William Y. Douglas
The noteworthy success achieved by William Y. Douglass must be
attributed to his persistence in the face of adverse circumstances and
to the ability and character by which he has made his way to a place
among the successful viticulturists of Fresno County. He is a native of
the Lone Star State, having been born in Texas, on February 16, 1877,
the son of Theodore C.(1) and Emma C. Douglass, natives
of Tennessee and Alabama respectively. They were the parents of the
following children : John D. at Merced; W. V.: Mrs. Mary Jackson near
Reedley; Mrs. Viola Spears at Placerville ; Charles and Emma, who are
both deceased ; Lottie teaching in Sanger; and Kate at home. The father,
T. C. Douglass, migrated to California in 1885 and was the first man to
purchase a forty-acre ranch in the St. Louis Colony, which he planted to
vines and oranges and named the Sunny South Orchard. He passed away in
1915, his widow residing now at Sanger.
W. Y. Douglass remained
at home until twenty-four years of age, worked on the ranch and in the
meantime, for four years, he carried the mail from Centerville to
Sanger. His first ranching enterprise was undertaken in 1899 when he
leased the old St. Louis ranch and made his first stake. For two years,
at an annual rental of $400, by careful management he succeeded in
making $1,000, and at the expiration of his lease, he purchased his
present place of forty acres, paying $200 per acre. It is one of the
oldest ranches in the County, having been set out over fifty years ago
by Hyde and Jackson, the ranch being taken up originally as government
land.
On the
ranch stands the original house, the lumber for which was brought around
Cape Horn. Since purchasing the ranch, Mr. Douglass has improved the
place by erecting buildings and otherwise beautifying the ranch, which
he increased in size in 1914, by the addition of thirty acres, making
his total seventy acres of valuable land. From two acres of Emperor
grapes he received $2,500 gross which serves to illustrate the
profitableness of his splendid ranch. That portion of his ranch which
was set out to raisin grapes, fifty years ago, yields three tons to the
acre. Among the orange trees on his ranch are some that have been
planted since 1890. There are two trees that were set out in the late
sixties.
In 1909, W. Y. Douglass was united in marriage with
Miss Mary Deitrich (30 Aug 1888-1 Apr 1914), a daughter of Fred Deitrich,
and this union has been blessed by two children: Doris V., and Rosemary.
Mr. Douglass was bereft of the companionship of his wife, and the
children of a loving mother's care and devotion, on April 2, 1914. On
January 20, 1919, Mr. Douglass married for his second wife Marie
Raypholtz, born in Medford, Ore.
Fraternally, W. Y. Douglass is
a member of the Sanger Lodge of Eagles, and he has voted the Democratic
ticket at national elections and shown his interest in educational
matters by serving as a school trustee of the Centerville School
Districts.
Notes:
1. Possible son of Jonathon, who had land
in Monroe County, Tennessee.
Any contributions will be
gratefully accepted
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