WILLIAM ANDREW FOUNTAIN

Sacramento County

Biographies

WILLIAM ANDREW FOUNTAIN

WILLIAM ANDREW FOUNTAIN. Prominent among the old pioneers of Sacramento is William Andrew Fountain, widely known through his long association in the business firm of Fountain Brothers, brick-makers. The oldest living son of Joshua Fountain, he was born in Michigan in 1836, to which state his father had removed the previous year from Delaware, his native state, his birth having occurred in the vicinity of Milford in 1811. Joshua Fountain later located his family in Van Buren county, Iowa, whence in the spring of 1850 the father, son and Uncle Lloyd Rollins and daughter, Josephine, and four hired men, crossed the plains to the far-famed land of California. They crossed the Missouri river on the 9^th of April and it was September 15 when they arrived at Grass Valley Cal. The first winter they passed in this location, in the following spring seeking the mining districts of Cache Valley. However, they began mining instead on the Feather River, where they remained throughout the summer, when, in November, 1852, William A. Fountain came to Sacramento, and began work for his father, who had established a brickyard on Eighth and O streets. For the ensuing seven years he remained with his father, learning the business thoroughly in every department, and when, in 1859, he established a business on his own account, he soon built up a large trade. His first contract was the making of brick for the building of Hesperian College, at Woodland, and following this were others of equal importance, in the summer of 1862 making brick for the wine cellar, residence and other buildings belonging to Mr. Bell, at Gold Hill, Placer county. In the same year he filled a contract for constructing a portion of the levee near Freeport. During the two following years he burned a kiln of brick at Auburn, Cal., and also made brick for the building of the courthouse and jail at Woodland, Yolo county. Becoming interested in the agricultural life of this section, in 1865 he purchased a farm lying between Elk Grove and Franklin and was engaged in farming for two years, and in the meantime also burned a kiln of brick near Elk Grove. In 1867 he returned to the brick manufactory, the firm of Fountain Brothers being established at that time. The work was successfully carried on for years, acquiring for those interested a competency and at the same time adding to the industrial growth of the city. Mr. Fountain is recognized as a man of business acumen, whose successful career has been the result of his own efforts. In 1896 he purchased the half interest of his brothers in the manufacturing plant and continued to engage in the business alone until 1903, when he retired and has since devoted his attention to looking after his other interests.

July 28, 1859, Mr. Fountain was united in marriage with Abbie Louise Brewster, a native of Massachusetts, and a daughter of Charles Brewster, a florist. She died September 13, 1878, having become the mother of six daughters: Henrietta, the wife of Charles Lowell; Clara, the wife of Charles Hockel; Grace, the wife of E. J. Sharp; Anne, the wife of John Uren; Elizabeth, the wife of J. H. Stebbins; and Abbie, the wife of A. F. Webb, a resident of Sacramento. Mr. Fountain and his wife had eleven grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. In 1881 Mr. Fountain was married to Helen Powers, a native of New York state, a devoted wife and Christian woman, whose death occurred April 23, 1888. In 1890 he married Mrs. Marie, who was born in Chillicothe, Ohio, January 19, 1855, a daughter of John and Anna Marie Auch. Mr. Fountain is identified politically with the Republican party, and is a member of the Sixth Street Methodist Episcopal Church. His residence has been at the corner of Fifteenth and P streets for thirty-eight years, the house being one of the old landmarks of the city. In 1877 he was associated with Hon. John Q. Brown in street contracting, cobbling and graveling the principal streets, their association continuing for about two years. The latter gentleman was afterward mayor of the city for six years and is now president of the San Francisco Board of Trade. While Mr. Fountain has had no children by his last marriage they have taken into their home to rear an educate a child who goes by the name of Morris Chase Fountain, which adds youth and brightness to the home, he being a bright little fellow of eight years.

Transcribed by Louise E. Shoemaker on October 26^th 2007.

Source: “History of the State of California and Biographical Record of the Sacramento Valley, California” by J. M. Guinn. Pages 819-820. Chapman Publishing Co., Chicago 1906.