Stanislaus County CA Archives Biographies.....Walthall, Lawson B. 1844 - ************************************************ 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 http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00001.html#0000031 April 28, 2018, 11:36 pm Source: See below Author: Lewis Publishing Co. L. B. WALTHALL.—-Among the citizens of Stanislaus county who have thoroughly identified themselves with her interests, the gentlemen whose name heads this sketch stands prominent, and a brief outline of his career, therefore, becomes an essential feature of the history of this community. Lawson B. Walthall was born at Columbus, Lowndes county, Mississippi, on the 11th of April, 1844, his parents being Madison and Elizabeth F. (Burfoot) Walthall. The Burfoots and Walthalls were an old Virginia family, their progenitors in this country having settled in the Old Dominion about 1720. The father of our subject was born in Charlotte county, Virginia, arid was reared in that State. He became a tobacco manufacturer and conducted an extensive business at Richmond. He married Miss Elizabeth F. Burfoot, who was born at Manchester, Chesterfield county, Virginia. In 1834 he removed to Mississippi, and in 1849 went from that State to California to try his fortunes in the gold fields. His route took him through Texas, and through Durango in Mexico to Mazatlan, from which latter point he proceeded by sea to San Francisco. Arrived in California, he engaged in mining about Coloma on Feather river, and during the year spent there was very successful as a miner. About a year later he became a resident of the towns of San Jose and Sacramento, and speculated in real estate to a considerable extent. Being a man of much force of character and well informed in public affairs, he was chosen from San Jose as a member of the first Legislature of California, in the proceedings of which he took a prominent part, as well as in the work of several important committees. Going back to Mississippi he brought his family to California in 1851, and they landed at San Francisco on the 25th of May from the old steamer Columbus. He located in Stockton and was appointed the first Collector of the Port of Stockton, by President Millard Fillmore. He had a large practice in Stockton as a land attorney, and also served several terms there as Associate Justice of the Court of Sessions; he also carried on ranching in San Joaquin county, near Stockton. His accidental death occurred near that city on the 28th of September, 1868, having lost his wife some eight years previously. L. B. Walthall, subject of this sketch, was but seven years of age when he came to California, and was reared to the age of fifteen years in San Joaquin county, where he began his education. He next attended the Baptist college at Richmond, Virginia, and was from there transferred to an uncle in North Carolina, where he attended the Beulah Male Institute for one year. Then the Civil war came on and he entered the Confederate service as a member of Company H., Third North Carolina Regiment, their Captain being A. M. Scales (afterward Governor of North Carolina). He was mustered into the service at Madison, in North Carolina, in April, 1861, and then proceeded to Garysburg, where the regiment was organized. The command went to Suffolk, where a couple of months' drilling ensued, then encamped for winter opposite Newport News, our subject being engaged during a great portion of the winter and early spring on special duty, surveying. The regiment reinforced Magruder early in April, 1862, and was in the retreat from Yorktown to the Chiokahominy, taking part meanwhile in the engagement of Seven Pines and others. He took part in the operations of the command about the fortifications of Richmond, previous to his discharge in July, 1862. In 1863 he went to New York city, where he spent the winter, then returned to California, arriving there on the 1st of March, 1864. He remained on the home ranch, about seven miles east of Stockton, until December, 1866, when he came to Stanislaus county and engaged as clerk in the store of Covert & Company, at Tuolumne City. Mr. Walthall describes this store as the busiest place he ever saw. Steamers brought goods right to the place, making it the source of supply for the settlers of all the outlying country, which was then rapidly settling up, and such were the demands upon the time of the store people that buyers were often compelled to wait throughout an entire day, and over night until the following day, in order to get waited on. He was engaged in the store until the 1st of February, 1870, and on the first of the following month assumed the duties of Clerk, Recorder and Auditor of Stanislaus county, at Knight's Ferry, having been chosen to the combined offices by the votes of the electors of the county at the preceding election. In October, 1871, he removed to Modesto, where the county seat was also moved, and here served out the balance of his term of office. In 1878, he with others organized the Farmers' Savings Bank of Stanislaus County, and served as its cashier until it was succeeded by the Modesto Bank, six years latter, remaining with the new institution but a short time until it got under headway. He has ever since been engaged in the real estate, loan and insurance business at Modesto. In 1876 Mr. Walthall was elected to the Board of Supervisors of Stanislaus county, and served as an active member of the Board throughout all the succeeding fifteen years, with the exception of one term of two years. During this time many of the permanent public improvements of Stanislaus county were made, and he took a prominent part in all measures tending to the real advancement of the country's interests, being universally regarded by the people of the county as an able, efficient and conscientious public officer. He has been twice married, first in September, 1869, to Miss Mary A. Covert, a native of Arkansas and daughter of H. K. Covert; she died in Modesto in June, 1872. By this marriage there were three children, all of whom are deceased. Mr. Walthall married his present wife April 11, 1877. She was formerly Miss Augusta W. Vass, a native of White county, Tennessee. They have five children, viz., Edward B., HuVh Lawson, Augusta Gracey, Elizabeth Y., and Octavius A. Mr. Walthall has taken an active part in the councils of the Democratic party of Stanislaus county, and attended the State convention of 1878 at Sacramento as a delegate. He is now a member of the County Central Committee. Socially, he is a Commandery Mason and Odd Fellow. He assisted in organizing the first grange in the county, and in that more permanent and profitable association, the Grange Company of Modesto, a flourishing farmers' cooperative business institution. Additional Comments: Extracted from Memorial and Biographical History Merced, Stanislaus, Calaveras, Tuolumne and Mariposa Counties California Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Co. 1892 File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ca/stanislaus/bios/walthall1166gbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/cafiles/ File size: 7.3 Kb