Sacramento Valley Biographies Major William H. Buster Transcribed and submitted by Sally Kaleta, March 2009 This file is part of the California Genealogy & History Archives http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cagha/index.htm Major William H. Buster. The family represented in Colusa county, Cal., by Major William H. Buster is of Scotch ancestry, the first emigrant from his native land having located presumably in Virginia. William Buster, the grand-father of Major Buster, was a native of the Old Dominion, where he was reared to manhood, there receiving his early education and training. He became an early settler of Kentucky and later of Missouri. The father of the major, Charles Buster, was born in Kentucky, thence locating in Missouri, where he followed farming until 1850. In that year he crossed the plains to California and upon his arrival engaged in mining at Dogtown, Plumas county. For the following three years he engaged in mining in various portions of the state, after which he returned to the middle west by way of the Isthmus of Panama. He once more engaged in farming pursuits and also followed stock-dealing, shipping his products principally to St. Louis and Chicago. His farm was located in the vicinity of Hamilton, Caldwell county, Mo. In 1872 he again made the trip to California and located on Grand Island, Colusa county, three miles north of Grimes, where he remained until 1881, engaged in farming and stock-raising. Removing to a farm north of Maxwell on Funk slough, he purchased a farm and followed the raising of grain until his death in 1889, at the age of sixty-three years. His wife, formerly Eliza Alexander, was a native of Kentucky and the daughter of Robert Alexander, the descendant of Scotch and English ancestry, who emigrated to the middle west from his native state, Virginia. He located in Kentucky, thence removing to Missouri, taking up government land in the vicinity of Kingston, Caldwell county. Mrs. Buster died in the home of her son, Major Buster, at the age of forty-seven years. Of their family of children three attained maturity, namely: William Harrison, of this review; Molly, who became the wife of Marshall Kelley, of the vicinity of Willow, Glenn county, and is now deceased; and Rufus, who died in 1899. Born near Hamilton, Caldwell county, Mo., June 6, 1860, William Harrison Buster received his education in the public schools and in Pierce Christian College at College City, and graduated from Heald's Business College, of San Francisco, completing the course in June, 1879. He then followed farming with his uncle, Rufus Buster, a pioneer of '49. who was located on a ranch of five hundred and thirty-six acres along the Sacramento river. In 1883 they dissolved partnership and the younger man located a mile and a half south of Sycamore. He has since devoted his ranch to the raising of grain and stock, also cultivating considerable fruit. From time to time he has added to the value of his property by various improvements, in 1901 remodeling his house in the old mission style and also putting up various out-buildings adequate to his use. He still operates his farm, using four eight-mule teams in the work, and by his success in this line of work retaining a place among the agricultural men of this section. In addition to his agricultural interests Major Buster has been and is one of the foremost men in his section in the improvement and upbuilding of outside interests. With Capt. W. T. Forsman he was an instigator and organizer of the proposed electric railway system, which is to extend from the bay to Redding, Shasta county, with various branches, the idea originating because of the impractical and unprofitable river transportation above Colusa. This electric railway when completed will traverse over three hundred miles of country, is to be broad-gauge and will connect with railroads at various places, and will be a source of development to this section. Major Buster's business interests connect him with The Farmers' Transportation Company of Grimes, of which he is a director, and is one of the organizers and president of the Grimes-Rochdale Company. He also acts as president of the Home Telephone Company, of which he was one of the organizers and was instrumental in building the line on Grand Island, connecting with Colusa and Grand Island. In Grand Island, Major Buster was united in marriage with Alice Farns-worth, a native of that place, and a daughter of Joseph Farnsworth, a pioneer of the state. She is a woman of rare culture and refinement, a graduate of Mills Seminary, of Oakland, and occupies an enviable place in social circles. They have one child, Jolene. Fraternally the Major was made a Mason in Colusa Lodge No. 240, F. & A. M., and is now a member of Colusa Chapter No. 60, R. A. M.; Colusa Commandery No. 24, K. T., of which he is past commander three years; and Islam Temple A. A. O. N. M. S., of San Francisco. He is also identified with the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks of Marysville, and both himself and wife are members of the Order of Eastern Star. He and his wife are members of the Christian Church at Dry Slough, of which he was one of the organizers and principal factors in the building, and since that time has served as Elder and a member of the board of trustees. For several years Major Buster served as major and signal officer on the staff of Gen. J. W. B. Montgomery, of Chico, Cal., who held the position of brigadier-general of the National Guards of California. "History of the State of California and Biographical Record of the Sacramento Valley, California," J. M. Guinn, The Chapman Publishing Co., Chicago, 1906, Pages 324-325.