Yolo-Sierra County CA Archives Biographies.....Lawson, John D. 1832 - ************************************************ 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 December 13, 2005, 11:38 pm Author: Tom Gregory JOHN D. LAWSON A southern home in Tennessee, near the banks of the Cumberland river in Jackson county, forms the earliest recollections of John D. Lawson, for there he was born July 15, 1832, and there he spent the first eight years of his life. Far distant as are those days, shadowed by the intervening activities of a useful and active existence, he recalls the happiness of the childhood home, the hospitality of the southern neighbors, the contentment of the family in the midst of privations and the true devotion of their intimate friends. When, however, news came of better soil and cheaper land in Missouri, the family were quick to grasp the opportunity, and during 1840 they removed by wagon to the newer country of their hopes, settling on raw land near Keithsville, Clariton county. In 1852, when he was twenty years old, the young frontiersman crossed the plains with ox-teams to California with an expedition of emigrants and settled in Sierra county, but a year later, in 1853, he came to Yolo county, where he has since lived and labored. At the time of his arrival in Yolo county Mr. Lawson was unmarried, but in a few years he established a home for himself and his bride and on the 13th of September, 1855, Rev. J. N. Pendegast united him in marriage with Miss Jane Browning. Prior to his marriage and for some years thereafter he cultivated land a few miles southwest of Woodland, but in 1864 he moved into town and here he has since resided. Different lines of business activity have engaged his attention at different periods of his residence in this place. During the term of William Minis as sheriff of Yolo county he acted as under sheriff and for a term of four years he served as deputy under Sheriff Bullock, also under Jason Watkins. From 1874 until the expiration of the term he held the office of county recorder. In addition he served for three terms as town trustee and during a part of the time he was honored with the presidency of the board. He had the distinction of being the first city marshal of Woodland. The family of Mr. and Mrs. Lawson consists of one daughter and four sons, namely: Genoa, who married Wallace Pond and lives in Berkeley; William H., James B., Robert G. and Edward. For a number of years Mr. Lawson ran a livery business at the corner of Second and Main streets, Woodland, the present site of the Democrat office, and later he was associated with H. L. Marders in the livery business, their stable standing on the corner of College and Main streets. When he had severed his connection with the livery interests Mr. Lawson became one of the pioneer real estate agents in Woodland, where in 1900 he took into partnership his son, Robert G., under the firm title of J. D. & E. G. Lawson, dealers in real estate. However, in 1911, he sold his interest to his son and retired from business. Throughout his long identification with Yolo county Mr. Lawson has kept posted concerning property matters and few men understand soil values better than he, while none is more enthusiastic concerning the possibilities of this section of the state. Few are now living who preceded him to this county. The sunshine and shadows of almost sixty years have fallen upon his head since he first came here, a robust young fellow with life's possibilities all ahead of him, and it has been his privilege, as he passed from youth to age, to witness the development of the country and to contribute to the same his own quota of useful activities and superior mental powers. Additional Comments: Extracted from HISTORY OF YOLO COUNTY CALIFORNIA WITH Biographical Sketches OF The Leading Men and Women of the County Who Have Been Identified With Its Growth and Development From the Early Days to the Present HISTORY BY TOM GREGORY AND OTHER WELL KNOWN WRITERS ILLUSTRATED COMPLETE IN ONE VOLUME HISTORIC RECORD COMPANY LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA [1913] File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ca/yolo/bios/lawson170nbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/cafiles/ File size: 4.5 Kb