San Joaquin County
Biographies
WILLIAM B. WEST
WILLIAM B. WEST.--Prominent
among the California pioneers who have located in San Joaquin County and lent
their energies to the advancement of the material interests of the community,
is the gentleman with whose name this sketch commences. He is a native of
Tauton, Massachusetts, born in June, 1824, and the genealogy of the family as
given to some extent in connection with the mention of others of its members in
this work. He was reared and educated in his native city, but his health being
poor he went to sea, and followed a nautical life several years. He had,
however, taken an active interest in nursery stock from his early youth, and
was pretty well posted in regard thereto while yet residing in Massachusetts.
The discovery of gold in California and the consequent excitement made a deep
impression on him, and in February, 1849, he sailed from Providence for the new
land of golden wealth, on the barque Floyd. Among the passengers on that vessel
whose names will be familiar to readers of this work may be mentioned Otis
Perrin, a well-known citizen of Stockton at this writing, and James L. Cogswell,
a dentist of San Francisco. After an interesting voyage, they landed at San
Francisco, September 16, 1849. Mr. West started at once for the gold regions,
and did his first mining at Hawkin’s Bar, on the Tuolumne river. His mining
experience was confined to the diggings of the Southern mines. In 1850 and
1851, he and his brother George were in partnership in a store at Campo Seco,
but in the fall of 1852 he went on to the ranch where he now resides, north of
Stockton. In 1853, he embarked in the nursery business in connection with his
brother George, and they were the pioneers in that line in the San Joaquin
valley. In that year buying from Hovey & Co., Boston, they imported
principally seed for stock, and the next year brought out from the East different
varieties of trees, principally pears, apples, grapes, etc. This nursery,
located about two and one-half miles from the court-house, just off the
Calaveras road, on West’s lane, was started at a time when such an enterprise
was indeed, apparently, a hazardous venture, no one else having given thought
to the subject in this portion of California; and indeed in the entire State it
was almost a novelty, as mining and the lines of business necessary to supply
the camp were alone considered in those days as worthy of attention. But to the
fact that it was established, and proof shown that the fruit and vine interests
would some day prove of vast significance to this State, is due whatever
advancement has been made in this community in the lines of horticultural and
viticulture. When the nursery was started it was difficult to get people in
this region to plant fruit trees or vines, as the copper and gold excitement
monopolized attention. In 1866, Wm. B. West succeeded his brother’s interests
in the business, and about the same time, trade in the nursery line took a
great impetus, and became profitable. The demand on his stock, which was for
almost everything except oranges, extended as far as Riverside and San Diego. A
trade was also built up in Texas for grape vines and cuttings. Mr. West pushed
his business with great energy, and to enlarge his field of operation built up
a market by inducing people in new territory to embark in fruit and vine
culture. The raisin industry, which had made Fresno famous, received its first
push forward at the hands of Mr. West, who went to that locality and labored to
induce men there to take hold of an industry which he knew would bring them
wealth and best suit the conditions of soil and climate existing in that
region. His earnest work in behalf of the interest to which he has principally
devoted his life, has received general recognition throughout the State, and
his energetic services in the past, as an active member of the State Board of
Horticulture, are well appreciated.
Mr. West was married in San Francisco to
Henrietta Aiken, a native of Kentucky. He is a member of the San Francisco
Society of California Pioneers.
Transcribed by: Jeanne Sturgis Taylor.
An Illustrated History of San Joaquin County,
California, Pages 522-523. Lewis Pub.
Co. Chicago, Illinois 1890.
© 2009 Jeanne Sturgis Taylor.
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Biographies
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