Santa
Clara County
Biographies
WILLIAM
S. GAINES
A home but recently rendered
desolate by the departure of a good and successful man to the great unknown, is
that of Mrs. William S. Gaines, the decease of whose husband in April 1903, at
the age of seventy-three, marked the passing of one who had looked cheerfully
upon life no matter how great the obstacles in his path, and who had faithfully
performed his duty from a business, home and community standpoint. Mr. Gaines
was one of the predominating class of men who came to
the coast in the early 50s without means, but with a wealth of determination
and practical common sense. At the age of nineteen he stepped from a
comfortable home at Newcastle, Henry county, Ky.,
where his birth occurred in 1830. He was a son of Bernard Gaines, of English
descent, and a native of Virginia.
William S. Gaines received an
average common school education, and was encouraged in industry and thrift. He
was ambitious, and after making his way to the Mississippi valley became
interested in tobacco raising, achieving a fair measure of success. He was not
so remotely buried in the wilds but that rumors of gold on the coast fired his
fancy and induced him to abandon tobacco raising in favor of the more rapid
means of gaining a livelihood pictured by returned enthusiasts, and in the
early spring of 1852 he returned to his former home and (sic) Kentucky and
arranged for the tedious journey across the plains.
Mr. Gaines’ journey westward did not
differ from that of the thousands of others who braved a region hitherto the
pride and home of the Indian, and he was mercifully spared the ravages of
cholera and the terror of Indian interference. For a short time he sought to
wrest a fortune from the mines, but not realizing his expectations, profited by
his observations as to the scarcity of lumber for building purposes. In fact,
the article could not be purchased at any price, and he therefore established
mills in different northern counties, operating them with large profit for a
number of years. When the price of lumber went down he sold his mills and went
to the Calaveras valley, where, with the late Dr. Johnson, he entered into
extensive stock-raising operations on a ranch which he greatly improved, and
equipped with modern buildings and machinery. Disposing of his ranch to the
Spring Valley Water Company, he came to the Santa Clara valley and purchased a
ranch of ninety acres, upon which was a vineyard and winery. He conducted the
winery for years, or until failing health necessitated his abandonment of any
business project whatsoever. Locating in a pleasant home in San Jose, he failed
to receive benefit from the change, and decided that a trip back east would
furnish the necessary recreation. A visit with old friends in Kentucky brought
the glow of health to his cheek and the old sparkle to his eye, but upon again
joining his wife and family in the west the old complaint returned, and a
consultation of experts upon brain disorders located an abscess of probably
long standing. An operation, which was his only alternative, proved unavailing,
and he lapsed into unconsciousness, from which he never awakened. In early life
he married Julia Walsh, who was born in Ireland and reared in New York state. Her parents were also natives of Ireland. Mrs. Gaines
is the mother of seven children, but two only grew to maturity and now comfort
her in her later days, Mrs. Luella Smith, and Alice. Mr. Gaines was popular and
influential in whatever region he called home, but was essentially a
home-loving man, gaining his greatest comfort and pleasure at his own fireside,
and rejoicing most in the companionship of his few intimate friends. He was
conscientious to an unusual degree, and had the reputation of being absolutely
sincere in speech, manner and thought.
Transcribed By: Cecelia M. Setty.
Source: History
of the State of California & Biographical Record of Coast Counties,
California by Prof. J. M. Guinn, A. M., Page 636. The Chapman Publishing
Co., Chicago, 1904.
© 2015 Cecelia M. Setty.