Person:William Knight (378)

BIOGRAPHY: William Henry KNIGHT b 1835 Harmony, son of William Knight Author: Dee Davidson Date: 4 Apr 2001 12:00 PM GMT Surnames: KNIGHT, WATERS Classification: Biography William Henry, son of William Knight, was born in Harmony, Chautauqua county, New York, April 19, 1835, and removed to Los Angeles, California. He was educated in the Jamestown public school, which he attended from 1843 to 1848, and Jamestown Academy, which he attended from 1848 to 1851. He compiled "Bancroft's Handbook of the Pacific States," 1862; "Bancroft's Map of the Pacific States," 1863; was manager of Bancroft's Publishing Department, San Francisco, California, from 1864 to 1869; was partner in Bancroft, Knight & Company, publishers of music, from 1870 to 1879; was buyer for the Emerson & Fisher Carriage Company, Cincinnati, Ohio, from 1879 to 1891, and auditor of Mt. Lowe Railway Company, Pasadena, California, from 1893 to 1896. He was also a writer and lecturer on astronomical and other scientific subjects, and a liberal contributor to leading scientific journals. He served in the capacity of president of the Southern California Academy of Sciences from 1894 to 1897, and from 1899 to 1902; secretary of the Forest and Water Society of Southern California from 1898 to 1903; secretary of the Highway Commission, Los Angeles county, California, from 1901 to 1903; secretary of the Merchants' and Manufacturers' Association, Los Angeles, 1896-97; honorary member of Cincinnati Society of Natural History from 1891; president of Unity Club, Cincinnati, 1885-87, and president of Unity Club, Los Angeles, 1893-95. In addition to all these he was an editorial writer on the Los Angeles Times.

Mr. Knight married Ella Joana WATERS, born April 3, 1846, at Woodford, near Bennington, Vermont, daughter of Elijah Dewey and Eliza Ann (Hinsdale) WATERS Seven children were born to them, four of whom surviving namely: Alfred,b 1874 Mrs. Christopher Ruess, of Oakland, California; Emerson, a resident of Los Angeles, California; Bertha, a resident of New York.

New England Families Genealogical and Memorial: Third Series, Volume III

The Tahoe Name Game http://www.tahoecountry.com/visitors/tahoename.html Perhaps no feature of the Sierra landscape has suffered under such a succession of names as the body of water we know today as Lake Tahoe. During the 140 years since John C. Fremont's first sighting of the lake on Valentine's Day, 1844, the big blue of this inland sea has been blessed popularly -- if not officially -- with seven different names, and as many more have been publically suggested (same with editorial tongue firmly in cheek) as alternative appellations.

The protocol of wilderness exploration dictates that discoverers have the right of naming their discoveries. In keeping with such etiquette, the lake is properly known as "Lake Bonpland", the name given to it by Fremont in honor of Aime Jacques Alexandre, the French botanist who accompanied the van Humboldt party on an earlier expedition west.

In the decade which followed Fremont's discovery, the designation "Bonpland" was favored in publications appearing on the Continent. However, the map drawn by Charles Preuss, cartographer for Captain Fremont's party, notes it simply as "Mountain Lake". In those days, few found themselves in a position to care.

Those who did care found themselves further confused by Baker's 1855 "Map af the Mining Regions", which showed the lake as "Maheon". Bartlett's "Guide", another source of the day, referred to "Big Truckee Lake", with yet another casually-placed cognomen burdening the pristine alpine paradise.

In March of 1853, California's Surveyor General, W.M. Eddy, had initiated the use of what would 17 years later become the"legal" name of the lake -- "Bigler". Yet from the start this name was destined to meet with widespread disfavor, with its most active opponents suggesting that John Bigler, the former democratic governor of California for whom the lake had been named, was less than worthy of such an honor.

Controversy over Bigler's merit as a namesake waxed hot when the outbreak of the Civil War led to charges that he entertained Confederate sympathies. Several substitute names were promptly offered up. The Unionist party mounted an unsuccessful lobbying effort in April of 1861 to rechristen the lake with the exotic "Tua Tulia". Fanning the foolishness the following year, the "Sacramento Union" suggested "Largo Bergler" as a more suitable name, "as it wauld stand as a punishing illusion to the bibulous habits of 'Honest John' Bigler when he was governor of the State"

In February of 1862, public sentiment against Bigler found expression in the form of an Interior Department map brought out under the direction of William Henry Knight, the department's chief cartographer. Knight enlisted the linguistic skills of Dr. Henry DeGroot, a "Sacramento Union" correspondent whose efforts to communicate with Washoe Indians had familiarized him with the rudiments of their dialect. "Ta-hoe", according to Dr. DeGroot, was translated 'Big Water" or "Water in a high place". And so, in the name of superior aesthetics, the name by which the lake is known today was established in the white man's vocabulary.

