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| Notes for William Henry HILTON | ||||||||||||||||||
| According to Lewis Parker Abell, "WILLIAM HENRY HARRISON HILTON, youngest son of John Burgess Hilton, was born Jan. 1, 1830, in the home of his Aunt Jeannette (Mrs. Robt. Arkenburg) in the town of New Scotland, Albany County, N.Y. Leaving the older children, except James, to care for the home, his parents drove back to Albany from Niagara with an ox team, in October 1829, partly in the expectation of sharing further in the estate of his father, Robert Hilton who died in June of that year, but it appears they were not entirely successful, returning in May 1830 with their youngest son. Uncle "Billy" is said to have walked from Buffalo to Chicago in 1849, but it is more probable that he shipped up the great lakes. However, he bought a yoke of oxen in Chicago and drove or walked to California to seek his fortune in the "gold rush", joining a party following the "Overland Trail" through Nebraska, Colorado, Wyoming and the "Mormon Trail" through Utah, Nevada to Placerville, Calif., where he spent several years in the gold fields. But his greater success was found in stock raising after vainly prospecting from Oregon to Arizona finally settling near Santa Ynez, Santa Barbara County, Calif., where he was employed for many years as "major domo" on the extensive ranchos of Don Luis Burton and Dr. Brinkerhonn. He entered partnership with these gentlemen raising horses for the army during the civil war and later, in 1868-9, shipping or driving from Shasta County to the Salt Lake City, Utah, markets. He became an authority on the raising ands handling of all livestock and his later years were devoted to a ranch of his own, known as the "Bee Rock" on the San Maroos Trail between Santa Barbara and Santa Ynez. In 1869 he married Dolores, daughter of Don Francisco Cavalleri, a native of Italy, who was born in Santa Barbara County, California, March 29, 1849 and whose mother was a prominent family of Spanish descent, and is said to have planted the famously large grape-vine which was still thriving in 1920 in front of the school in Carpenteria. Ten years or so later it had disappeared and was replaced by the school flagpole. About the time of his marriage, perhaps on that account, he finally found the opportunity to communicate with his family folks back east, who had long since given him up for lost. In 1903 he retired to Santa Barbara, where he died Jan. 6, 1905. His wife survived him until Feb. 4, 1915." | ||||||||||||||||||
| Last Modified New | Created 7 Jul 2015 using Reunion for Macintosh |