Fresno County, California Biographies

Source: History of Fresno County, California, with biographical sketches of 
the leading men and women of the county who have been identified with 
its growth and development from the early days to the present (1919)

History By Paul E. Vandor 
Illustrated, Complete In Two Volumes 
Historic Record Company, Los Angeles, California, 1919
 
Notes: Missing+page1185-1186

Transcribed by Peggy Hooper

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


WILLIAM LYNCH. � A fine old man. unusually interesting as a pioneer 
who crossed the great plains in the early fifties and, despite many hardships, 
has been an upbuilder in every community in which he has cast his lot, is 
William Lynch who was born near Huntsville, Madison County, Ark., on 
December 27, 1842, the son of Daniel Lynch, a native of Virginia. His mother, 
who was Nancy Sharp before her marriage, came from Alabama. The par- 
ents were farmers and assuredly belonged to that most valuable class of 
forerunners who laid the foundations of our great country. Daniel Lynch 
died in 1850, and Mrs. Lynch passed away the following year, the mother of 
ten children. One of these children, Edwin, served with honor in the Mexi- 
can War ; while a sister Mary married George W. Gibson, and with him 
William came across the plains when he was only ten years of age, and drove 
some cattle. William had a horse and helped drive the cattle, of which there 
were over two hundred head, with some horses. The party traveled with 
ox teams and wagons, and was six months making the trip. This was in 
1853, and it was necessary to proceed up the Arkansas River for 400 miles 
to the Rocky Mountains, then by way of the Sublette cut-off, past Fort Ben- 
ton, then south of Fort Laramie, next across the Platte River, cutting their 
way through the pinery; and then across the Green River, and after that to 
Fort Bridger. The company, large, strong and well-armed, then proceeded 
north of Salt Lake on Bear River, past Soda Springs and then on to the 
Humboldt River, then across the desert to Carson River, and there they 
left the cattle with two of Gibson's sons. William accompanied the wagons, 
riding his horse through to California. He entered the state by way of Fid- 
dletown, and passed on to Stockton. 

The Gibsons settled on the San Joaquin River, and then went to Hills 
Ferry. Gibson sold cattle and bought sheep. William Lynch went to school 
there until, in 1856, they went to Sonoma County, when he attended school in 
Santa Rosa. He resided with his sister until he was sixteen, and then he 
struck out for himself. Returning to the San Joaquin, he entered the employ 
of Major McMichael. a cattleman and butcher, with whom he remained a 
year. Then he removed to San Juan, then Monterey County, and went to 
school there, and then to Santa Clara, where he also attended school, in 1859. 
The next year, employed as a cattleman. William came to Visalia, in com- 
pany with George Caldwell, in charge of a herd of cattle, and after that he 
worked in the mines in Calaveras County. 

In 1861, Mr. Lynch began to drive a team for Mr. Folgem, freighting 
for the New Idra quicksilver mines, and there he continued for two years. 
Then he entered the employ of Colonel Hollister, on the old ranch where the 
town of Hollister now stands ; and after another year he went to Nevada, to 
work in the mines. Five months there fully satisfied him, and in 1863 Mr. 
Lynch returned to California. He went to Ukiah, in Mendocino County, 
where Mrs. Gibson lived, and worked at ranching and farming until 1867, 
when he moved south to Los Angeles. After a year he returned to Gilroy, 
farmed there awhile and took up a homestead on the San Benito River, which 
he ran for two years; then, selling out, he engaged in the sheep business in 
San Benito County. He started with 900 sheep, and later had 4,000. He 
finally drove his flock into Fresno and sold them to Jeff James. 

In 1887, Mr. Lynch bought a vineyard in Fresno Colony, but the price 
of his commodity went down to one and a fourth cents per pound and he 
failed and lost ail that he had made. He then began to work by the month 
and soon got ahead sufficiently to be able to buy a few cows. He rented a 
dairy farm and continued in that line for several years. His family remained 
in the Central Colony when he went to Alaska in 1899, accompanied by his 
son, Thomas K. Lynch. He passed over the Chilcoot trail, and reached Atlan, 
B. C. With his son and Herbert Reese and Thomas Patterson, he took a 
lease on a mine, but after a year he returned to California, and once more 
embarked in the dairy business. 

Two years later Mr. Lynch bought a ranch of twenty acres in the Cen- 
tral Colony, on Fig Avenue, and in this enterprise he was very successful. 
When he sold out, he bought from Mrs. Jaggers twenty acres in the Fresno 
Colony, on Walnut Avenue, put it in alfalfa and continued the dairy business. 
He was in time regarded as a progressive leader in dairying, and rather 
naturally became an important stockholder in the Danish Creamery. In 1918 
he sold his well-improved place, and bought a ranch of five acres near Kear- 
ney Avenue, where he now resides. 

While in Mendocino County, Mr. Lynch was married to Mary S. Garner, 
a native of Arkansas, who came to California on a stage with her uncle, J. F. 
Todd, and settled in Mendocino County. They have had five children, all of 
whom have reflected creditably on the parents: Edwin F., the eldest, is 
deceased; William H. lives at home with his father; Marietta has become 
Mrs. Noyes of Fresno ; Thomas K. is in Los Angeles ; and Frederick M. re- 
sides on Kearney Avenue. Mr. Lynch belongs to the Baptist Church, and 
he was made a Mason in the San Benito Lodge, but is now a member of 
Fresno Lodge, No. 247, F. & A. M.