Imperial-Orange-Riverside County CA Archives Biographies.....Best, William Henry 1865 - 
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Author: F. C. Farr (editor, 1918)

WILLIAM HENRY BEST.—A highly esteemed and respected citizen of Brawley, William
Henry Best is eminently worthy of special mention in the first history of
Imperial County. Few of the pioneers of the county met with such success as fell
to the portion of Mr. Best, who is now the owner of the finest property in the
county, consisting of 320 acres, which has been brought up to a high state of
cultivation. Possessed of progressive ideas, energy and enterprise, he made his
ventures a success. William H. Best is the senior member of the firm of Best,
DeBlois and Covington, and came to the county in March, 1904. He purchased a
half section in No. 4, and a half section in No. 5; about three years later he
invested in stock of the Imperial Valley Savings Bank, and in 1912 he was
appointed vice-president. He has served as president of Water Company No. 4 for
the past seven years, and has been identified as chairman of the advisory board
of the Imperial County Water Companies for a period of two years, and is still
serving as chairman of that board. Mr. Best was born in Port Williams, Nova
Scotia, September 28, 1865, son of Newton W. and Anna C. (Holmes) Best. Mr.
Best's father resides in Turlock, California, and is 79 years of age. His mother
died December 12, 1912, and is buried in Santa Ana. Mr. Best received his
education in the California schools, having accompanied his parents to this
State via the Panama route. He assisted on the home place at Santa Ana until he
was of age. He then went to Beaumont, California, where he purchased land and
rented more and engaged in the livestock business. Here he remained until 1894.
He then returned to Orange County and rented land. Later he purchased a ranch
and remained at Tustin until he removed to Imperial County. In politics Mr. Best
is a Republican. Fraternally he is a member of the I. O. O. F. lodge. He was
married at Redlands, California, December 27, 1892, to Miss Anna Covington,
daughter of Peter H. and Martha A. Covington. Her father's death occurred in
1917, at the age of seventy-one, and her mother resides at Santa Ana,
California. To Mr. and Mrs. Best have been born two children—Hallie M., born
January 23, 1894, wife of Dr. R. O. Thompson of Imperial, California, and Arthur
L., born April 5, 1901, attending the Northwestern Military Academy. Mr. Best
has had considerable experience in placing loans in the Valley, and has been
actively engaged in the real estate business for the past six years. His motto
appears to be "First know the land, then tell the truth." That Mr. Best knows
Imperial Valley land is a well-known fact to all of his business associates.
There is probably not another man in the district so well acquainted with soil
conditions in the Valley as Mr. Best. At a time when money was scarcer than
overcoats in Imperial Valley, Mr. Best made two trips to Washington for the
purpose of getting government aid for building a levee in Mexico and succeeded
in getting it.

Additional Comments:
From:

THE HISTORY
OF
IMPERIAL COUNTY
CALIFORNIA
EDITED BY
F. C. FARR

IN ONE VOLUME
ILLUSTRATED
Published by ELMS AND FRANKS
BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA 1918


Printed by Taylor & Taylor, San Francisco


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