California Biographies Mendocino and Lake Counties, California Transcribed by Peggy Hooper This file is part of the California Genealogy & History Archives http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cagha/index.htm Source: History of Mendocino and Lake Counties, California With Biographical Sketches History by Aurelius O. Carpenter And Percy H. Millberry Illustrated, Complete In One Volume Historic Record Company, Los Angeles, California, 1914 WILLIAM E. UPTON, M. D.� As county health officer and the only practicing physician and surgeon located at Kelseyville Dr. Upton bears a very important relation to his community, and his high personal character no less than his medical skill stamps him as one of its valuable citizens. This town has been his home for the last ten years. He is a son of Dr. Hugh Upton, of Upper Lake. The Uptons are of Scottish origin. Edward Upton, great-grandfather of Dr. William E. Upton, was a Highland Scotchman, and lived for some years in the North of Ireland, coming thence to America with his son William. The remainder of his life was passed in New York state, where he died when sixty years old, of typhoid fever. William Upton, son of Edward, was born in County Antrim, Ireland, sixteen miles from Belfast, and his wife, whose maiden name was Charity McConnell, was also born near that city. They were married in Ireland, and soon afterward came to America, first settling in New York state, where they resided for several years. From there they moved westward to Michigan, Mr. Upton becoming the owner of a valuable farm of fifty acres in Fairfield township, Lenawee county, lying between Adrian and Tecumseh, in the Raisin valley. He died on that place when his son Hugh was seven years old, after converting it into a garden spot by his industry and thrift. He and his wife lived honorably and frugally, content in the oppor- tunity to provide a comfortable home and living for their family. Of the seventeen children born to them eleven grew to maturity, the others dying in infancy or early childhood. Edward is now living retired at Toledo, Ohio, after a prosperous business career. David, who has resided at Elk Grove, Sacramento county, Cal., since 1850, has been a farmer by occupation. Robert H., who died in November, 1912, came to California in 1860 and engaged in mining, owning a gold mine at Randsburg at the time of his death. Hugh is mentioned more particularly below. Joseph, who has followed mining, was at Weiser, Idaho, when last heard from. Rose Ann was the wife of Reuben Carpenter, of Fairfield, Mich., and died leaving three children; she and her brother David were twins. Eliza was the wife of John Gardner, a farmer of Ionia county, Mich., and left one child, Charles. Eleanor was married to James B. Webb, a farmer, of Grant City, Iowa, and died leaving two children, Adelbert and Carrie. Susan, deceased, was the wife of Edson Hagaman. Charity Matilda married Philip P. Frantz, a farmer, of Madison Center, Lena- wee, county, Mich., and has two children, Edwin and Arthur. Adeline is the wife of Barry Reed, of Angels Camp, Cal., and has one child, Barry. Hugh Upton was born May 23, 1839, on his father's farm in the Raisin vallev, between .Adrian and Tecumseh. in Lenawee county, Mich., and was reared there. He made the most of his educational opportunities and prepared for the medical profession, which he first practiced on his own account at Kinderhook, in Branch county, Mich., later settling in Chicago, Ill., where he continued to live for a number of years. For some time he has been a resident of Upper Lake, Cal., where he is still engaged in practice, his services being much in demand in that locality, where he has a high personal and professional reputation. Dr. Hugh Upton married Miss Rachel Tunison, of Seneca county, N. Y., daughter of Philip P. and Annis (Hall) Tunison, member of an old New York family of Dutch stock who figured prominently in the making of history in the early days. They were ardent patriots during the Revolutionary period, there having been eight Tunisons in Captain Ten Eyck's company during the war. Mrs. Upton is one of the most esteemed residents of Upper Lake. Four children were born to Dr. and Mrs. Upton : Annis Elsa, who died when four years old; William E., now in medical practice at Kelseyville ; Jay C. and Linford H., both in business in Bristol, Ind. They have made a number of inventions and perfected valuable improvements for automobiles, and are now preparing to enter the business as manufacturers, being engaged in building and equipping a plant at Bristol, Ind. One of the features of the special touring car they are to produce is the solid rubber tires, and a number of other advantages displayed in the experimental cars built have attracted so much patronage that they already have enough orders to keep the factory in operation for a year. William E. Upton was born November 30, 1863, at Morenci, Lenawee county, Mich. His boyhood was passed principally at Kinderhook, that state, and he attended common school there, acquiring a solid foundation for his subsequent professional studies. In his young manhood he had considerable experience nursing among his father's patients, which gave him a practical insight into his profession and doubled the value of his college work. He took his medical course at the Fort Wayne (Ind.) College of Medicine, from which he was graduated March 7, 1893. He first engaged in independent practice at Chicago, later locating at Sherwood, Branch county, Mich., and in 1900 com- ing to California, where he arrived February 12th. For a few years he was at Yountville and Napa, beginning practice at Kelseyville February 11, 1904. He is a member of the Napa County Medical Association. Dr. Upton has acquired a large practice in and around Kelseyville, his conscientious attention to his patients winning their confidence and friendly regard, and he has estab- lished himself so thoroughly in the good opinion of his fellow citizens generally that the county board of supervisors some four or five years ago appointed him county health officer. In that capacity he has found opportunity for many good offices to his fellow citizens, with the object of establishing hygienic and sanitary regulations in the county upon a permanent basis. Dr. Upton owns an attractive residence in Kelseyville, and eighty acres of land in the country. At Sonoma, Cal., the Doctor married Mrs. Alice (Buckner) Luerssen, a native of Kansas, and the daughter of Capt. N. S. and Annetta (Huse) Buck- ner, now residents of Pacific Grove, Cal. He is a veteran of the Civil war, serving in the Twenty-second Illinois Volunteer Infantry with rank of cap- tain, during which he was taken prisoner and incarcerated at Andersonville. His family consisted of six children. By her first marriage Mrs. Upton had one child, Ruth, who lives with her grandfather at Pacific Grove. Two chil- dren have been born to her union with Dr. Upton, Olive Violet and Delphina. Besides his connection with the Napa County Medical Association Dr. Upton holds membership in Lupyoma Lodge No. 173, L O. O. F., at Kelsey- ville. He is a Republican in political opinion, with Progressive tendencies, and always aims to keep abreast of the times, whether in lines of general thought or in his own particular work, and to give his patients the benefit of modern scientific discoveries. He has installed in his office an R. C. Bert- man Company sixteen plate static X-Ray machine and high' frequency reserva- tor. and a Victor wall plate.