Marin-Placer-El Dorado County CA Archives Biographies.....Vanderbilt, William 1831 - 
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Author: Alley, Bowen & Co. Publishers (1880)

  William Vanderbilt. The subject of this memoir, whose portrait appears in the
body of this work, and who is one of the pioneers of Tomales township, was born
in Lyons, Wayne county, New York, May 25, 1831, and is the son of Abram H. and
Julia A. Vanderbilt. He grew to manhood in the county of his birth, there
receiving his early education at the Lyons Union School, while residing on a
farm with his parents, near that town. Arriving in California by way of the
Isthmus of Panama, early in the year 1850, Mr. Vanderbilt at once proceeded to
the mines in Placer and El Dorado counties, where he sojourned until the month
of January, 1857, when he came to Tomales and embarked in farming and dairying
on the ranch now in the possession of A. Woodworth. Not long after this he took
up some Government land which he commenced to cultivate, and has since
principally followed that occupation. Mr. Vanderbilt was one of the leaders in
the Settlers' League, which was formed for the purpose of resisting a Spanish
claim to what is now known as the "Bolsa de Tomales" Grant; and after a hard
struggle in various of the courts of the State, and in the United States Supreme
Court, resulted in the defeat of the claimants to the grant, and the reverting
of the disputed land to the Government. He was also one of the chief promoters
in the Grange movement, he being one of the incorporators of the Grangers' Bank
of California, and the Grangers' Business Association of California. In 1859 he
was appointed Assessor for Marin county, at which time he served for one year.
In 1871 he was re-elected to that office for a term of four years, and again in
1879, was he called upon by his fellow-citizens to fill the same office, the
duties of which, under the working of the New Constitution, had been quadrupled.
He has held, during his residence in Tomales township, a number of minor,
offices— such as Deputy Sheriff, Justice of the Peace and Constable, while in
the year 1866 he was admitted to the practice of law in the Seventh Judicial
District of California. From the foregoing it will be seen that the subject of
our sketch is, besides being an old settler in the county, a man worthy of
esteem. For twenty years and more he has been officially connected with Marin,
either in his home township or in the more responsible duties of a County
office—conclusive evidence of his popularity with the people among whom he
resides. Starting early out in life with naught but an abundance of energy and a
fixed determination to surmount all difficulties that should bar his path, he is
now, in the fullness of his prime, in a position to enjoy the comforts of a
happy home, surrounded by an intelligent family and hosts of ardent
friends—loved by all, hated by none. Mr. Vanderbilt married in Tomales, Marin
county, December 20, 1862, Mary Fitzgerald, by whom he has Minnie, born June 27,
1866; Frank H., born June 18, 1868; Charles B., born April 2, 1870; Nellie C.,
born February 26, 1872; and Newell, born June 4, 1874.

Additional Comments:
Extracted from:

HISTORY OF MARIN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA;
INCLUDING ITS
Geography, Geology, Topography and Climatography;
TOGETHER WITH
A Full and Particular Record of the Mexican Grants; Its Early History and
Settlement, Compiled from the most Authentic Sources; Names of Original Spanish
and American Pioneers;

A Full Record of its Organization; A Complete Political History, including a
Tabular Statement of Office-holders since the Formation of the County;

Separate Histories of Bolinas, Nicasio, Novato, Point Reyes, San Antonio, San
Rafael, Saucelito, and Tomales Townships;

Incidents of Pioneer Life, and Biographical Sketches of its Early and Prominent
Settlers and Representative Men;
ALSO
An Historical Sketch of the State of California,
In which is embodied the Raising of the Bear Flag

ILLUSTRATED.
SAN FRANCISCO, CAL. 
ALLEY, BOWEN & CO., PUBLISHERS.
1880.


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