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Lifetime of Achievement – Benjamin Davis Wilson

Dedicated to the life and accomplishments of Benjamin Davis Wilson. A classic rags to riches American success story.

• At fifteen travelled solo 300 miles TN to Yazoo, MS; later 2,000 miles to Santa Fe, NM.

New Mexico province – Apacheria & Santa Fe, [1833-1841] Age 22

• Befriending & defending against Chiricahua Apache 3 years in wilderness of Apacheria.
• At 24, outfitted six man party 18 month tour in Apacheria securing copper mine.
• Near death during two expeditions herding mules 350 miles Gila river to Santa Fe Trail.
• Captured by Apache, lost mules, escaped, saved life trekking 2-300 miles on foot to Santa Fe.
• Final four years a successful Santa Fe merchant in barter with New Mexican Indians.
• Sheltered in warehouse 7 days w fellow Americans during 1837 Santa Fe riots where many perished.

Rancho Jurupa – City & County Riverside, CA [1841-1847] Age 30

• First California ranch-home on 6,500 acres of Rancho Jurupa land grant, 1,000 silver pesos.
• Mauled by grizzly on ranch, close to death, second encounter dispatched bear.
• Co-led so. Cal residents in revolt, armed conflict & deportation of incumbent CA governor.
• Appointed alcalde [sheriff] for Riverside, San Bernadino frontier by new governor Pio Pico.
• Posse eliminated renegade Indians rustling cattle, near death from poison arrow.
• Led 80 armed posse to capture, eliminate former Mission Indians terrorizing frontier.
• Posse killed eleven bears in San Bernardino Mountains, repeated feat, named Big Bear Lake.
• Led 2,000 head cattle drive five hundred miles to Sacramento to offload ranch herd.

Mexican American War [1846-1847] Age 35

• Appointed brevet Captain multi-tasked for US Military … Commodore Stockton, Captain Fremont & General Kearny … combat & liaison roles w Mexican leaders, consulting, translator, combat leader.
• Led Americans in Chino Rancho battle, captured, evaded firing squad and one way trip to Mexico City. Imprisoned POW for several months in pueblo Los Angeles.

City of Los Angeles [1848-1853] Age 37

• Los Angeles City Mayor, Councilmember.
• Los Angeles County Clerk, Commissioner [three terms].
• California State Senator [three terms].
• First four years in Los Angeles completed thirty real estate transactions: 4,338 acres Westwood, [50%] today UCLA. 4,450 acres Beverly Hills, [50%] 3,500 acres Culver City, [25%]
• Second multi-thousand cattle drive to Sacramento to facilitate sale of Westwood property.
• Co-owned sizable mercantile emporium corner Alameda and Macy streets.
• President Fillmore appointment, Indian Agent for southern California District.
• Within a decade of arrival, one of five richest citizens of southern California.

Lake Vineyard Estate – City of San Marino, CA [1854-1878] Age 43

• Rancho de Cuati, 128 acres [100%] nucleus for multi-thousand-acre estate east of Los Angeles.
• First expansion, San Pasqualito 600 acres [100%] abutting Lake Vineyard.
• Raised ten thousand orange, lemon trees, largest citrus exporter San Gabriel valley.
• Annual production a million oranges, seventy thousand lemons, 75,000 gallons wine.
• Rancho, 14,000 acres [100%] former Mission San Gabriel lands, $1,800, Today: Pasadena, So Pasadena, San Marino, and San Gabriel.
• Rancho San Pedro, 2,400 acres in 1854 [20%] New San Pedro, today Wilmington, CA. $20,000.
• Lobbied US congress six months in Washington: … deep ocean port for southern Cal, complete Southern Pacific railroad into & not bypass city of Los Angeles.
• First 270 acres, then 2,500 acres [100%] became City of Alhambra first with piped city water.

Public Citizen, Philanthropist

• Donated five acres to City of Pasadena, became City Hall, Library, 35 lots – today’s value several million dollars.
• Planted two thousand eucalyptus trees in Wilmington city park.
• Huntington Library, Gardens and Art Museum located on Lake Vineyard lands.
• Committee members selected delegates to the California Constitutional Convention of Oct 1849, including don Manuel Dominguez.
• Donated land for the first Episcopal Church in Los Angeles. Trustee for San Gabriel School District.
• Established first Protestant church in the San Gabriel Valley, Church of Our Savior.
• Wilson & Phineas Banning deeded land for a California military base, Drum Barracks, during Civil War.
• Donated ten acres, buildings to Methodist Church for Wilson College, first coed in western U.S.
• One hundred and thirty eight real estate contracts recorded in a lifetime in Los Angeles county.

Postscript

• Engaged ten careers to attain a lifetime of achievement.
• Ramona Yorba, teenage daughter don Bernardo Yorba of Rancho Santa Ana now Orange County and first wife of don Benito. Their granddaughter’s namesake inspiration for Helen Hunt Jackson’s ‘Ramona’.
• Wilson faced imminent death on at least eight occasions brought about by force of nature, grizzly bear attacks, armed conflicts.
• Grandson George Smith Patton, Jr., five star United States General of the Army during second World War, born at Lake Vineyard estate.
• Mount Wilson, 5,700 foot peak San Gabriel Mountains above Pasadena, host to astronomical research.
• Seventy-five carriages trailed his hearse from Lake Vineyard, largest assemblage of people ever in Los Angeles.
• Benjamin D. Wilson, the unique American of the nineteenth century. Born without advantage, little formal education, the breadth of achievements incomparable by any citizen of this century.

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A comparative youngster, Don Benito had the confidence of not only Californians, but also Americans, the trusted advisor of Commodore Stockton, Captain Fremont and General Kearney, his leadership sought in early emergencies, trusted time after time with important civic, military responsibilities and never failed, he was the strong American of that formative period. Perhaps the greatest contribution to the country was as grandfather of General George S. Patton, Jr. Much of the General’s fearlessness, initiative, dash, and strength of character came from his maternal grandfather.

Edited excerpt from … Don Benito Wilson, by J C Macfarland, So Cal Quarterly, Dec.1949

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Wilson Family Tree benjamindaviswilson.ftm available after Jan. 1st 2024 on familysearch.org & ancestry.com