Santa Barbara County Biographies

B. T. WILEY

Submitted by Peggy Hooper

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


B. T. WILEY, one of the first locators of the Santa Maria Valley, was born in Autauga 
County, Alabama, in 1825. He was brought up on a farm, and at the age of fifteen 
years he went to Mississippi, where he was engaged in farming until 1847, when 
he enlisted for the Mexican war, in the Second Mississippi Regiment, under Colonel 
Reuben Davis. Their service was on Taylor�s line, through Monterey and to Buena Vista, 
Mexico, but not being in time for the battle they were not in actual service, and were 
mustered out at Vicksburg, in July, 1848. Mr. Wiley returned to his home, and then to 
Greensborough, Mississippi, where he was engaged in farming until March, 1849, when 
he started for California. He drove five yoke of oxen across the plains, landing at Hang- 
town, now Placerville, in October, 1849, where he began mining, and continued for 
eight years. In 1857 he went to Amador County and began farming. He was married 
at Santa Cruz, in June, 1859, to Miss Minerva Clark, and they continued on the farm in 
Amador County until the fall of 1862, when they went to Santa Cruz County, and there 
located. A grant covered their ranch, and in 1864 they went to Mendocino County, and 
continued farming in different counties until 1868, when, having lost his wife, he took up 
land in the Santa Maria Valley, being the first man to locate. This land, of 160 acres, 
was a half-mile north of town; he built a little cabin and dug the first well, sixty-five feet 
deep without curbing, now considered a perilous proceeding. After two years he traded 
for other property, and in 1878 sold out and located his present ranch in Strawberry 
Canon?, southeast of town, and began improving by clearing off brush, fencing and 
building. He owns 320 acres, and carried on general farming. He has fifteen acres in 
fruit, and a fine garden with raspberries and strawberries every month in the year without 
irrigating. Corn is his principal crop, of which he plants about forty acres; he also keeps 
fifteen head of horses and cattle. 

Mr. Wiley was again married at San Luis Obispo, in 1875. to Mrs. Abigail Bryant, and 
they have three sons. Mr. Wiley is particular that his children shall receive every 
benefit of an education. 

History of Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo and Ventura Counties, California  - by 
C.M. Gidney, Benjamin Brooks, Edwin M. Sheridan, Vol I, II.  -Lewis Publ. Co., 
Chicago, 1917.