Santa Clara County
Biographies
WILLIAM F.
OLDHAM
WILLIAM
F. OLDHAM. To William F. Oldham belongs the honor of being the first mayor of
Gilroy, a town which felt the impress of his personality in both public and
business circles. For a number of years he was quite extensively engaged in the
hotel and livery business, but since 1902 has lived retired in Morgan Hill. The
Oldham family is of English extraction, and the paternal grandfather of
William F., Major George Oldham, was a native of Virginia, fought in the
Revolutionary war, and for valiant services became a major. He died near
Greenville, S. C., and the life history of his descendants is closely
associated with the same vicinity, for it was there that both William F. and
his father, Garland Oldham, were born. The latter became prominent in the
south as a planter and in 1836 he located in Perry county,
Ala., where in time he became the owner of three large cotton plantations. He
died there in 1844, at about forty-five years of age. He wedded
Miss Nancy Stone, born in the same locality, who died in 1838, when
she was about forty years old. Of the four children born to this couple there were three sons and one daughter.
Born
December 19, 1826, William F. Oldham was educated in the common schools of
Alabama and grew to manhood on his father’s plantation, which continued to be
his home until 1852. He then went to California, making the trip via the
Isthmus of Panama. He was on the Isthmus for three months, but finally completed
the journey on the steamer Pacific, which arrived at San Francisco in September
of the same year. In this city he became associated with the furniture house of
Jonas G. Clark & Co., officiating as their business
manager and shipping clerk for a number of years. About 1859 he severed his
connection with this company, and purchased cattle and sheep at Los Angeles,
driving them to San Francisco, where they were sold at a fair profit. For two
years he followed this business, but in 1861 he discontinued it, locating the
same year in Gilroy. Here for nine years he was proprietor of the Stage
Exchange Hotel and Livery business, and it was during this period that he
became mayor of the town. Selling out, Mr. Oldham invested his savings in
three hundred acres of land near by, and turned his
attention to farm pursuits exclusively until 1902. Renting his ranch he retired
from active life and removed to his present place of residence at Morgan Hill.
The
home ties of Mr. Oldham date back to his residence in Gilroy,
for it was there that he wedded Miss Martha R. Martin, a native
of Missouri. Her father, Julius Martin, was a southerner, born in North
Carolina, and in early manhood he went to Tennessee, where his marriage took
place. He afterward removed to Missouri, remaining in that state for two years,
when he crossed the great plains to California in
1843, under the guidance of Captain Walker, and upon this trip was
accompanied by his wife and three little daughters. Mr. Martin purchased
part of a land grant near Gilroy, his original purchase being twelve hundred
acres. To this he made additions as his prosperity increased and in time he
acquired two whole grants, or fourteen thousand acres.
He was among the earliest settlers in this vicinity and became very wealthy and
influential. In the early days he was associated with General Fremont, and
as a citizen was highly esteemed. He died in Gilroy in 1891, aged eighty-seven
years. Four children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Oldham. Of these, two died
in infancy; Ashley was a promising young man who died during his school days
while a member of the junior class; Maud married Henry Miller, Jr., and she,
too, passed away some time after her marriage. Politically, Mr. Oldham is
a Democrat, supporting his favorite party by both his influence and his vote.
He is spending the sunset of life surrounded by the rewards of early industry,
and is an esteemed citizen of his community.
Transcribed
by Marie Hassard 25 October 2015.
Source: History
of the State of California & Biographical Record of Coast Counties,
California by Prof. J. M. Guinn, A. M., Page
818. The Chapman Publishing Co., Chicago, 1904.
© 2015 Marie
Hassard.