Sacramento County
Biographies
WILLIAM NELSON LINDSAY HUTCHINSON
WILLIAM NELSON LINDSAY HUTCHINSON.--The peculiar genius of industrial leaders who have made Sacramento County famous far beyond the confines of the Golden State, is well represented in William Nelson Lindsay Hutchinson, of Walnut Grove, who is part owner of a tract of some 660 choice acres, in the Holland tract. He was born at Lindsay, in Tulare County, on December 7, 1892, the son of Arthur J. Hutchinson, who emigrated from his native England, where he was a veteran of the British Army, retiring with the rank of captain, after which he came to Virginia and was there married to Sadie Lindsay Patton. From Virginia Captain and Mrs. Hutchinson moved on to California; and reaching here in 1881, they settled near Pomona in Los Angeles County, and engaged in raising cattle and horses, at the same time, also, conducting a first-class dairy. They were there until 1898, when Captain Hutchinson decided to venture into Tulare County; and he arrived so early that he was the first man to plant a citrus-orchard there. He joined a company making a specialty of developing and then selling citrus-land, and he acquired fifty acres of oranges; but in recent years, he sold off all but twelve acres, which he still holds. Captain Hutchinson started the town of Lindsay, in 1891, naming it after his wife's middle name, an old family name. Lindsay has since grown with the growth of its citrus industry, until it is now the largest individual shipping point for citrus fruit in the United States. In 1906, the father moved to Palo Alto, and retired, and there he is still living. Three children were granted this worthy pioneer couple: Mary Lindsay, having married, is Mrs. Post of Palo Alto; William N. L. Hutchinson is the subject of our review; Arthur John Lindsay Hutchinson lives in Los Angeles.
William Hutchinson attended the primary and secondary schools of Palo Alto; then after two years at Stanford, he entered the University of California, and was graduated with the degree of B. S. as a member of the class of 1915. Soon after graduating from Stanford, he returned to Lindsay and engaged for a year in the citrus industry. In 1916, he came into the region of the Sacramento delta, and with Mr. Darsie and Mr. Pettigrew he purchased 660 acres in the Holland tract, near Clarksburg, now devoted to the growing of asparagus and garden truck. He is agent for the American Fruit Growers, Inc., for the delta region.
In May, 1917, Mr. Hutchinson, in responding to the call for Americans to stand by the United States, entered the first officers' training camp at the Presidio, San Francisco, and in August, 1917, was commissioned second lieutenant of United States Infantry, and at different times served with Companies D and H. He went overseas to France with his regiment, and served as reserve in the St. Mihiel drive, and he took up an active part in the Meuse-Argonne offensive, and was then moved up into Belgium, and participated in the Lys-Scheldt offensive. He returned to the United States with his regiment, and was discharged as first lieutenant from Fort D. A. Russell, Wyoming. And then he returned to his farming on the Sacramento River.
On April 20, 1921, Mr. Hutchinson was married to Miss Doris Seymour, a native of Sacramento, and the daughter of Col. H. I. and Grace A. (Brownlee) Seymour, the latter a representative of the Brownlee family, who were pioneers of the state, while Colonel Seymour was a prominent business man in Sacramento and was a colonel of the California National Guards. He died September 1, 1913, being survived by his widow, who makes her home in San Francisco. Two Children were born to them: Donald graduated from Stanford University in 1915 with the degree A. B., and is a member of Sigma Nu fraternity. He is now with the Standard Oil Company in San Francisco. Doris attended the Sacramento High school and was graduated from Stanford University with the degree A. B., and there got that fine foundation through which she has been able to help her husband. She is a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma and Phi Beta Kappa, while Mr. Hutchinson is a member of the Onisbo Lodge, F. & A. M., Courtland, and of the Sacramento Post of the American Legion and Phi Kappa Psi fraternity.
Transcribed by: Jeanne Sturgis Taylor.
Source: Reed, G.
Walter, History of Sacramento County,
California With Biographical Sketches, Page 837. Historic Record Company, Los Angeles, CA.
1923.
© 2007 Jeanne Taylor.