San
Joaquin County
Biographies
ROLEY E. WILHOIT
The genealogy of the Wilhoit family
is traced to Germany, but its first representative in America crossed the ocean
during the colonial history of our country and settled in Virginia, where
several generations lived and labored with a fair degree of success. Following the trend of emigration toward the
unsettled wilderness of the west, the family pushed across the mountains to
Kentucky in an early day and aided in the agricultural development of that
commonwealth. Julius and Lucy (Ewell)
Wilhoit, parents of Roley E., were born, reared and married in Virginia, but
while still young they became pioneers of Kentucky and from there moved to
Illinois, settling in Edgar County. By
dint of the utmost frugality and indefatigable energy they accumulated large
holdings and acquired the title to about 800 acres of farm land. Among their eight children was a son J. Y.,
who enlisted at the opening of the Civil War and took part in various
engagements until he fell into the hands of the enemy, later dying in
Andersonville prison.
While still quite young, Roley E.
Wilhoit accompanied his parents from Jefferson County, Kentucky, where he was
born March 1, 1830, to Edgar County, Illinois, where he attended a country
school and an academy. After leaving the
home farm he clerk in a drug store for a time.
On leaning of the discovery of gold he determined to emigrate
to California and began to make plans for that purpose. With nearly one hundred young men from
various parts of the county in 1850 he outfitted for the trip across the
plains, and in May started from St. Joseph, Missouri, arriving at Hangtown,
California on August 8. After mining
there for a short time, Mr. Wilhoit proceeded to
Mokelumne Hill, where he worked in the mines during the winter, and in the
spring went to Jackson, Amador County, later to Folsom, mining at Willow
Springs for a time.
Arriving at Stockton May 8, 1852,
Mr. Wilhoit secured employment on a ranch and in the fall began to haul freight
to the southern mines. On account of the
high water he was forced to convey his goods to French Camp by boat and there
he loaded them on wagons for the remainder of the trip. For nine years he was engaged in freighting
and teaming. During the last six years
he had a partner and the firm of Bostwick & Wilhoit conducted a large
business in their line. During 1861 Mr.
Wilhoit was elected county recorder and this position he filled by successive
elections until March, 1868, when he embarked in the abstract, conveyancing and
real estate business. From small proportions
the business has grown until it ranks with the biggest of its kind in this part
of the state. The business was conducted
alone by Mr. Wilhoit for eighteen years, when he took his two sons into partnership;
still later the Wilhoit Abstract & Title Company was incorporated, with the
three members of the family and Messrs. Taylor and Comstock. It is now known as the San Joaquin County
Abstract Company.
Mr. Wilhoit was one of the
organizers of the Stockton Savings & Loan Society, now the Stockton Savings
& Loan Bank, was a member of its original board of
directors and many years ago was elected its president, serving for six years,
when he resigned on account of his health, and his son, E. L. Wilhoit,
succeeded him. Mr. Wilhoit, however,
continued as a director and a member of the finance committee and it was while
attending a meeting of this committee in the bank that he was stricken by
death.
Interested in all movements for the
welfare of the city and county, Mr. Wilhoit was one of the organizers and a
prominent member of the Pioneers’ Society; from 1872 to 1878 he served as a
member of the county board of supervisors, being chairman of the board for two
years, and from 1870 to 1873 was a councilman, and chairman of that board for
two years. After his election to the
board of education of Stockton he was chosen president of that body and filled
the post with efficiency and fidelity to the interests of the schools. As early as 1859 he became identified with
the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and in 1869 was made a Mason and was one
of the oldest members of the Knights of Pythias. He was an active member of St. John’s
Episcopal Church and vestryman for many years, and he was the oldest in point
of service of any senior warden in California.
Mr. Wilhoit’s
first marriage took place in Stockton October 7, 1861, uniting him with Miss
Delia Dwelly, who was born in Maine in 1844 and died
in Stockton January 14, 1872. Three sons
and a daughter survived her: George E.,
deceased; Eugene L., and Arthur and Alice, twins. The latter was the wife of Judge George Buck
and she is now deceased. The second
marriage of Mr. Wilhoit took place in Stockton December 11, 1873, and united him
with Miss Janet French Tilton, who was born at St. Johns, New Brunswick, in 1849. She passed away July 21, 1911. Three children were born of this union, a son
who died at the age of six years, and two daughters, Mary Wilhoit Hodgkins and
Elsie Wilhoit Hodgkins, both of Stockton.
Mr. Wilhoit passed away June 21, 1922, having reached the age of
ninety-two years and four months, his death closing an eventful career full of
accomplishment, his labors playing no small part in the progress brought about
through the span of his residence of seventy years in Stockton.
Transcribed by Gerald Iaquinta.
Source: Tinkham, George
H., History of San Joaquin County, California , Page
359-360. Los Angeles, Calif.: Historic
Record Co., 1923.
© 2011 Gerald Iaquinta.
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