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

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