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 FRANKLIN SNOW. Through the period of fifty years that 
the Snows have been resident in Lake county their name has been most re- 
spected. William Franklin Snow, for a number of years foreman and general 
manager of the McCreery (now known as the Gibhart) ranch in this county, 
and now engaged in business at Middletown as proprietor of its oldest estab- 
lished meat market, is the only surviving member of the family of M. M. and 
Annette M. (Mathews) Snow, of Lower Lake. 

M. M. Snow was born in Missouri, came to California in 1862, and for 
a short time was located in Napa county. From there he moved up to Lake 
county in 1863. and has since lived in this section, where he has prospered 
in agricultural work, owning a well improved ranch of three hundred and 
twenty acres. He is now seventy-two years old. Mr. Snow married Annette 
M. Mathews, whose father. Dr. William Mathews, was the first clerk of Lake 
county. Three children were born to them : Alice, who married and died 
when thirty-two years old, leaving one child, who now lives with the grand- 
parents at Lower Lake; William Franklin; and Lulu, who died when fourteen 
years old. 

Born April 4, 1875, in Lake county, William Franklin Snow grew up on 
the farm at Lower Lake, remaining there until seventeen years old. At that 
time he went to work in the Oat Hill mine, south of Middletown over the line 
in Napa county, where he was employed continually for ten years, during 
which time he did not lose more than two months. When he left there he 
took a position in the Great Western quicksilver mine, which produced three 
and a half million dollars worth of quicksilver, and was there engaged for 
two years. He gave up work there to become foreman and general manager 
in Lake county on the McCreery ranch, which now contains twelve thousand 
acres, mostly used for stock ranging and raising clover. One hundred head 
of fat steers were sold off this place yearly, and during his experience there 
Mr. Snow became thoroughly familiar with the points of good beef stock, 
which knowledge is very valuable to him in his present line. In 1913. when 
Mr. McCreery died, he resigned his position and in October bought his meat 
market at Middletown, succeeding Charles Koopman as proprietor of the pio- 
neer market in the place. It is located on Calistoga street. Mr. Snow has 
invested considerable already in the improvement of his establishment and the 
development of the business, having his own feed yards for fattening his stock 
for slaughtering, the importance of which, in the production of good meat, he 
understands well. He cures large quantities of bacon and hams, and puts up 
lard, and his brands are unsurpassed in quality by the best eastern varieties 
of sugar cured meats. Though he is comparatively new to this enterprise, his 
previous experience on the ranch has made him a competent judge of meat, 
and his energetic disposition and naturally progressive spirit will keep him 
in line with his best standards. 

While employed at the Oat Hill mine Mr. Snow married Miss Alma Nel- 
son, daughter of Nels Nelson, late of San Jose, Cal. They have had three chil- 
dren, one that died in infancy, Franklin and Helen. Mr. and Mrs. Snow are 
justly regarded with the highest esteem among their neighbors, having many 
friends in the community. Mrs. Snow is a member of the Episcopal Church, 
while Mr. Snow is a member of the Christian Church, and he gives his political 
support to the men and measures of the Democratic party. He was made a 
Mason in Callayomi Lodge No. 282, F. & A. M., at Middletown.