Sacramento County
Biographies
WILLIAM
KINKADE LINDSAY, M.D.
Since 1909 Dr. W. K. Lindsay has been city
physician, health officer and secretary of the board of health of Sacramento.
He was born at Sheldon, Sacramento county, September
4, 1877, and when he was thirteen years old the family moved into the city and
for six years he attended the public schools. He then took a four-year course
in the University of California and was graduated from the medical department
in 1901 with the degree of M. D. He began his medical practice in Courtland,
but five years afterwards moved to Sacramento, where he has since practiced his
profession. When the new charter for Sacramento was adopted in July, 1912, the
board of health was abolished, but he was continued in office as health officer
and city physician. He has been very active ever since his graduation in
advocating measures for the prevention of contagious diseases and the complete
stamping out of the same. In 1907 he was appointed as special inspector by the
board of health of Sacramento, and in this way he became well and favorably
known. On the resignation of Dr. H. L. Nichols, who desired to retire, Dr.
Lindsay was appointed health officer in January, 1909, since when he has filled
that important office. The summer of 1912 was strenuous because of the
concerted movement to eradicate rabies which was prevalent among all canines,
several persons having suffered injury from bites, and the board of
health found it necessary to give them the Pasteur treatment. Then came the infantile paralysis scare, but by rigid quarantine
the disease was abated and finally wiped out.
The father and grandfather of the doctor, both named William K. Lindsay, crossed the plains in 1851
with ox-teams and settled on the Consumne river. They
were dairymen and farmers on a large scale. The grandfather owned two thousand
acres of fine, fertile soil; he was a supervisor of the county of Sacramento
for a number of years and resigned the office in 1859. Dr. Lindsay's father
married in 1876 Miss Maria A. Tuttle, who was born in New York. She had come to
California from the state of New York in 1870 and had taught school until her
marriage. They were the parents of five children, namely: William K. is the
subject of this review. James Albert is now a practicing dentist in Sacramento.
Helen Salome is the wife of James H. Hayes, traffic manager of the Pacific
Fruit Exchange. Landon Sanders was a farmer on the Homestead Tract, and was
accidentally drowned in 1907; the family still own eight hundred and eighty
acres of farm and dairy land in this tract. Elmira Ann, the youngest in the
family, died in infancy.
Dr. William K. Lindsay married Etha Mae Walker, daughter of Henry C. Walker, formerly a
prominent business man in Detroit, Mich., but who had come to this state for
his health. The children of this marriage are: Almira
Maude, born June 2, 1902; William Kinkade, born
December 2, 1904; and Walker Henderson, born January 28, 1906. Naturally Dr.
Lindsay is broadly interested in all public questions both in and out of his
profession. He is a member of the Sacramento Society for Medical Improvement, a
member of the State Medical Society and also of the American Medical
Association and the Northern District Medical Society. In fraternity he is a
Scottish Rite Mason, a past district deputy grand president of the Native Sons
of the Golden West, and a past president of Courtland Parlor No. 106 of that
order. With Mrs. Lindsay he is an active member of the Eastern Star and of the
Congregational Church.
Transcribed by Sally Kaleta.
Source: Willis,
William L., History of Sacramento County,
California, Pages 816-818. Historic
Record Company,
© 2006 Sally Kaleta.