Contra Costa-Yuba-Trinity County CA Archives Biographies.....May, William Byrd 1819 - 
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Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com November 27, 2005, 9:11 pm

Author: W. A. Slocum & Co., Publishers (1882)

COL. WILLIAM BYRD MAY.—The subject of this sketch, whose portrait appears in
this volume, is the son of Thomas and Rebecca (Adams) May, and was born in
Dickson county, Tennessee, October 30, 1819. In the Fall of 1833, he accompanied
his parents to Arkansas, and settled in Polk, now Johnson county, and there
resided until 1850, having, during the time, received the advantage of a common
school education, besides being employed on his father's farm. In the month of
February of the year just mentioned, our subject made his way to New Orleans,
and thence by way of the Isthmus and Chagres river, to the Land of Gold,
arriving in San Francisco, May 5, 1850. The Colonel immediately proceeded to the
mines at Foster's Bar, on the Yuba river, where, during the Summer, he
prosecuted mining with fair results. In the Fall of 1850, he moved to
Sacramento, and commenced a grocery and provision business, which he conducted
until the Fall of 1852, when he closed out and transferred his residence to
Weaverville, Trinity county, and once more embarked in mining operations, which
he continued until the Fall of 1853, when he was elected Senator from the
Twelfth Senatorial District, then comprising the counties of Trinity, Humboldt,
Siskiyou and Klamath. Col. May served during the sessions of 1854-55. In the
latter year he located in Contra Costa county, on his present place, and
commenced farming and stock-raising on his ranch, comprising some five hundred
acres. It may be mentioned that the style of "Colonel," is by no means the
usually empty one vicariously adopted by so many would-be heroes. Our subject
served with the Arkansas Regiment, under Col. Yell, in 1846, and fleshed his
maiden sword in Mexico, being present with his corps at Buena Vista and other
engagements. He has now settled down to the life of a farmer. It can be
truthfully said of him that he has ever regarded toil as manly and ennobling,
while, it is pleasant to contemplate that after passing through an honorable,
yet checkered life, he is now enjoying the comforts of a happy home, with the
wife of his choice, both beloved by their children and friends. Col. May married
firstly, in 1839, Sarah Perry, by whom he has one surviving child, Sarah Alice.
He married secondly, in 1852, Mary E. Perry, widow of William H. Inskeep, and
has: Virginia L., Hattie Eva and Edward Frederick.

Additional Comments:
Extracted from:

HISTORY OF CONTRA COSTA COUNTY,
CALIFORNIA,
INCLUDING ITS GEOGRAPHY, GEOLOGY, TOPOGRAPHY, CLIMATOGRAPHY AND DESCRIPTION;
TOGETHER WITH A RECORD OF THE MEXICAN GRANTS; THE BEAR FLAG WAR; THE MOUNT
DIABLO COAL FIELDS; THE EARLY HISTORY AND SETTLEMENT, COMPILED FROM THE MOST
AUTHENTIC SOURCES; THE NAMES OF ORIGINAL SPANISH AND MEXICAN PIONEERS; FULL
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY OF THE COUNTY; SEPARATE HISTORY OF EACH TOWNSHIP, SHOWING
THE ADVANCE IN POPULATION AND AGRICULTURE;
ALSO,
Incidents of Pioneer Life; and Biographical Sketches
OF EARLY AND PROMINENT SETTLERS AND REPRESENTATIVE MEN;
AMD OF ITS TOWNS, VILLAGES, CHURCHES, SECRET SOCIETIES, ETC.
ILLUSTRATED.
SAN FRANCISCO: W. A. SLOCUM & CO., PUBLISHERS
1882.


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