Читать книгу History of Fresno County, Vol. 5 - Paul E. Vandor - Страница 29

A native son of the Golden State, grandson of a forty-niner who was a successful gold-miner and a descendant of an officer in the Revolutionary War, the subject of this sketch, S. E. Williamson, is a very energetic and progressive rancher in the Elkhorn school district, and a director of the Fresno District Fair. He was born at Stockton. Cal., January 15, 1877, a son of George F. and Ann (Ballard) Williamson; the former, who died July 11, 1919, was a native of Michigan, whose sketch will be found upon another page of this history; the latter, a native of the Golden State, is still living on the George F. Williamson home ranch near Riverdale. The family came to Fresno County in November, 1885, settling near what is now Caruthers. The trip was made to the new home with a team and wagon, and S. E. Williamson, then a small boy, well remembers that the family were detained at Fresno for three days on account of breaking the wagon tongue. The father raised wheat at first on a tract of land owned by Timothy Paige, who was a large landowner and pioneer, the ranch being situated about three-quarters of a mile south of Caruthers.

Simeon E. attended the Princeton school, and when but a small boy evinced a fondness for the "great out-of-doors," helping his father on the ranch when but nine years of age. He learned farming from his father and was always very industrious, which commendable trait has characterized him through his lifetime. Before coming of age, he started in business for himself, buying a team and contracting for earth-work, such as ditch-building, road-making, and reclaiming land, helping to drain the Murphy slough, by which thousands of fertile acres were reclaimed for farming. In 1898, before the Santa Fe Railway was built, he helped to build the first ditch in the Laguna de Tache Grant, where Laton now is situated.

On June 15, 1902, S. E. Williamson was united in marriage with Miss Alice Hatch, the only daughter of Mrs. Mary J. Hatch, a pioneer of the Elkhorn school district, a sketch of whose life appears upon another page of this history. They have six children: Sidney; Robert, who is called Bert; Mary E.; Edna T.; Francis L.; and George.

Mr. and Mrs. Williamson make their home on the old Dennis Hatch ranch, which Mr. Williamson operates, and he operates a 2,000-acre cattle-ranch besides. He is a director of the Fresno District Fair, which has proved a marked success; the board of directors comprises S. E. Williamson, I. E. Dickinson, H. E. Vogel, Frank Helm, A. McNeill, M. D. Huffman, and P. B. Thornton. Mr. 'Williamson is deeply interested in educational matters, and since 1912 has ably served as a member of the board of trustees of the Riverdale High School Mr. and Mrs. Williamson are highly esteemed in their community.