Imperial-San Diego-Riverside County CA Archives Biographies.....Masten, William W. 1853 - ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ca/cafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com February 18, 2006, 8:52 pm Author: F. C. Farr (editor, 1918) WILLIAM W. MASTEN.—No section of the country can boast of a more sturdy and courageous band of pioneers than Imperial County, but not all of the early settlers of this section had the courage of their convictions to such an extent as had William W. Masten. The enterprise to which a community owes its importance in an industrial and commercial way are those which build up and develop its resources. In this connection mention should be made of Mr. Masten. He is one of the county's leading business men, and he came to the county December 25, 1900. He was born April 10, 1853, in Pennsylvania, a son of John W. and Mary Elizabeth Masten; both parents were natives of Dutchess County, New York. The genealogy of the family dates back before the Revolutionary war. William W. received his education in Iowa, where his parents moved when he was young. His father was a pioneer in Iowa and took up a homestead and became one of the first business men in his locality. William W. assisted on the home place until he was twenty-six years of age. He studied nights after a hard day's work and was self-educated. Leaving home he bought land from the railroad company and farmed for three years. He then went to northwest Nebraska, where he took up prairie land and improved his holdings. Here he remained for four years. Going to Kansas he rented on a large scale where he remained until he came to California and settled in San Diego, which was in 1890. Here he remained for a time and then went to Corona, Riverside County, where he followed farming and contracting for ten years. He then, on December 25, 1900, landed in Imperial County and became engaged by the California Development Company and was located at Cameron Lake. In six weeks Mr. Masten was made superintendent of the company's team work. He remained in this capacity ninety days. He was then given charge of the entire contract work, working as many as 250 head of horses on the ditch system. He followed this for a period of four years. He then developed his own section of land, fencing and cross-fencing and raising crops. He had as high as 150 head of cattle and operated at that time the largest dairy in the county. In 1908 Mr. Masten disposed of his ranch holdings in conjunction with other work and engaged in the hotel business. Mr. Masten has the distinction of erecting the first house, hotel, meat market, bakery, and started the first transfer business in El Centre Having also erected the first livery stable, he had the control of the livery business in the county. Mr. Masten is a Prohibitionist. He was twice married, the first union being to Miss Emma P. Purdy in 1878, and her death occurred in 1883; to this union were born John Wesley, born in 1880, now farm adviser and professor of agriculture, located at Reedley, California, and Charles Franklin, born in 1881, a graduate of the architectural school of the University of California, and now serving as first lieutenant in the Engineering Corps at Camp Kearney. He was inspector of the Wheeler Memorial Building of the University of California at Berkeley. 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 File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ca/imperial/bios/masten546bs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.poppet.org/cafiles/ File size: 3.9 Kb