Benjamin Davis Wilson

Benjamin Davis Wilson (born December 1, 1811 in Wilson County , Tennessee , † March 11, 1878 in San Gabriel , California ) was an American politician . He was mayor of Los Angeles in 1851 and 1852 .

Career

Prior to his time in California, Benjamin Wilson was a fur hunter and fur trader. In 1841 he came to Southern California , which was then still part of Mexico . There he just wanted to book a crossing to China and continue there. But he changed his mind and married the daughter of a wealthy landowner. Soon he was a wealthy rancher himself with extensive land holdings, especially in what would later become Riverside County . He became a justice of the peace and charged with prosecuting Indians who stole cattle from California ranchers. By 1850 he was already a wealthy and respected citizen of his new homeland, now part of the United States. Even before his time as mayor, he organized the police in the city of Los Angeles.

In 1850 Wilson was elected to the city council and in 1851 mayor of Los Angeles. He held this office between May 7, 1851 and May 4, 1852. The town was still very small at that time. Around 1850 it had just 1610 inhabitants. At the same time, Wilson was the district council chairman of Los Angeles County . He was elected to the California Senate in 1855 and 1869 . After his time as mayor, in addition to his activities as a rancher, he also worked in various other business areas. This included viticulture, the real estate industry and the railroad business. Via his second marriage, he was the maternal grandfather of General George S. Patton . He died on March 11, 1878 in San Gabriel.

Web links

Commons : Benjamin Davis Wilson - Collection of Images, Videos and Audio Files

personal data
SURNAME	Wilson, Benjamin Davis
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	American politician
DATE OF BIRTH	December 1, 1811
PLACE OF BIRTH	Wilson County , Tennessee
DATE OF DEATH	March 11, 1878
Place of death	San Gabriel , California