William Watt (July 14, 1828 – July 5, 1878) was a
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 ...
mining executive,
California State Senator
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.
...
,
Regent of the University of California
The Regents of the University of California (also referred to as the Board of Regents to distinguish the board from the corporation it governs of the same name) is the governing board of the University of California (UC), a state university sy ...
,
Director of the
Nevada County Narrow Gauge Railroad
The Nevada County Narrow Gauge Railroad (NCNGRR) (nickname: ''Never Come, Never Go'') was located in Northern California's Nevada County and Placer County, where it connected with the Central Pacific Railroad. The Nevada County Narrow Gauge Railr ...
,
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.
He came to the US when he was 20 and by 1852 was in California.
He was a
Royal Arch Mason
Royal Arch Masonry (also known as "Capitular Masonry") is the first part of the York Rite system of the Masonic degrees. Royal Arch Masons meet as a ''Chapter'', and the Royal Arch Chapter confers four degrees: ''Mark Master Mason, Past Master, ...
.
Career
He participated in 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 ...
by working and purchasing mines in the
Grass Valley
A grass valley (also vega and valle) is a meadow located within a forested and relatively small drainage basin such as a headwater. Grass valleys are common in North America, where they are created and maintained principally by the work of b ...
area. Watt was superintendent and part owner of the Eureka Mine.
He also owned the Massachusetts Mine in Grass Valley and discovered the Derbec Mine (near
North Bloomfield).
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
The governor of California is the head of government of the U.S. state of California. The governor is the commander-in-chief of the California National Guard and the California State Guard.
Established in the Constitution of California, the g ...
on the
Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to:
*Democratic Party (United States)
Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to:
Active parties Africa
*Botswana Democratic Party
*Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea
*Gabonese Democratic Party
*Demo ...
ticket.
Watt died in
North Bloomfield, California
North Bloomfield (previously, Bloomfield, Humbug, and Humbug City) is a small unincorporated community located in Nevada County, California.
It is in the Sierra Nevada, northeast of Nevada City.
History
Settled in 1852 as a mining town of ...
following an accident involving a runaway buggy.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Watt, William
California state senators
University of California regents
1828 births
1878 deaths
People of the California Gold Rush
People from Grass Valley, California
19th-century American legislators