Sacramento County
Biographies
WILLIAM LAND
WILLIAM LAND. Perhaps in no county in the world do so large a
proportion of the people live in hotels than in America; certainly in no
country do so large a proportion of the population spend their time in
traveling from place to place for business and pleasure; and thus the necessity
for ample commodious hotel accommodations is yearly increasing; nor are the
travelers of today satisfied with such accommodations as were furnished in the
past; the elegant structures which are being erected in every town for the
housing of her transient guests testify to this fact, and men of large means
and ample experience are found at the head of establishments of this
character. It has been truly said that
hotel men are born, not made; the meaning being, that no matter how elegant the
structure or the appointments or surroundings of a hotel may be, to make a
success requires a man of peculiar characteristics; he must have all the
qualifications of a thorough business man, including a ready tact, a thorough
intuitive knowledge of human nature, united with a great urbanity of manners,
and a never-failing supply of patience and good-fellowship. If with these characteristics he has at his
command a commodious and pleasantry located house, a success becomes assured
and the reputation of his hostelry established.
In the hotel known as the State house,
Sacramento located on the corner of Tenth and K streets, it would seem that the
qualities above referred to are carefully considered. The house was established in 1868 by David
Barton, and at that time had fifty six rooms; additions, however, were made
from time to time until 1882, when it was increased to one hundred and twelve
rooms. The next proprietor was S.
Eldred, who in 1886 disposed of it to C.E. Jenkins, the latter running it for
six years, and from him Mr. Land purchased the hotel in 1892. At once he commenced to refit and remodel the
house, which was run successfully as remodeled until
the summer of 1905, when it became necessary to enlarge the hotel
considerably. By the addition of
twenty-four new rooms it now numbers one hundred and sixty in all, with a
capacity three hundred guest, and by the addition of more dining-room space two
hundred guests can be accommodated at one time. These various improvements have been made by
an expenditure of between $30,000 and $40,000 and it is not too much to say
that in point of accommodations and hospitality the State house is second to no
hotel in Sacramento and is equalled by few on the
coast.
William Land was born in New York state October 11, 1837, a son of parents who were not
burdened with worldly riches, but were abundantly blessed with the qualities
and aspirations of which worthy and substantial citizens are made. In this atmosphere William Land was trained,
attending the public schools of his native state during boyhood. In 1860, when twenty-three
years old, he left his eastern home for the Pacific coast, arriving in
Sacramento March 29, 1860. His
first experience here was as messenger boy in the Western hotel, later being
promoted to bellboy, and still later, by diligence and close attention to his
duties, he finally became manager. After
holding this position for a number of years in 1875 he purchased the hotel, and
at once began remodelling and refitting it until it
became the largest and most important hotel in Sacramento, having a frontage of
one hundred and forty-two feet, and a depth of one hundred and sixty feet, four
stories in height and with two hundred and fifty-two well-furnished rooms. By strict attention to business he built up a
large and profitable patronage, and no hotel on the coast became better known
than the Western hotel. Mr. Land
disposed of the latter hostelry in 1905 in order to give his entire attention
to the State house, which he had purchased in 1892, running the two houses
simultaneously up to this time.
Besides his hotel, Mr. Land is largely
interest in real estate, being the owner of several large stock and grain
ranches, as well as orchards, and residence property also. Amid his many business interests he has never
lost sight of the well-being of his home town, and has not only taken part in
enterprises for its upbuilding,
but has often taken the initiative in such matters. At the hands of his Republican friends in
1898 he received the nomination and election to the office of mayor of
Sacramento, a position which he was in every way qualified to fill, and during
his incumbency of the office many valuable improvements to the city were made. For two years he was a member of the Board of
Trade, is at present serving a president of the Chamber of Commerce, in short is interested in all measures or organizations that
have the good of the community at heart.
Transcribed
by Louise E. Shoemaker, October 09, 2007.
Source: “History of the State of California and
Biographical Record of the Sacramento Valley, California” by J. M. Guinn. Pages 662-665. Chapman Publishing Co., Chicago 1906.
© 2007 Louise E. Shoemaker.