However, the controversy raged on, refusing to be silenced even by the passage of a bill in the California State Legislature on February 10, 1870, giving legal status to Eddy's original designation of "Bigler". Various vassals of the Fourth Estate continued to offer their suggestions as to a more suitable epithet, among them fledgling correspondent Mark Twain, then connected with Virginia City's "Territorial Enterprise". Twain found himself drawn irresistibly into the fray, occasioning to comment that "Ta-hoe", in the dialect of the Digger and "Pi-ute" (sic) tribes meant "grasshopper soup", which, he contended, was among their delicacies.

In light of public sentiment and popular usage, it is amazing that the name "Bigler" continued as a legal geographical designation until July 18, 1945 when a bill was adopted in the California State Legislature officially changing the name to "Lake Tahoe".

In addition to its impressive cavalcade of cognomens, this mile-high marvel has acquired several nicknames, including "Lake of the Sky" and "Jewel of the Sierras". But for all the variety of its names, running the gamut from complimentary to condescending, the notive population's original appellative serves best, and seems most likely to endure.

STORY: by Carol Van Etten TAHOE MAP: by Mona Schulte

William Henry Knight, California pioneer Power, Bertha Knight, 1886-1927. 921.73 K748 - 252 p. : ill., map, ports. United States : Privately Printed, c1932 by Alfred Knight Biography of William Henry Knight, (1835-1925), born in Harmony, New York and moved to San Francisco, California in 1859. He married Ella Joanna Waters in 1868, and they had seven children. He worked for H. H. Bancroft in San Francisco, and in 1879 moved to Cincinnati, Ohio to work for the Emerson Fisher Company (carriage builders). In 1891, they moved to Los Angeles, California, where he became the general manger of the United States Travelers and Tourists' Exchange. Descendants and relatives lived in California, Ohio, New York and elsewhere. Includes Power, Ruess and related families.

Legends of America More Nevada Treasure Tales http://www.legendsofamerica.com/NV-Treasures7.html

Sandspring - In the 1860's, William Henry Knight, a map maker for the United States Department of the Interior, was gathering data for maps of the Pacific States when he came upon a cave who's walls were said to have been laced with gold.  But, even a mapmaker can lose his sense of direction in the many mountains of western   Nevada   .  Once he left, he was never again able to find the cave that was allegedly in a small mountain range near the Sand Spring known as Painted Hills.  Sand spring is on the northeast side of the White Mountains of Esmeralda County.

http://bancroft.berkeley.edu/Exhibits/bancroft/early/early.html William H. Knight, editor. Hand-book Almanac for the Pacific States; an Official Register and Business Directory. San Francisco: H. H. Bancroft and Company, 1862.

Knight joined The Bancroft staff in 1860 to edit a series of handbook guides to the Pacific States, the first of which appeared in 1862. His work proved to be the seed bed for The Bancroft Library. "Mr. Bancroft went East in 1862 [more probably 1860] and on his return a few months later I accompanied him through the store occupying two deep floors on Montgomery and Merchant streets. He stopped at an alcove near my desk, containing about 100 volumes of various sizes, old and new, and not presenting a very artistic appearance. He asked what they were. I told him that they all pertained to the geography, history and mining of the region embraced in our map [a general map of the Pacific Coast]. He gave a cursory glance at some of the books, said nothing, and we passed on through the establishment. Returning, we again stopped at the historical alcove and he said, 'Mr. Knight, I wish you would visit all the other bookstores and stands in the city and purchase a copy of every book and pamphlet relating to this territory that is not already on your shelves.' With characteristic prompt decision he had instantly decided to form a complete Pacific Coast Library." (William H. Knight, "Bancroft's Exhaustive Work Described by Col- laborator," Los Angeles Times, March 10, 1918).

