Santa Barbara County Biographies

JEROME C. WILSON

Submitted by Peggy Hooper

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


JEROME C. WILSON, proprietor of the Black Hawk stables, Santa Barbara, has 
been successful in his line. He was born at Sutton, Vermont, in 1849. He is of 
Scotch-English descent, and his grandfather was one of the early settlers of Vermont; 
his mother was a native of Vermont, but of Scotch descent. Jerome C. was educated at 
the high school of Sutton. In 1868 he went to Boston and remained until 1885, engaged 
in a mercantile and speculative business. He came to San Francisco in March, 1885, 
where he was engaged in business until September, 1886, when he came to Santa Barbara. 
He rented the corner of Cota and Chapella streets, and started a small livery business of 
five horses and one bus, which was the nucleus of his present complete establishment. In 
1887 he bought out the Black Hawk stable on the present sight, and he built his commodious 
building of 75 x 152 feet, and keeps ninety horses, twenty-five of which are especially
trained to the saddle. He has a fine stock of carriages and the popular three-seated wagon, 
which, with four horses makes the favorite rig of the tourist. It was said of Mr. Wilson 
when he came to town that " he would not stay a week," but he attended to his own 
business and is now proprietor of one of the finest livery stables in California. Investing 
only $3,000 at first, he is now worth fully $70,000. 

Mr. Wilson is a Royal Arch Mason, Corinthian Chapter, No. 52, of the Blue Lodge, 
No. 282, of the Knights and Ladies of Honor. He is also a member of the Knights of 
Pythias, Independent Order of Foresters, an Odd Fellow and a Good Templar. May 6, 
1890, he married Miss Lettie Reinwick, and they made their wedding trip to the principal 
Eastern cities. 

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.