
A .22 rifle bullet had entered the left side of his head. The gun was in the back seat. Officers said the shooting occurred after
Stovall and his hunting companion, Carl Netzka, also
of Williams, had parted after a lunch together on the shores of Clear Lake near
Clear Lake Park.
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 509-510. The Chapman
Publishing Co., Chicago, 1904.
© 2017 Donna Toole.
Golden Nugget Library's Colusa County Biographies