Los Angeles County, CA, Biographies

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WILLIAM H. SOUTHER 
 
is one of the pioneers of California, and, during the forty years he has resided 
in the State, has been engaged in some of the most extensive mining and 
irrigation enterprises that have been projected. He is a native of Oldham 
County, Kentucky, dating his birth in 1823. His parents, Abraham and Catherine 
(Harding) Souther,
were both natives of that State. In 1837 his father moved to Moultrie County, 
Illinois, where he was extensively engaged in farming, milling and other 
enterprises. He was a prominent and leading man in that section. The subject of 
this sketch was reared and educated in that county, and in his young manhood 
engaged with his father in his various enterprises. In 1848 he conducted a drove 
of cattle to Mineral Point, Wisconsin, in which he was successful. In the spring 
of 1849 he entered into partnership with John Phillips and started across the 
plains for California. At Salt Lake Mr. Souther left the train and entered this 
State via the Truckee route
Mr. Phillips endeavored to enter the State through Death's Valley, but met with 
disaster and lost the whole outfit. Upon his arrival Mr. Souther located at 
Auburn, Placer County, and soon became engaged in extensive mining operations. 
He was a man of broad views and courage to enter into large enterprises. In 
connection with Messrs. Bowen and Butterfield, he cut the first tunnel turning 
the middle fork of the American River, at Horseshoe Bend. The bed of the river 
thus exposed afterward yielded millions of dollars' worth of gold. In 1850 he 
sold out and located at Michigan Bluffs and opened mines at that point, many of 
which in later years proved immensely rich, among which was the noted Grey Eagle 
Mine, which in 100 days produced $100,000. In 1852 Mr. Souther returned East, 
and after a short stay came the second time to California, by the overland 
route, and located at San Leandro, Alameda County, where he engaged in general 
farming, and also in stock-raising in the San Joaquin Valley. In 1867 he moved 
to Gilroy, Santa Clara County, and for the next seven years was farming and 
stock-growing on the well-known Pacheco Ranch. In 1874 he located at 
Bakersfield, Kern County, and for several years was engaged in large farming 
operations in that section. While there he became interested in the large 
irrigation schemes of that period and was superintendent of the Kern Island 
Canal and the Buena Vista Canal. These enterprises required over a million 
dollars of capital, and necessitated the constructing of hundreds of miles of 
ditches. The duties and responsibilities of Mr. Souther's position soon broke 
him down and he was compelled to suspend his labor and seek a restoration of 
health. In 1878, after a partial recovery, he came to Los Angeles County and 
located at Newhall. There he engaged in extensive farming and stock- growing, 
occupying about 13,000 acres of land in his operations. Not meeting with the 
desired success in these enterprises, in 1881 be sold out and went to the Mojave 
and Calico Mines in San Bernardino County and spent the next two years in mining 
enterprises. In 1883 he returned East, remaining until the next year, when he 
again came to California. This time he located near Covina and entered into 
horticultural pursuits upon a twenty-acre tract of land located in Covina school 
district, about one-fourth of a mile south of the San Bernardino .road, and a 
half mile east of Covina. He has also under his care seventeen acres in orange 
grove belonging to his son. Mr. Souther is making a success in his fruit culture 
and is devoting his attention to deciduous as well as citrus fruits. He has ten 
acres in budded orange trees and about eight acres in apricots and French 
prunes. From three acres of apricot trees, in 1888, he gathered fifteen tons of 
fine fruit, the trees being but four years old. Mr. Souther is well known 
throughout a large section of California, and in whatever section he has resided 
he has gained many strong friends. He is a consistent Republican in politics and 
has been prominent in the councils of that party. In Alameda County he was 
elected justice of the peace, holding the office ten years, and for four years 
was one of the associate judges of the county. He has been a member of the 
Christian Church since he was sixteen years old. In 1844 Mr. Souther married 
Miss Catherine Bigelow, of New York. She died in 1856, leaving five children, 
viz.: Angeline, now Mrs. A. E. Sawyer; Meream, now Mrs. Charles Wood; Elizabeth, 
now Mrs. C. Lathrop, all residents of San Bernadino County; Catherine, now Mrs. 
C. L. Connor, of Kern County; and William H., who is residing in San Francisco, 
and at this writing is cashier of the Home Mutual Insurance Company. In 1859 Mr. 
Souther married Miss Maria Huff, a native of Michigan. She died in 1879, leaving 
the following named children: Sarah, Lucien and Cally. Sarah is residing with 
her father and the others are residents of Kern County.
 
An Illustrated History of Los Angeles County, California �  Chicago, The Lewis 
Publishing Company, 1889   Page 816
Transcribed by Kathy Sedler