A Bio. of Wm. McKendree Carson
Printed in the "Stockton Daily Independent" Newspaper
Below you'll find the transcription of the article that appeared about William. The copy of the original article that the Stockton Library sent to me was rather poor. That's not surprising considering the age of the paper in which the piece appears.
Where there's doubt as to what a word or letter may be, I will italicize it. When it's simply impossible for me to even guess what a word might be, I will put a line. I will contact the library and see if I can get confirmation on the word before cemetery where it speaks of his interment. I will also ask the date of the issue in which this article appeared.
SUPERVISOR CARSON:
A Prominent Citizen and Officer of This County
A Brief Sketch of His Life From His Arrival Here in 1849 Until the Present Time
__________
The news that mountains of gold had been found in the half-fabulous land of California had scarcely more than found its way across the continent when, in January, 1849, W. McK. Carson, then nearly 20 years of age with two older brothers and ____ally number of other wealthseekers, left Baltimore; which had till then been his home, on the long ocean journey around the Horn. Six months after that departure, or on July 24th their ship the Jane "Parker", reached San Francisco, then barely beginning to show signs of that growth and prosperity which late since possessed the Golden Gate City.
The three Carson brothers were all carpenters, and the Jane Parker had scarcely more than landed its passengers in the infant city when they took the contract for the construction of a building which might have become historical, but did not. This was no less than a Postoffice building, which they built for the then Postmaster, Col. R. T. Allen. It was situated on Sansome street, and was so low that at high tide the water came up under the building. On this building the entire Baltimore company, consisting of eighteen persons, worked until it was completed.
We have said that this structure might have been a historic one, as indeed San Francisco's 1849 Postoffice would, in a sense have been. It was, however, deprived of all historic prominence by the little circumstance that it never was a Postoffice except in anticipation. No sooner was it completed than Colonel Allen with a beautiful faith that a sack of gold in the bank is worth two Postoffices on the edge of a bay, sold it for $10,000 advance on the first cost of the building, a fact which reminds one of the manner in which the guileless citizens of Los Angeles made money in the palmy ___ of that city's real estate boom now deceased.
In October of that year - 1849- the subject of this sketch first saw Stockton, a city which for its vicinity was henceforth destined to be his home. Mr. Carson came to this city for the purpose of superintending work on the Stockton house - afterwards called the St. Charles hotel - which stood where the Masonic temple now stands.
As an illustration of the prices which were then paid for labor, we may mention that the workmen on this hotel received $10 and $12 and board per day. Here Mr. Carson worked at his trade until February 18__ when he settled on 215 acres of land about one mile from his present location on the lower Sacramento road.
There he lived until 1856 when he purchased a squatter's right and moved to the place where he has since lived. As illustrative of the fact that money was not always to be made at whatsoever man might turn his hand to, even in those ____ times. It may be stated that Mr. Carson paid 12 1/2 cents a pound for his first seed barley, of which he planted ______________________ only to see the entire crop drowned out by the flood of the Winter of ____ 2. The first grading which was ever done on the Sacramento road was done by Mr. Carson while Road Overseer in 1856.
It was in 1854 while he was still living upon the farm first taken by him, that an event of considerable importance in the life history of Mr. Carson occurred. This was no less than his marriage to the lady who ever since has shared with him the blessings and sorrows of life. Unlike a great many of the men who came to this land in those early days, our subject could not feelingly sing of the girl he left behind him as he had neglected to leave such a one. He acceptingly found the one who was destined to be his wife here in California, in the person of Miss Belle Mitchell, daughter of Consider Mitchell, a well known resident formerly of Evansville, Indiana. Unto this couple have been born three daughters and two sons who are now women and men grown.
We cannot here expect to enter into the details of Mr. Carson's life from those early days until now. It will be of benefit, however, to state that in 1852 he with H. Cunningham, ran the first thresher, as well as the first reaper - a McCormick - which was worked in the San Joaquin valley. They were run from ranch to ranch, picking up work from five acres in one place, from ten acres in another, and thus making a very fair business for the machines, which by the way were shipped from Baltimore by Mr. Carson's father.
____ didn't _________________, it may be recorded that the subject of this sketch was first elected Supervisor of this county in 1882 and that he has ever since occupied the position, having been twice re-elected to an office which is especially one of trust and responsibility since San Joaquin county's magnificent Courthouse has been in progress of construction. Mr. Carson has been a Supervisor throughout the erection of this structure. Him being with the exception of Chairman A. Leitch, the only one of the present Board of whom this can be said.
To the construction of this public building he has devoted a vast amount of time, labor and practical experience, and the great success which has thus far attended the structure is due in no small degree to his untiring efforts. He is proud of the manner in which the work on this building has been done and feels that when it is completed it will be a public trust ___ ____ed, as indeed he may rightfully __.
Mr. Carson is a member of the California Pioneers, the Patrons of Husbandry and Knights of Honor (the word Honor may be the word Labor). A picture of his pleasant farm-house, situated about four miles from Stockton on the lower Sacramento road, will be found elsewhere in this issue. END
The above transcription supplied by William's GGG Niece, BJ Rivers Peters.
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