Background
William Wolfskill was born on March 20, 1798, in Boonesborough, Kentucky, United States. He had several brothers, one of whom was John Reid Wolfskill, an agriculturist and pioneer.
agriculturist pioneer trapper cowboy
William Wolfskill was born on March 20, 1798, in Boonesborough, Kentucky, United States. He had several brothers, one of whom was John Reid Wolfskill, an agriculturist and pioneer.
In 1809, William's family moved to the Missouri frontier, settling in the future Howard County. Six years later, the boy went back to Kentucky to attend school.
After spending some time in Kentucky in his early years, William returned to Missouri. In May 1822, he left for the second Santa Fé expedition of William Becknell. In 1823, William trapped the Rio Grande, and, in 1824, was with the first party of American whites, known to have entered southern Utah. Wolfskill went home in 1825, but the following spring, with Ewing Young, returned to the Southwest, trapping the Gila County and engaging in several fights with the Indians. He was again in Missouri at the end of 1827, and in the spring of 1828, left for New Mexico with a trading caravan.
In 1830, William became a Catholic and a Mexican citizen. From Taos, at the end of September 1830, he set out as the leader of a trapping party, which included George Yount, and which opened a new route, approximating what became known as the western part of the Spanish Trail, to California. Arriving in Los Angeles in February 1831, the company dissolved. Then, Wolfskill for a time engaged in hunting the sea-otter, and, in San Pedro, put together the schooner Refugio, one of the first vessels, constructed on the coast.
It was in 1832, that William settled as a carpenter in Los Angeles. Four years later, he acquired some land east of the village, and, in 1838, began to develop it as a vineyard. In 1841, Wolfskill planted an orange grove, the first in the region, except that, belonging to the San Gabriel Mission. In 1842, together with his brother, John Reid Wolfskill, William purchased a large parcel of land in the Sacramento Valley. They called this Rancho Rio de los Putos, later known as the Wolfskill Ranch. The brothers later divided this land, near what is now Winters, California, where John Wolfskill established his own orchards and vineyards.
William soon became wealthy and influential. In 1844, he was chosen as a regidor (councilman) of the village. Abstaining from politics, he devoted himself to his fields. William introduced the persimmon and the Italian chestnut, brought in improved machinery and was the first to ship oranges commercially. Besides, William also devoted much of his time and energy to the private school, which he established in his home at the corner of Fourth and Alameda streets, where his own children, as well as those of many other pioneers, received their education.
Just before his death, William began the erection of a substantial business building in Los Angeles.
William Wolfskill was highly influential in the development of California's agricultural industry in the 19th century, establishing expanded viticulture and becoming the largest wine producer in the region. At the time of his death, he was producing 50,000 gallons of wine a year.
Wolfskill was the first man to plant and grow oranges commercially in California. He is credited with developing the Valencia orange, which became the most popular juice orange in the United States and was the origin of the name of Valencia, California.
It's worth mentioning, that William has been named by historians as one of the three most important men in the history of California viticulture and was one of the wealthiest men in Southern California for his time.
Besides, Wolfskill is also credited with developing and building the first schooner in California, as well as opening the route between Santa Fe and Los Angeles, which became known as the Old Spanish Trail.
William became a Catholic in 1830.
When William became a naturalized Mexican citizen, he changed his name to José Guillermo Wolfskill.
In January 1841, William married Magdalena Lugo of Santa Barbara. Their marriage produced six children.
