William Watt (miner) explained

William Watt (July 14, 1828 – July 5, 1878) was a California Gold Rush mining executive, California State Senator, Regent of the University of California,[1] Director of the Nevada County Narrow Gauge Railroad,[2] and owner of the Grass Valley Telegraph, the first newspaper in that town.

Personal life

Watt was born in Scotland, and spent his early years as a marine engineer.[3] He came to the US when he was 20 and by 1852 was in California. He was a Royal Arch Mason.[4]

Career

He participated in the California Gold Rush by working and purchasing mines in the Grass Valley area. Watt was superintendent and part owner of the Eureka Mine.[5] [6] He also owned the Massachusetts Mine in Grass Valley and discovered the Derbec Mine (near North Bloomfield).[7] From 1861 until 1863, he served as California State Senator from Nevada County. He served as Regent from 1868 until his resignation in 1871, when he became a candidate for Governor of California on the Democratic Party ticket.[8] Watt died in North Bloomfield, California following an accident involving a runaway buggy.[9]

Notes and References

  1. Book: United States. Congress. Congressional edition. 30 December 2011. Public domain. 1870. U.S. G.P.O.. 71–.
  2. Book: Bancroft, Hubert Howe. The Works of Hubert Howe Bancroft: History of Nevada, colorado, and Wyoming. 1890. 30 December 2011. Public domain. 1890. A. L. Bancroft & company. 590–.
  3. Book: Curtis, Edward. Two California sketches: William Watt, representative miner, a tribute to his memory. Leland Stanford, ex-governor of California and president of the Central Pacific Railroad, a biography. 30 December 2011. Public domain. 1880. Thomas' Steam Printing House. 12–.
  4. Book: Bean's history and directory of Nevada County, California: Containing a complete history of the county, with sketches of the various towns and mining camps ... also, full statistics of mining and all other industrial resources. 30 December 2011. Public domain. 1867. Printed at the Daily Gazette Book and Job Office. 195, 200–.
  5. Book: United States. Dept. of the Treasury. Rossiter Worthington Raymond. Statistics of mines and mining in the states and territories west of the Rocky Mountains: being the [1st-8th] annual report of Rossiter W. Raymond, U.S. commissioner of mining statistics]. 30 December 2011. Public domain. 1869. Govt. Print. Off.. 23–.
  6. Book: The Railway news .... 30 December 2011. Public domain. 1870. 33–.
  7. Book: Brower, Maria E.. Gold Rush Towns of Nevada County. 30 December 2011. October 2006. Arcadia Publishing. 978-0-7385-4692-6. 2–.
  8. News: CANDIDATES FOR NOMINATION. January 28, 1871. Vol. 1, No. 51. Democratic Standard . 31 December 2011. San Luis Obispo, California .
  9. Web site: Regents of the University of California. May 28, 2004. The Regents of the University of California. 30 December 2011.

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