San Francisco Oct. 25, '68 My Dear Mother

  You will have heard all about our great earthquake, the exaggerated reports, and the succeeding reports making light of the whole affair. But a few words about it direct from one who experienced it may have a peculiar interest. Today is Sunday. The earthquake occurred last Wednesday morning at five minutes to 8, I was just finishing breakfast & folding may napkin when house - a two story double house - was shaken as by a giant. The walls swayed, the timbers creaked and groaned, the dishes rattled on the table, a pail of milk slopped over in the buttery, and after rising from the table it was difficult to stand steadily. We all suddenly adjourned to the street - not because we were scared, of course, but we wanted to see if our neighbors were alarmed, and we found that they seemed to be animated by the same laudable curiosity. Some children screamed with terror, and some having just waked up, did not stop to arrange their toilets but made a hasty exit in scanty habilmatents. Our house is on a rocky foundation 300 feet above the level of the Bay and the business portions of the city. Shakers generally, do much less harm on hills then on the soft ground of the city front. I was prepared to expect great devastation down town and immediately hurried to the store. The business streets were full of exited people, and removed of killed, and fallen walls, etc were rife. In the store no perceptible damage had been done in the 1st storey. In the 2nd, whole shelves of books were emptied, and in the 3rd large files of paper were thrown down, and quantities of ink were broken. Several lighter shakers succeeded the 1st one, at each of which the clerks would scamper from the store. I was not there at any of them till half past ten when the sharpest shock after the first one occurred. I was in the polishing dept, in the 3rd story. The usual stamped occurred and every person but myself - left the store. I watched the gas fixtures vibrate, + heard the horrid grinding of the walls and experienced the visible and audible manifestations of power so vast, as to make one fell the littleness and impotence of human might. The store was then closed, and business throughout the city, as by common consent was suspended. During the day & following night many light shocks occurred, but the first great shock did all the damage. Only four lives were lost, though quite a number of others were hurt. A number of buildings on newly made ground settled on their foundations and will have to be torn down, several walls fell. But no substantially built houses were injured that I know of. It was a day of panic and excitement however that will never be forgotten by those who were in San Francisco or within a hundred mile of the city.
  My wife and I are living very pleasantly with her father and mother and her married brother and sister. Melona, Jerome & Herman live half a mile away on Ellis St. Herman lives across the Bay at Burlingame. They sometimes come up to see us & we sometimes go down to see them. Jerome preaches at Burlingame, and we sometimes take Melona to church with us on Sunday eve. Jerome is not settled, He is mobile, supply in the place of the regular pastor who has gone east on a visit. Probably Melona has written you all about this however. I have requested her to write frequently to you about us all, while every thing is novel about her & she even invest all topics with interest. I am situated pretty much as I have been for several years, I still spend most of my evenings in the store, so much so that Ella complains of my absenting myself from her so much. Mr. H. H. Bancroft will return next month after an absence of 2 ½ years. I do not know how I shall be situated in the future. I know that some matters connected with the publishing dept have not given satisfaction, not so much from want of effort on my part, as from the fact that I have not probably been quite equal to the position, which is a very trying & responsible one. If I could do so I should gladly go east & make you a short visit next summer. I would be willing to sacrifice a great deal to do it. I would like much to have you see Ella. She is a better wife for my impulsive and uneven disposition ---- I even expected to find till I became acquainted with her and during the five months we have been married my regard & affection for her has strengthened and deepened. We would both like to meet you all, but I fear it cannot be next year. But if the railroad is completed I do not see why Louisa, and Harrison, and Lillia, whom I have not seen since I held her in my arms, cannot come and make us a visit. It would be a very interesting trip for them, and our climate is bracing, healthy, and enjoyable in Summer.
  The Board of Education of the City consists of 12 members, chosen, one from each ward. I am candidate of the Rep. Party for the 6th ward + shall probably be elected, San Francisco has now about 150,000 inhabitants, 40,000 children, 20,000 of which attend public schools, these schools require about 300 teachers and an annual expenditure of $300,000, so that the office is an important one, but there is no salary attached to it, else probably I should not have been nominated, still prominent citizens are usually selected for the position & three were contacted for it in our ward, I was selected through the intervention of active friends rather than my own exceptions.
 Give my love to all, Louise, Lizzie, and there families, Ella writes with me in sending live.

