San Francisco County CA Archives Biographies.....Shattuck, David Olcott 1800 - 
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Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com March 3, 2006, 7:42 pm

Author: Alley, Bowen & Co. (1880)

Shattuck, David Olcott. Whose portrait appears in this work, is a native of
Colchester, New London county, Connecticut, born March 21, 1800. Here he
received a common school education. In 1820 he proceeded to South Carolina,
where he found employment for a short time on the canal above Columbia. After
drifting about for some time, he found his way into North Carolina and in the
Spring of 1821 he taught one term of school in Mecklenburg county, when he
proceeded to Chatham county and there engaged in school teaching until 1823, and
while here he was licensed to preach in the Methodist Episcopal church. He then
returned to the place of his birth and taught school one term. During this time
his name had been proposed to the Virginia Conference and accepted, and he was
appointed to the Hanover Circuit in Virginia, which position he held three
years. He married in Wake county, North Carolina, on May 7, 1827, Miss Elizabeth
Ann Saunders, at which time he was engaged in teaching school in Johnson county.
Late in the year he moved to Duplin county, North Carolina, and followed his
former occupation until 1829. In December of this year he emigrated to Haywood
county, in the Western District of Tennessee. Here he was admitted to the Bar
and practiced his profession in Brownsville for four years. In 1833 he took up
his residence in Carrolton, Carroll county, Mississippi, where he practiced law
until 1837, when he was elected District Judge of the Seventh Judicial District.
In 1841, while still officiating as Judge, he was nominated by the Whig party
for Governor. The all-important question was at that time "Shall the State pay
its bonds?" The Whig party said yes in decided terms, while the Democracy said
no emphatically. The Democrats were successful, however, and elected their man,
Mr. Shattuck being defeated by only two thousand votes in the State. He then
resumed the practice of law until 1843, when he was elected Professor of law in
the Centennary College at Brandon, Rankin county, Mississippi. After holding
this position for one and one-half years, the Trustees found it necessary to
remove the president, which they did, and elected Mr. Shattuck to fill the chair
made vacant by the former president. On account of financial difficulties and a
poor title, the college had to be abandoned. Soon after they purchased at
auction the Louisiana State college buildings, which were afterwards known as
the Centennary College of Louisiana. He resigned the position of president in
1849. Under his management the college was in a flourishing condition, and was
entirely freed from debt, with two hundred students in attendance. Soon after
his resignation, he took passage on a schooner to Panama and from there on a
sailing vessel to San Francisco, arriving in April, 1850. He immediately began
practicing law in San Francisco, and in the Fall of 1850 was elected Judge of
the Superior Court. At this time the business of the court was managed by three
Judges, and Mr. Shattuck, believing this a useless expense, as one Judge could
do all the its business, accordingly, in 1852, petitioned the Legislature that
the same should be remodeled and one Judge perform the whole duty, which was
accomplished, and he therefore resigned the Judgeship and practiced law. In 1854
he was elected Judge of the Superior Court, as remodeled, and discharged the
duties of that office until 1857, when the act establishing said court was
repealed upon Mr. Shattuck's petition. He again resumed his profession. In 1861
he was defeated on the Democratic ticket for Congress. In 1862 he came to this
county and settled upon his estate in Sonoma valley (purchasing it in 1850),
where he has since resided, with the exception of three years he spent in
Mexico. Returning in 1867, he retired from business and political life. His
wife, who died July 9, 1875, was born in Wake county, North Carolina, January 6,
1804. As is seen by the foregoing, Mr. Shattuck has lead a very active life, is
an ornament to society and possesses those traits of character that are
elevating and ennobling. He is now nearly eighty years of age, but remarkably
well preserved. Mr. Shattuck claims the credit of never having sought a
nomination for any office, from any Convention. That while in office he never
received a gift from any person, "to blind his eyes withal," and that he has
performed the duties of every office held by him with conscientious assiduity
and fidelity. He reflects with pleasure upon the four months' campaign he made
in 1841 in Mississippi against the repudiation of her debts, and justice and
truth require him to say that while by the popular vote of that State a majority
of two thousand were in favor of repudiation, yet the repudiation in the main
was voted by those who had nothing to pay—all of the wealthy counties gave a
majority for payment. Mr. Shattuck looks also with satisfaction to the
conservative course taken by him in the various mobish excitements and Vigilance
Committees of San Francisco; in saving Barden from violent death; in preventing
a collision of forces in 1856, and in pouring oil upon the troubled waters
generally to the extent of his powers. He looks with sadness upon his many
errors, but they have taught him to view with charity the shortcomings of
others. Their children are: Frank W., born February 14, 1828; Dickson P., born
November 2, 1829; David O., born September 17, 1831; John S., born October 1,
1833; Mary E., born August 17, 1835; James W., born October 15, 1837; Jane T.,
born December 27, 1839; Albert, born November 17, 1841; Elizabeth S., born
December 22, 1843; Robert P., born March 4, 1847.

Additional Comments:
Sonoma Township

Extracted from:

HISTORY
—OF-
SONOMA COUNTY,
-INCLUDING ITS—
Geology, Topooraphy, Mountains, Valleys and Streams;
—TOGETHER WITH—
A Full and Particular Record of the Spanish Grants; Its Early History and
Settlement, Compiled from the Most Authentic Sources; the Names of Original
Spanish and American Pioneers; a full Political History, Comprising the Tabular
Statements of Elections and Office-holders since the Formation of the County;
Separate Histories of each Township, Showing the Advancement of Grape and Grain
 Growing Interests, and Pisciculture;
ALSO, INCIDENTS OF PIONEER LIFE; THE RAISING OF THE BEAR FLAG; AND BIOGRAPHICAL
SKETCHES OF EARLY AND PROMINENT SETTLERS AND REPRESENTATIVE MEN;
—AND OF ITS—
Cities, Towns, Churches, Schools, Secret Societies, Etc., Etc.
ILLUSTRATED.
SAN FRANCISCO:
ALLEY, BOWEN & CO., PUBLISHERS.
1880.


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