Los Angeles
County
Biographies
HON.
WILLIAM I. TRAEGER
Hon.
William I. Traeger filled the office of sheriff of Los Angeles County during
the twelve years 1920-1932, by appointment and repeated reelection, and is now
serving as U. S. Congressman from the Fifteenth California District. He was born in Porterville, Tulare County,
California, February 26, 1880, a son of Augustus and Martha (Dunn)
Traeger. The father was a native of
Wisconsin but was reared and educated in Kenton, Ohio, where he learned the
blacksmith trade. In 1872 he located in
Porterville, California, and seven years later married Miss Dunn, a native of
Arkansas, who had come to the Golden state in 1874. They became the parents of eight children,
five of whom survive. Both parents died
in Porterville, the father on January 2, 1921, and the mother on July 1, 1895.
William
I. Traeger, the eldest of the family, acquired his education in the public
schools of his native city and following his graduation from high school
entered Leland Stanford University, in which institution he studied law for two
and one-half years. He subsequently
attended the law school of the University of Southern California and was
admitted to the bar of this state on the 19th of January, 1909,
after which he practiced his profession in Los Angeles. On the 16th of April, 1903, Mr.
Traeger was appointed deputy United States Marshal, under Marshal Osborne,
serving three years. He was appointed
deputy sheriff of Los Angeles County, serving in that capacity until March,
1910. He was appointed deputy clerk of
the supreme court of California, filling that position until March 9, 1921,
when he received appointment as sheriff of Los Angeles County to fill out an
unexpired term, and so satisfactory was his discharge of the duties of that
office that he was twice elected to succeed himself. A contemporary biographer wrote: “Mr. Traeger has in his official capacity
handled many famous criminal cases. As
sheriff he has shown a fearless courage and adaptability to circumstances which
have gained for him the genuine respect of the people of the county. From young manhood he has had the reputation
of doing well whatever he has undertaken, a trait which has been repeatedly
manifested in his official career.
Mr.
Traeger won enduring fame through his wonderful playing on the varsity football
team and is still regarded as one of the greatest tackles who ever played on
the coast, being placed on the all-time all-American football team by Yost, of
Michigan, who coached Stanford in 1900.
Mr. Traeger coached the Pomona College football team in 1902, the Los
Angeles high school team in 1906 and the University of Southern California in
1908, and had the satisfaction of seeing his teams win championships in their
respective classes. During the ten-year
period from 1902 to 1912 he was the only official football referee on the coast
and in that capacity officiated in all major games. In his official relation and as a private
citizen he has measured up to the fullest stature of American manhood.”
Hon.
William I. Traeger married Miss Ruth McAllister who was born in Nevada City,
California. She is the daughter of
Frederick Henry and Ella Josephine (Ross) McAllister, the latter born in Dutch
Flat, California. Frederick Henry
McAllister was a veteran court reporter of Los Angeles County. Mr. and Mrs. Traeger are the parents of two
daughters: Laura, who married Horace
Martin and has three children, William Traeger, John and Judith; and Frances
Margaret, a student at the University of California at Los Angeles.
In
November, 1932, Mr. Traeger was elected congressman from the Fifteenth
California District and is a member of the Immigration and Naturalization and
the Public Buildings and Grounds committees.
He is a Mason, belonging to the Knights Templar, the Eastern Star, being
past patron of La Esperanza Chapter and the Shrine. He is a member of the Benevolent and
Protective Order of Elks, Lodge No. 99, Knights of Pythias, the Jonathan Club,
the University Club, Stage and Screen Artists, Old Troupers, Masquers, 233
Club, Foresters of America. Mr. Traeger
is a Past Grand President, N. S. G. W., Ramona Parlor, serving in 1921-1922 and
for nine years he was Visiting Grand Officer.
He is also identified with the following military bodies: American Legion, Spanish War Veterans,
honorary member of Veterans of Foreign Wars, Sixth California Infantry of the
Spanish War, the Field Artillery, Reserve Troop, unassigned, and is a member of
Camp Taylor, an officers training camp at Louisville, Kentucky.
Transcribed
by V. Gerald Iaquinta.
Source: California of the South Vol.
IV, by John Steven McGroarty, Pages 709-711,
Clarke Publ., Chicago, Los Angeles, Indianapolis. 1933.
© 2012 V.
Gerald Iaquinta.
GOLDEN NUGGET'S LOS ANGELES
BIOGRAPHIES