MILITARY: American Civil War Soldiers December 13, 2003 12:46 AM Name: William H Knight , Enlistment Date: 14 June 1861 Distinguished Service: DISTINGUISHED SERVICE State Served: New York Unit Numbers: 1514 1514 Service Record: Promoted to Full Sergeant Enlisted as a Private on 14 June 1861 at the age of 30 Enlisted in Company B, 40th Infantry Regiment New York on 14 June 1861. Promoted to Full Corporal on 01 July 1861 POW on 30 August 1862 at 2nd Bull Run, VA (Paroled) Received a disability discharge Company B, 40th Infantry Regiment New York on 29 December 1862 in Alexandria, VA Source Information: Historical Data Systems, comp. Military Records of Individual Civil War Soldiers. [database online] Provo, UT: Ancestry.com, 1999-. Data compiled by Historical Data Systems of Kingston, MA from the following list of works. Copyright 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000 - Historical Data Systems Inc.P.O. Box 196 Kingston, MA 02364

National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers October 8, 2004 1:45 PM Report of the Board of Managers of the National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soliders for the Fiscal Year Ended June 30, 1895 New York Name: Wm. H. Knight Regiment: G Rank: Sergeant Months Served: 48 Birth Place: New York Age: 50 Disability: hernia Place of Admittance: Cal. Status: Pacific Branch present Source Information: Ancestry.com. National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers [database online] Provo, UT: MyFamily.com, Inc., 2002. Original data: House of Representatives Report of the Board of Managers of the National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers for the Fiscal Year ended June 30, 1895. Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1896.

CENSUS: 1850 United States Federal Census Name: William Knight Age: 15 Estimated Birth Year: abt 1835 Birth Place: New York Gender: Male Home in 1850 (City,County,State): Ellicott, Chautauqua, New York Household Members: Name Age Albert Gray 19 Mary A Johnson 29 Willis Johnson 6 George King 24 Caroline Knight 7 Jerome Knight 26 Laura Knight 44 Mariah Knight 13 William Knight 15 Samuel Spease 24 Source Citation: Year: 1850; Census Place: Ellicott, Chautauqua, New York; Roll: M432_485; Page: 56; Image: 115.

1870 United States Federal Census Name: William H Knight Estimated Birth Year: abt 1840 Age in 1870: 30 Birthplace: New York Home in 1870: San Francisco Ward 6, San Francisco, California Race: White Gender: Male Post Office: San Francisco Bookseller Source Citation: Year: 1870; Census Place: San Francisco Ward 6, San Francisco, California; Roll: M593_81; Page: 135; Image: 272.

1900 United States Federal Census Name: William Knight Home in 1900: Los Angeles Ward 4, Los Angeles, California Age: 65 Estimated Birth Year: abt 1835 Birthplace: New York Relationship to head-of-house: Head Spouse's Name: Eva Race: White Occupation: Household Members: Name Age William Knight 65 Eva Knight 54 Alfred Knight 24 Stella Knight 20 Emerson Knight 18 Bertha Knight 13 Source Citation: Year: 1900; Census Place: Los Angeles Ward 4, Los Angeles, California; Roll: T623 89; Page: 3B; Enumeration District: 40.

1910 United States Federal Census Name: William H Knight Age in 1910: 74 Estimated Birth Year: abt 1836 Birthplace: New York Relation to Head of House: Head Father's Birth Place: Connecticut Mother's Birth Place: Vermont Spouse's Name: Ella J Home in 1910: Los Angeles Assembly District 75, Los Angeles, California Marital Status: Married Race: White Gender: Male Household Members: Name Age William H Knight 74 Ella J Knight 64 Emmon Knight 27 Source Citation: Year: 1910; Census Place: Los Angeles Assembly District 75, Los Angeles, California; Roll: T624_84; Page: 3A; Enumeration District: 106; Image: 1241.

1920 United States Federal Census Name: William H Knight Home in 1920: Los Angeles Assembly District 64, Los Angeles, California Age: 84 years Estimated Birth Year: abt 1836 Birthplace: New York Relation to Head of House: Head Father's Birth Place: Connecticut Mother's Birth Place: Vermont Marital Status: Widow Race: White Sex: Male Home owned: Rent Able to read: Yes Able to Write: Yes Image: 783 Household Members: Name Age William H Knight 84 Source Citation: Year: 1920;Census Place: Los Angeles Assembly District 64, Los Angeles, California; Roll: T625_108; Page: 1A; Enumeration District: 224; Image: 783.