Yolo-El Dorado County CA Archives Biographies.....Montgomery, William W. 1830 - 1894
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Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com February 22, 2006, 10:44 pm

Author: Tom Gregory (1913)

WILLIAM W. MONTGOMERY

    One of the earliest settlers of Yolo county was William W. Montgomery, whose
death, which occurred April 12, 1894, at his home, two miles southeast of Davis,
deprived that community of one of its most prominent and highly respected
citizens. A thorough business man, his excellent judgment and wise control of
every detail of his affairs justly merited the admiration which they inspired,
and his success was but commensurate with the industry arid executive skill put
forth in that behalf.

    Mr. Montgomery was born March 31, 1830, in Ralls county, Mo., and received a
common school education, eagerly seizing the meager educational advantages
offered at that period. His parents, William and Rebecca (Simmons) Montgomery of
Logan county, Ky., and North Carolina, respectively, settled in 1825 upon a
tract of undeveloped land in Ralls county, Mo., later moving to Marion county,
thence to Shelby county, where they continued to farm until 1850. In that year,
accompanied by two of his sons, Alexander and William W., the father crossed the
plains, joining his son Robert, who in 1849 had gone to Eldorado county, Cal.,
in company with other gold seekers. After a period of success in the mines, the
party located farms on Putah creek, Yolo county, confident of the bright future
awaiting the great untouched resources of that section. In 1853 William
Montgomery, Sr., returned to the wife and mother who so anxiously awaited his
return. In 1854 they bade goodbye to the scenes so familiar to them both and
turned their faces toward the golden west, in which they had placed their hopes.
Mr. Montgomery was a Democrat, loyal to every principle held by his party, and
until his death, at the age of seventy-four years, he retained a deep interest
in all public movements of worth. His wife, who had faithfully shared every
sorrow and joy of her husband and children, passed away in her eighty-fifth year.

    William W. Montgomery, a youth of twenty at the time of his removal to
California, displayed at an early age keen judgment, which, united with
perseverance, soon placed him in the ranks of the most successful and prosperous
ranchers of that community. Owing to the character and situation of his land,
which afforded ample pasture and excellent facilities for the production of hay,
he was enabled to raise profitably both horses and cattle, his chosen type of
the latter being the famous Durham Shorthorns. By means of careful attention to
his interests Mr. Montgomery became the owner of eleven hundred and three acres,
the management of which, upon his death, was undertaken by his widow and their
only son, John Elmo. Seven hundred acres of the property is used for pasture,
practically all of the remainder being devoted to the use of their stock, the
herd now numbering about four hundred. The high grade of the stock secured from
the Montgomery ranch is recognized by all cattle dealers. Though much of their
tract is well suited to the production of fruit and cereals, their income from
stock raising is such that they prefer to continue under the regime established
by the original owner.

    Mr. Montgomery's marriage on October 23, 1862, united him with Miss Caroline
Jones, whose birth occurred in Carroll county. Ark., and who accompanied her
parents to California in 1857, crossing the plains with ox teams. William M.
Jones was born in North Carolina and several years later moved with his parents
to Kentucky, where he received his education, later taking up farming as an
occupation. Afterwards he settled in Missouri, and later went to Arkansas, where
he remained until his location in the west. His wife, formerly Nancy Bass of
Barren county, Ky., accompanied her husband through all his travels, passing
away at their home in California at the age of seventy-five. Upon his arrival in
the west Mr. Jones engaged in farming and stock raising upon two hundred acres
six miles southwest of Santa Rosa, Cal. He served as justice of the peace in
Sonoma county, and until his death, while in his eighty-fourth year, actively
conducted his interests. Mr. and Mrs. Jones were both active members of the
Baptist Church, to which they lent generous support, and they enjoyed the esteem
of many friends. They were blessed with nine children, five of whom are living,
Mrs. Montgomery being the third oldest. Since her marriage she has resided in
Yolo county, and not only during the life of her husband did she aid and
sympathize in all his interests, but since his death she has continued her
intense devotion to all things in which he was interested. With the help of her
only son, J. Elmo, she has managed the ranch with such wisdom that in the past
few years it has steadily increased in worth. It has been enlarged by the
purchase of two hundred acres, now numbering thirteen hundred and twenty acres.

    William W. Montgomery was always interested in and a lover of fine horses,
which is also true of Mrs. Montgomery, and she and her son have for many years
been breeding thoroughbred and standard horses. Her son, J. Elmo, is now the
owner of Jim Logan, a horse which he trained, and he drove him as a
three-year-old at Woodland, where he made a record of 2:05 1/2, and again, in
1912, drove him at Grand Rapids, where he made a record of 2:03 1/4.


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]


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