Sonoma-Solano County CA Archives Biographies.....Austin, James 1824 - 
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Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com March 3, 2006, 3:27 am

Author: Alley, Bowen & Co. (1880)

Austin, James. The subject of this sketch, whose portrait appears in this work,
was born in the province of Quebec, Canada, December 2, 1824. After attending
the common schools, he was sent, at the age of nineteen, to the Derby Centre
Academy, in the State of Vermont. His studious habits and manly conduct won the
esteem and approbation of his teachers and fellow students, and at the
expiration of the second term he accepted an opportunity to teach. After
teaching one term, he was enabled to enter Shefford Academy in Canada. Here he
studied diligently for two terms, and in the Fall entered the St. Hyacinth
College. The following Winter he taught again, but resumed his studies in the
college at the end of one term. His next step was to teach the English branches
at Beloeil College, where he studied the French language. In 1848 he returned to
his father's home, and on May 22, 1849, married Miss Anna, daughter of Osgood
Peasley, This lady was born in the Province of Quebec January 6,1828. Mr. Austin
was elected Mayor of the township of Bolton in 1858, which office he held until
his removal to the United States in 1868. During the latter terms of his office
he was appointed Warden of the Board of Mayors. It will be well here to explain
that the office of township mayors in Canada is similar to the Board of
Supervisors in our counties, and the Warden is the Chairman or President of the
Board. The office of Mayor clothed him with the dignity and power of a
magistrate; but as he was regularly appointed to the office by the Crown, he
became, therefore, one of the "Crown's Magistrates." For ten years he was one of
the Board of Directors of the Stanstead, Shefford, and Chambly Railroad, holding
the position as an ex-officio officer. He was twice nominated by the Liberal
party for the Provincial Parliament of Canada, and at the first election
received an almost unanimous vote in his own township. The entire number of
votes in the township was a little less than eight hundred, and all but thirty
were cast in favor of Mr. Austin, and he was beaten in the county by only eighty
votes. As before stated, he emigrated to the United States in 1868 and settled
in American canon, Green Valley township, Solano county, California. Here he
remained three years, when he removed to Santa Rosa. His present residence is a
fine ranch of one thousand, four hundred and eighty acres in the outskirts of
the town of Santa Rosa, and is one of the most delightful homes in that
vicinity. We here give the names and births of Mr. Austin's children: Howard J.,
born September 3, 1852; Herbert W., born August 2, 1854; Malcolm O., born July
25, 1863; Sewell S., born May 21, 1865, and Ashton E., born June 29, 1874. Three
children have died: Lyman P., born October 22, 1850, and died July 10, 1876;
Osgood E., born March 25, 1856, and died January 14, 1861; Florence Anna, born
June 7, 1860, and died January 24, 1861.

Additional Comments:
Santa Rosa 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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