California Biographies Source: History of Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo and Ventura Counties, California by: C M Gidney - Santa Barbara. Benjamin Brooks - San Luis Obispo. Edwin M Sheridan - Ventura Volumes II - Lewis Publishing Company, Chicago, ILL., 1917 This file is part of the California Genealogy & History Archives http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cagha/index.htm DAVID W. MOTT (M.D.) While Doctor Mott has for thirty years been one of the leading physicians and surgeons of Ventura County, located at Santa Paula, his activities and services could not be classified altogether under one head or profession. He has been foremost in business affairs, has been public spirited and generous in his support of public movements and in every way has borne more than his individual share of the responsibilities connected with the progress and history of this county. Doctor Mott was born at Bangor, New York, May 8, 1855. He is a son of George and Sarah (Marvin) Mott. He has one brother, George T. Mott residing in Camas, Washington, who is by profession a chemist in the manufacture of paper. His father was a prominent man in the East. Born In Alburgh, Grand Isle County, Vermont, January 24, 1806, he received his education and spent his early youth in his native state. He was sheriff of his county, and for a time was United States Collector of Customs in the Lake Champlain District. He was also prominent in military (preparedness) affairs and was an officer in the Vermont State Militia. In the early 40s removing to Bangor, New York, he engaged in farming and the lumber business. In 1857 he was elected Member of Assembly in the New York Legislature. In 1870 he ran for Congress against William A. Wheeler, of Malone, New York, who was the successful candidate and who later became vice president of the United State on the ticket with Rutherford B. Hayes. As a young man Doctor Mott lacked neither the encouragement at home nor the advantages of the best schools to equip himself for a place of adequate service in the world. His mother had been one of the Vermonts popular school teachers, and she frequently wrote articles of accepted merit for the publications of those days. From both parents example and inspiration were abundant. He attended public school, the Franklin Academy at Malone, New York, where he graduated in 1872, then spent two years in Cornell University in a scientific course, and from there entered the University of Michigan, from which he was graduated in the medial course in 1881. He engaged in private practice at North Lawrence, New York, until 1886, in which year he came to Santa Paula, California. Doctor Mott has always been a keen student of his profession and the summer of 1893 he spent in the post-graduate medical schools and hospitals of New York. He frequently visits centers of medical learning to keep in touch with the progress of his profession. The local profession has always held him in high honor and at three different times he has served as president of the Ventura County Medical Society. He is a member of the California State Medical Society and of the American Medical Association. After getting well established in his profession at Santa Paula, Doctor Mott took an active interest so far as his professional duties would permit in both business and civic affairs. Since 1885 he has been a stockholder and director in the First National Bank of Santa Paula. He is also a director and vice president of the Santa Paula Savings Bank. In 1890 with others he was active in starting the Santa Paula Building and Loan Association and was its vice president during the first twelve years of its existence, and for the past fifteen years has been president of this very prosperous institution which has contributed to the building of hundreds of homes in Ventura County and now has assets of over $500,000. In 1910 he was elected on the republican ticket for a term of two years to the State Assembly, and in 1912 he was elected state senator for a term of four years, representing Santa Barbara and Ventura counties at the capital in Sacramento. During his services as a legislator Senator Mott was a member of many important committees including Finance, Banking, Building and Loan Associations, Agriculture and Horticulture, Irrigation, Roads and Highways, Oil Industries, Hospitals and Asylums, Health and Quarantine, Taxation, Universities, etc. He was chairman of the Committees on Building and Loan Associations, Irrigation, and Oil Industries. He was author of much of the most needed horticultural, irrigation, general business and humanitarian legislation that was written into the states statutes during his terms. Senator Mott is a fluent speaker and because of his ready expression of original thought is often called upon the address audiences on popular subjects in various parts of the state. At the close of the last session of the Legislature, Senator Mott received a letter from the San Francisco Merchants and Manufacturers Association of which any man may be pardonably proud, and which must give satisfaction to those who placed him in office. We here copy the closing paragraph of this commendable tribute: There are no words at our command to express to you our gratefulness for your general conduct and energy in the Legislative Session just closed. We believe you have been a true representative and constructive in your acts for your District and for the State as a whole. We wish to compliment you most heartily on your truly human American attitude. We are yours to command. Yours truly, Merchants and Manufacturers Association, By Seneca C. Beach, President Doctor Mott was for eighteen years a trustee of the grammar and high schools of Santa Paula. He is a Knight Templar Mason and Shriner, has served three times as master of the Masonic lodge at Santa Paula, is affiliated with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and the Knights of Pythias. In St. Albans, Vermont, April 10, 1883, Doctor Mott married Miss Emma Drown of Bellmont, New York. They have one child, Arley C. Mott, who has gained distinction as a musician. Miss Mott is a graduate of the Los Angeles Conservatory of Music, spent two years in Postgraduate work in the Washington College of Music at Washington D. C., and then for two years was a member of the faculty of that in institution. She has accompanied some of the countrys best musicians in concert tours of the Eastern States. Mrs. Mott has been prominent in club affairs and is greatly interested in Philanthropic work. She is president of the Santa Paula Ebell Club which is the largest womans club in the county. She is interested in the general club work of Southern California. She is past matron of the Order of the Eastern Star and has been district deputy of that organization. Mrs. Mott is a native of Bellmont, New York, a daughter of Alexander and Phoebe Drown, an old American family of Revolutionary stock and of English descent.