Robert Waterman (governor)
Encyclopedia
Robert Whitney Waterman (December 15, 1826 – April 12, 1891) was an American politician. He served as the 17th Governor of California
from September 12, 1887 until January 8, 1891.
and died on April 12, 1891 in San Diego, California
. He was born to John Dean Waterman and Mary Graves Waldo. His middle name derives from the second wife (Clarissa (Dwight) Whitney) of his maternal grandfather. He had seven siblings, including James Sears Waterman, John Calvin Waterman, Henry Franklin Waterman, Charlotte Judith Waterman, Mary Waterman, Charles Waterman, Caroline Waldo Waterman, and Theodore Francis Waterman.
Until 1850, he was a store clerk and postmaster in Geneva, Illinois
. In 1850, he sold his assets and headed to California. He traveled with F.A. Park, and befriended Brigham Young
in Salt Lake City along the way. When he arrived in California, he joined one of his brothers prospecting near the South Fork of the Feather River on Oregon Creek. In 1851, Waterman returned to his family in Wilmington, Illinois
and became a successful grain dealer. He returned to Illinois, and helped form the Illinois Republican party in 1854 and published the Willmington Independent newspaper. In 1856, he was one of two Illinois delegates to the first Republican National Convention in Bloomington, Illinois
. The other was Abraham Lincoln
. In 1860 he played a key role in delivering Illinois to Abraham Lincoln
.
. In 1874, he moved to San Bernardino, California
. He operated the Stonewall Jackson Mine which netted him $500 a day.
In 1880, while residing in San Bernardino, Waterman discovered a silver mine with John Porter a few miles north of Barstow
, California, then called Grapevine. In 1881, he formed a mining partnership with John Porter called Waterman and Porter, with 3/4 of the interest owned by Waterman. A stamp mill settlement about four miles (6 km) away was named Waterman. The Southern Pacific Raliroad came through Waterman in 1882 and 100 men were employed at the mill and mine. The mine produced 40,000 tons of ore worth US$1.7 million before it closed in 1887 after silver prices declined.
In 1886, he purchased Rancho Cuyamaca
, including California's Stonewall gold mine. On the Cuyamaca Ranch, he raised cattle and helped build the San Diego, Cuyamaca, and Eastern Railroad.
He was elected lieutenant governor in 1886 as a Republican
, and he became governor in 1887 upon the death of Governor Washington Bartlett
. The 1886 election was the first split between the two posts in California's history.
As governor, the "Waterman Rifles" militia was authorized for San Bernardino, California
, named in his honor since he was a resident of the City prior to election. In 1889, possibly at Waterman's urging, the 300 acres (121.4 ha) Harlem tract in Patton, California was chosen for the first Southern California Insane Asylum. It opened in 1883 and would become Patton State Hospital in the Highland area of San Bernardino. He served on the U.C. Regents as an ex-officio member as both lieutenant governor and governor. His administration suffered from his lack of elected office and poor advisory support. He strongly supported the Congressional Resolution creating Yosemite National Park
.
The question whether to divide California
was a major issue in his term. His nickname was "Old Honesty," he would not tolerate drunkenness, overspending, nor dishonesty, and vowed to run the state as a business. He chastised the Legislature for having 228 clerks when only 35 were authorized.
Though he served out the remainder of the term, his poor health caused him not to seek re-election. He moved to San Diego, where he is buried in Mt. Hope Cemetery. In 1891, he purchased for US$17,000 a Queen Anne-style house built in 1889 known as the Long-Waterman Mansion, now located at 2408 First Avenue, San Diego, 92101.
– April 12, 1914 in Barstow, California) on September 29, 1847, in Belvedere, Illinois. His children were sons Frank G. Waterman (Born September 12, 1848 in Belvidere, Illinois, died on August 20, 1853), Waldo Sprague Waterman (born February 1, 1860 in Wilmington, Illinois, married Hazel Emma Wood in Erie Villa, California on April 11, 1889, died February 23, 1903 in San Diego, California), James Sears Waterman, (born August 22, 1853 in Wilmington, Illinois, married Sarah C. Brown on December 15, 1902, died January 19, 1930); daughters Mary Pamela Waterman Rice (born April 9, 1850 in Belvidere, Illinois, died November 3, 1925, married to Hyland W. Rice, San Bernardino County's Public Administrator), Helen Jane Waterman, (born December 18, 1856 in Wilmington, Illinois); a picture in The Bancroft Library lists Anna Waterman and Abby Lou Waterman, but Waterman only had six children in all.
Today, Waterman Avenue, Waterman Gardens, and Waterman Canyon are still named for him in San Bernardino, California
, as well as Waterman Road at the western margin of Barstow
, south of State Route 58 and north of the Mojave River
.
Waterman's papers and photographs are in The Bancroft Library at UC Berkeley and the San Diego Historical Society.
Governor of California
The Governor of California is the chief executive of the California state government, whose responsibilities include making annual State of the State addresses to the California State Legislature, submitting the budget, and ensuring that state laws are enforced...
from September 12, 1887 until January 8, 1891.
