Biographies
WILLIAM S. WATSON
The lineage of the Watson family is traced
to the nobility of England and afterward the family was established in the
United States. The historical annals of Great Britain indicate that for more
than thirty-five years Sir Thomas Watson, M. D., held the honored place as
physician extraordinary to Queen Victoria. Dr. Watson of Sacramento is the son
of William Watson, who was a brother of Sir Thomas Watson and was a man of
classical education, and the highest culture, a graduate of the noted
university at Cambridge, and for years connected with a Philadelphia college as
instructor in higher mathematics and classics. While identified with the
educational interests of that eastern city he was united in marriage with Miss Priscillia Price, who traced her ancestry to Scotland but
claimed Philadelphia as her home city. Later they established a residence in
Indiana for a brief period and were associated with the pioneer educational
development and social development of that then frontier state; while there the
birth of their son, William S., occurred in September of 1853. Inheriting from
his parents a degree of intellectuality, as well as a keen ambition to acquire
knowledge, his progress through the lower schools of learning was swift and
while yet a mere lad he matriculated in Bellevue Hospital Medical College of
New York City. At the expiration of the regular course of lectures he was
graduated with the class of 1870, with the degree of M. D. Two years later he
embarked in practice in Central Illinois, but his talents demanded a different
field of professional labor and in pursuance of his ambitious plans to
specialize in medical work he went to the Hudson river
district of New York. For a long period he resided at Fishkill on Hudson and Matteawan, Dutchess county, and
New York City, the changes of headquarters being made by reason of professional
demands or business activities.
The achievements of Dr.
Watson in the realm of medicine during his long residence in the east reflects
a permanent lustre upon his professional reputation.
For fourteen years he conducted as sole proprietor the River View Sanitarium
near the banks of the Hudson in Dutchess county. The institution was founded and maintained for the
treatment of nervous and mental troubles. Later on he associated himself with
William T. Jenkins, M. D., a former health officer of New York City, in the
founding of a charitable hospital for the care and treatment of those
unfortunates who were ill and penniless. Such work, although not financially
remunerative, had its rich reward in the consciousness of promoting a needed
and beneficent philanthropy. It was during the period of his residence in
Central Illinois that Dr. Watson was married and there his only son, William
Martin Watson, was born. He is now engaged as a bank and corporation attorney
and is one of the leading professional men of New York City, where likewise he
is prominent in society and in civic affairs.
Coming to Sacramento in 1908, Dr. Watson
opened an office at No. 501 K street, but later
removed to the new Nicolaus building, where now he
occupies a modern suite, provided with all up-to-date appliances. In the midst
of a successful professional career he found leisure in the east to identify
himself with progressive civic movements. Not only did he serve with the
greatest efficiency as mayor of Matteawan, but twelve
years later he was elected to the same position at Fishkill on Hudson and was
the incumbent of the mayor's chair at the time of selling his sanitarium, which
was in 1900. He is a member of Beacon Lodge No. 283, F. & A. M., and
Highland Chapter No. 83 R. A. M. at Newburgh on Hudson. Professional
associations enlist his co-operation and wise assistance. Besides
being connected with the Sacramento County Medical Association and the
California State Medical Association, likewise the French Society of Electro
Therapeutic Association. For twenty years he served as examiner of
lunacy for the state of New York and for four years he has acted in the same
capacity for the State of California. During his many years of medical research
work, he has written many articles for the medical and lay press, upon current
topics, recently on the cause for the increase of the insane, treatment of the insane, and educational matters, etc.
Transcribed by Sally Kaleta.
Source: Willis,
William L., History of Sacramento County,
California, Pages 915-916. Historic
Record Company,
© 2006 Sally Kaleta.