El Dorado County Biographies


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




JOSEPH W. D. PHILLIPS

Was born in Orange county, Vermont, on the 9th of February, 1827, and is the 
oldest son of Joseph M. and Lydia Phillips; when about 9 years old his parents 
removed to Pennsylvania and settled in Lawrence county. In May 1846 he left home 
and went to Nauvoo, Hancock county, Illinois, where he engaged in clerking for 
four years. He then purchased the business and conducted it for several years. 
On the 20th day of December, 1852 he took passage on the steamship Northern 
Light for California and arrived at San Francisco, January, 16, 1853. He went to 
Nevada City and began hotel keeping in a house known as the Keystown. In June, 
1855 he went to Shasta county and there kept a hotel at Horsetown. In September, 
1857 he retuned East leaving his family in California; they soon joined him and 
removed to Coles county, Illinois, in March of 1858. In the fall, same year, 
they returned again to California and kept a boarding house in Tuolumne county.  
On the 22d day of June, 1860 he came to El Dorado county and located on a ranch 
between Hope and Lake valleys, where he spent the summer and the winter at 
Placerville. In 1862 he opened the Phillip station on the state road and made it 
his permanent abode till 1869.

In 1873 he located his present home on section 4 , Township 11, Range 10 and 
began improving it. In 1874 he was the independent candidate for the Assembly 
and beaten by a very trifling majority. In 1879 he was again beaten for the same 
place by a very small vote. His brother Daniel is a partner in the ranch; they 
have about 40 acres under cultivation all very productive land.  Mr. Phillips is 
one of the enterprising and industrious men of El Dorado county; he has been 
engaged in many mining ventures that were not successful, but never gave up. He 
was wedded to Miss Mehitable J. Ball, at Quincy, Illinois, on the 22nd day of 
September, 1857. They have two children, viz.: Sierra Nevada, born at Nevada 
city, California, July 28, 1854, now Mrs. A. W. Clark, of Glenbrook, Nevada, and 
Ida M., born at Williamsfield, Ashabula county, Ohio, on the 19th day of May, 
1858, now J. J. B. Meloche, of Glenbrooke, Nev. Mr. Phillips was Superintendent 
of the United States Mining Company near Nevada city, the first one to erect 
pumps in that vicinity. In 1876 his property in the mountains was destroyed by 
fire.
 
Historical Souvenir of El Dorado County, California with Illustrations & 
Biographical Sketches of its Prominent Men & Pioneers - Oakland, Cal. - Paolo 
Sioli, Publisher, 1883.
page 260 - Transcribed by Carolyn Feroben