William J. Knox (1820–1867) was a physician, businessman, and politician in 19th-century California. Knox migrated to California with his wife

Sarah Knox-Goodrich Sarah L. Knox-Goodrich (1825–1903) was a women's rights activist who worked for women's suffrage in California in the late nineteenth century. Her first husband, William Knox, was a business man, banker, and state politician. Her second husband ...

in 1850, and co-founded the South Yuba Canal Water Company in Nevada County. He served in the California Assembly for Nevada County and the

California State Senate The California State Senate is the upper house of the California State Legislature, the lower house being the California State Assembly. The State Senate convenes, along with the State Assembly, at the California State Capitol in Sacramento, Cal ...

for Santa Clara County where he authored a bill giving married women the right to control their own estate.

Early life

William James Knox was born October 20, 1820, near Hopkinsville, Christian County, Kentucky, and moved at an early age to Lincoln County, Missouri. He attended the

Louisville Medical Institute The Louisville Medical Institute was a medical school founded in 1837 in Louisville, Kentucky. It would be merged with two other colleges into the University of Louisville in 1846 and is considered the ancestor of the university's present day medi ...

in Louisville, Kentucky, and earned his medical degree in 1847, and practiced in Troy, Missouri until 1850. Knox married Sarah Browning on April 1, 1846.

Business and politics

In 1850, William and Sarah left Missouri, together with Sarah's sister, and traveled by wagon train to Nevada City, California. Knox and four partners built the South Yuba Canal and made a fortune selling water to gold miners during the

California gold rush The California Gold Rush (1848–1855) was a gold rush that began on January 24, 1848, when gold was found by James W. Marshall at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California. The news of gold brought approximately 300,000 people to California fro ...

. In 1854, Knox was elected to the California Assembly, representing Nevada County. In 1862, the Knoxes moved to San Francisco and then to San Jose in 1864. Knox purchased a 50-para lot on the northwest corner of First and Santa Clara streets in 1865 and built several buildings known collectively as Knox Block. Knox and his brother-in-law, T. Ellard Beans, opened Santa Clara County's first bank in 1866. It was called Knox & Beans, Bankers, and was located in Knox Block. Knox served as the bank's first president. After Knox's death, it was merged into the Bank of San José. In 1865, Knox was elected to the

for Santa Clara county. He served only one year before his death but authored two important bills. First, he introduced Senate Bill No. 252 that gave married women the right to control their own estate. The bill read: "Any married woman may dispose of all her estate by will, absolutely, without the consent of her husband, either express or implied, and may alter or revoke the same in like manner". The bill was passed. Second, he authored a bill for taxation of all property not owned by the state or county. Despite opposition from groups such as churches, the bill passed (posthumously). Knox died at Lick House in San Francisco on November 13, 1867. William and Sarah had one child, Virginia, who married Cabel H. Maddox of San Francisco. Maddox was elected to the California State Senate in 1882.

References

Sources

External links

Candidate biography of William Knox
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Knox, William J. 19th-century American politicians 19th-century American businesspeople 1820 births 1867 deaths 19th-century people from California 19th century in San Jose, California