Tulare County Biographies

WILLIAM E. SAVATEER

Transcribed by Kathy Sedler

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

 
        William E. Savateer, one of the proprietors of the Dinuba garage and 
salesroom at that place for the Overland and the Willys-Knight automobiles, one 
of the best known men in the automobile business in this section of the state, 
is a native of California and has lived here all his life, a resident of Dinuba 
for the past twenty-three years. He was born on a ranch in Lake county, May 1, 
1844, a son of C. H. and Eva (Howard) Savateer, the latter of whom was born in 
that same county, daughter of James Howard, who came to this state by the plains 
route from Missouri in 1851 and became one of the pioneers of Lake county. C. H. 
Savateer was a native of the Hoosier state. He came to California in the days of 
his young manhood and was married here, for a time thereafter making his home in 
Lake county and then moving into San Luis Obispo county.
        It was thus that William E. Savateer attended the schools of San Luis 
Obispo county. When seventeen years of age he became employed on the big cattle 
ranch of William R. Hearst in Cambria, that county, and was thus engaged until 
1904, when, then being twenty years of age, he bought a bunch of cattle, drove 
them over the mountains to Dinuba and here began raising live stock on his own 
account. In that same year he was married and established his home in this 
county. For six years Mr. Savateer continued his live stock operations in the 
Dinuba neighborhood and then, in 1910, he sold his herd and went into the garage 
business in Dinuba, and he is now one of the veterans of the business in this 
section of the state. The Dinuba garage is an up-to-date and well equipped 
establishment at No. 230 East Tulare street, one of the best appointed garages 
in Tulare county, and is prepared for any sort of service that might be demanded 
along that line. They are also the local distributors for the Overland and 
Willys-Knight automobiles, the salesroom is well appointed, and a full line of 
automobile accessories is carried in stock.
        Mr. Savateer has been twice married. In 1904 he was united in marriage 
to Miss Edna Bailey, who was born in Tulare county and who died in 1913, leaving 
two sons : Clyde Savateer, born in 1906 ; and Shirley Savateer, born in 1911. In 
1913 Mr. Savateer was married to Miss Belva Pickering, who was born in the state 
of Pennsylvania, but who has been a resident of California since 1902. Mr. 
Savateer is a member of Dinuba Lodge No. 385, F. & A. M., and is also a member 
of the local lodge of the Woodmen of the World, to which he brought a demit from 
the Traver Lodge, which he had joined in 1905, the year after he had taken up 
his residence in this county. Mr. Savateer is a charter member of the local 
Lions Club and a member of the board of directors of that compact and efficient 
organization. He takes an active interest in the general affairs of the 
community and has long been recognized as one of the influential personal 
factors in local development and promotion work.
 
Source:  History of Tulare County and Kings County, California � Kathleen 
Edwards Small & J. Larry Smith, Vol. II, Chicago, The S. J. Clarke Publishing 
Company, 1926. p. 280