Robert Lewis Byington (January 29, 1820 – June 20, 1886) was a
Democratic politician who served on the Sierra County Board of Supervisors (1867–1870) and (1875–1877), and California State Assembly, 24th District (1877–1878).
[Byington, Lewis](_blank)
The National Cyclopædia of American Biography, 1941 Byington was one of the early pioneers of
Sierra County, California
Sierra County () is a county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 3,236, making it California's second-least populous county. The county seat is Downieville; the sole incorporated city is Loyalton ...
. He was baptized as Robert Lewis Byington on August 27, 1820, by Rev. Heman R. Timlow.
Early life
Byington was born in
Southington, Harford County, Connecticut on June 29, 1820. He was a son of Zebulon and Abigail Webster, a cousin of
Daniel Webster
Daniel Webster (January 18, 1782 – October 24, 1852) was an American lawyer and statesman who represented New Hampshire and Massachusetts in the U.S. Congress and served as the U.S. Secretary of State under Presidents William Henry Harrison ...
. An early paternal American ancestor was William Byington who came with his wife Elizabeth Jackson from
Yorkshire
Yorkshire ( ; abbreviated Yorks), formally known as the County of York, is a historic county in northern England and by far the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its large area in comparison with other English counties, functions have ...
, England in 1638 and settled in the following year at
Rowley, Massachusetts
Rowley is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 6,161 at the 2020 census.
Part of the town comprises the census-designated place of Rowley.
History
The area was inhabited by the Agawam people under sachem Ma ...
.
The family moved to
Cincinnati
Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line wit ...
, Ohio, where he was raised and attended public school. Byington left Cincinnati and went by ship to California around
Cape Horn
Cape Horn ( es, Cabo de Hornos, ) is the southernmost headland of the Tierra del Fuego archipelago of southern Chile, and is located on the small Hornos Island. Although not the most southerly point of South America (which are the Diego Ramí ...
, reaching San Francisco on April 29, 1852. Seeking the discovery of gold in California, he moved to the mining district in the
Sierra Nevada mountains, going first to
Dutch Flat and then to
Goodyears Bar and
Monte Cristo in Sierra county.
On November 23, 1857, Byington married Catherine Alice Freehill at Forest City, Sierra County, California. She is the daughter of Francis Freehill, a native of Ireland. They had eight children: William Henry; Mary (died in childhood); Mary Emma, wife of
Tirey Lafayette Ford;
Lewis Francis; Charles Thomas; Catherine Lydia; Clara Mary; and Francis Joseph Byington.
The ''1870 U.S. Census'' lists Lewis Byington (49), Catherine (35), William H. (10), Mary E. (7), Lewis F. (2), Charles T. Byington (1).
In 1862 Byington settled at
Downieville, Sierra county. He was a butcher by trade and made a living in mining and stock raising and owned farm land in
Colusa County, California
Colusa County () is a county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 21,839. The county seat is Colusa. It is in the North Valley of California, northwest of the state capital, Sacramento.
History
...
.
Professional life
Byington was a Democrat. He was first elected Sheriff of Sierra county. During 1867–1870 and 1875–1877 he was a member of the
Board of Supervisors of Sierra county.
In 1877–1878 he was a member of the
California State Assembly for Sierra County. At age 59, he was registered to vote on April 15, 1879, in Downieville, Sierra, California.
[California Great Registers, 1866–1910]
Death
He died in San Francisco, California on June 30, 1886. He was 66 years old.
He was buried at the Downieville Cemetery in
Downieville, California.
References
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Byington, Lewis
1820 births
1886 deaths
People from Downieville, California
Members of the California State Assembly
19th-century American politicians