Kings County Biographies

Transcribed by Craig A Hahn


This file is part of the California Genealogy & History Archives
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cagha/index.htm


BLOYD, WILLIAM WASHINGTON
 
     The life of the late William Washington Bloyd extended from July 18, 1835, 
when he was born in Illinois, until November, 1908, when he died at his home in 
Hanford, Kings county, Cal. He grew to manhood on the farm in Hancock county, 
Ill., and was married April 14, 1855 to Miss Elizabeth Cowan, who was born in 
Halifax, Nova Scotia, April 18, 1835, and had come to Illinois. After his 
marriage he lived four years in his native state, then sold out his interests 
there and moved to Appanoose county, Iowa, where he made his home until 1861, 
when he came with a train of eight wagons drawn by oxen over the southern route 
to California. For two years he lived at Red Bluff, Tehama county, and 
afterwards until 1874 in San Joaquin county, where he bought a ranch. Then 
because he could not do well in so dry a country he sold out and came to what is 
now Kings county, settling on railroad land in the Grangeville section four 
miles west of Hanford, homesteading at the same time one hundred and sixty acres 
nearby. It was not until after the rioting at Mussel Slough that he finally paid 
out on his railroad land. He naturally sided with the settlers, and was at 
Hanford at the time of the historic fight. Mrs. Bloyd, hearing of it, hurried to 
the scene of action, but did not arrive until the conflict was over and one man 
lay dead and two wounded on the ground; Mr. Bloyd arrived a few minutes 
afterward. It was not cheerfully that the settlers later gave up so much good 
money for their land, but the courts compelled them to do it and they made the 
best of the situation. After a time Mr. Bloyd sold out here and lived for a year 
in Oregon. Returning then, he bought back his old ranch and lived on it until 
1907, when he sold it to move to Hanford, where he had bought a residence at 115 
West Elm street. As an investment he owned several other houses in the city. 
 
     Eight children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Bloyd, viz: Rosalie Adeline, 
deceased; Winfield Scott, mentioned elsewhere in this work; Charles S., who 
lives at Hanford; Clara Ellen, who is the wife of K. L. Wilcox of Los Angeles; 
Ida Belle, who married Ed Parsons, of Hanford; Elizabeth Jane, deceased, Levi, 
who is also mentioned fully in this publication; and Willie Wilford, who lives 
in Kings county. Of these children Adeline and Winfield were born in Illinois, 
the others being natives of California. 
 
     The fraternal affiliations of Mr. Bloyd were with the Masons and the 
Ancient Order of United Workmen and his religious convictions drew him to the 
Christian church. His early experiences in California included some in the mines 
in Placer county. He superintended the construction of the People�s Ditch in 
Kings county. When he came to that county it was an open plain on which wild 
horses and cattle roamed at will and in all the development down to a 
comparatively recent time he manfully did his part, for he was public spirited 
to a degree that made him a most useful citizen. 
 
SOURCE:  History of Tulare and Kings Counties, California with Biographical 
Sketches - Los Angeles, Calif., Historic Record Company, 1913 Pp 323, 324