Early years
Waterman was born in Fairfield, New YorkFairfield, New York
Fairfield is a town in Herkimer County, New York, United States. The population was 1,607 at the 2000 census. The town is named after Fairfield, Connecticut.The Town of Fairfield is north of the Village of Herkimer and east of Utica...
and died on April 12, 1891 in San Diego, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. He was born to John Dean Waterman and Mary Graves Waldo. His middle name derives from the second wife (Clarissa (Dwight) Whitney) of his maternal grandfather. He had seven siblings, including James Sears Waterman, John Calvin Waterman, Henry Franklin Waterman, Charlotte Judith Waterman, Mary Waterman, Charles Waterman, Caroline Waldo Waterman, and Theodore Francis Waterman.
Illinois
Waterman moved to Newbury, Illinois when he was thirteen to join his brother as a clerk.Until 1850, he was a store clerk and postmaster in Geneva, Illinois
Geneva, Illinois
Geneva is the county seat of Kane County, Illinois. It is located on the western fringe of the Chicago suburbs. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 26,652. Geneva is part of a tri-city area, along with St. Charles and Batavia...
. In 1850, he sold his assets and headed to California. He traveled with F.A. Park, and befriended Brigham Young
Brigham Young
Brigham Young was an American leader in the Latter Day Saint movement and a settler of the Western United States. He was the President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1847 until his death in 1877, he founded Salt Lake City, and he served as the first governor of the Utah...
in Salt Lake City along the way. When he arrived in California, he joined one of his brothers prospecting near the South Fork of the Feather River on Oregon Creek. In 1851, Waterman returned to his family in Wilmington, Illinois
Wilmington, Illinois
Wilmington is the name of two places in the U.S. state of Illinois:*Wilmington, Greene County, Illinois*Wilmington, Will County, Illinois...
and became a successful grain dealer. He returned to Illinois, and helped form the Illinois Republican party in 1854 and published the Willmington Independent newspaper. In 1856, he was one of two Illinois delegates to the first Republican National Convention in Bloomington, Illinois
Bloomington, Illinois
Bloomington is a city in McLean County, Illinois, United States and the county seat. It is adjacent to Normal, Illinois, and is the more populous of the two principal municipalities of the Bloomington-Normal metropolitan area...
. The other was Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
. In 1860 he played a key role in delivering Illinois to Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
.
Return to California
In 1873, Waterman returned to California and became a machinery salesman in Redwood City, CaliforniaRedwood City, California
Redwood City is a California charter city located on the San Francisco Peninsula in Northern California, approximately 27 miles south of San Francisco, and 24 miles north of San Jose. Redwood City's history spans from its earliest inhabitation by the Ohlone people, to its tradition as a port for...
. In 1874, he moved to San Bernardino, California
San Bernardino, California
San Bernardino is a city located in the Riverside-San Bernardino metropolitan area , and serves as the county seat of San Bernardino County, California, United States...
. He operated the Stonewall Jackson Mine which netted him $500 a day.
Barstow, California
Barstow is a city in San Bernardino County, California, United States. The population was 22,639 at the 2010 census, up from 21,119 at the 2000 census. Barstow is located north of San Bernardino....
, California, then called Grapevine. In 1881, he formed a mining partnership with John Porter called Waterman and Porter, with 3/4 of the interest owned by Waterman. A stamp mill settlement about four miles (6 km) away was named Waterman. The Southern Pacific Raliroad came through Waterman in 1882 and 100 men were employed at the mill and mine. The mine produced 40,000 tons of ore worth US$1.7 million before it closed in 1887 after silver prices declined.
In 1886, he purchased Rancho Cuyamaca
Rancho Cuyamaca
Rancho Cuyamaca was a Mexican land grant in present day San Diego County, California given in 1845 by Governor Pío Pico to Agustin Olvera. The grant extended south of present day Julian and encompassed Cuyamaca Rancho State Park, Lake Cuyamaca, and Cuyamaca Peak.-History:Olvera remained in Los...
, including California's Stonewall gold mine. On the Cuyamaca Ranch, he raised cattle and helped build the San Diego, Cuyamaca, and Eastern Railroad.
He was elected lieutenant governor in 1886 as a Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
, and he became governor in 1887 upon the death of Governor Washington Bartlett
Washington Bartlett
Washington Montgomery Bartlett was the 20th Mayor of San Francisco, California from 1883–1887 and was California's first and to date only Jewish Governor of California.- Life and career :...
. The 1886 election was the first split between the two posts in California's history.
As governor, the "Waterman Rifles" militia was authorized for San Bernardino, California
San Bernardino, California
San Bernardino is a city located in the Riverside-San Bernardino metropolitan area , and serves as the county seat of San Bernardino County, California, United States...
, named in his honor since he was a resident of the City prior to election. In 1889, possibly at Waterman's urging, the 300 acres (121.4 ha) Harlem tract in Patton, California was chosen for the first Southern California Insane Asylum. It opened in 1883 and would become Patton State Hospital in the Highland area of San Bernardino. He served on the U.C. Regents as an ex-officio member as both lieutenant governor and governor. His administration suffered from his lack of elected office and poor advisory support. He strongly supported the Congressional Resolution creating Yosemite National Park
Yosemite National Park
Yosemite National Park is a United States National Park spanning eastern portions of Tuolumne, Mariposa and Madera counties in east central California, United States. The park covers an area of and reaches across the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada mountain chain...
.
The question whether to divide California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
was a major issue in his term. His nickname was "Old Honesty," he would not tolerate drunkenness, overspending, nor dishonesty, and vowed to run the state as a business. He chastised the Legislature for having 228 clerks when only 35 were authorized.
Though he served out the remainder of the term, his poor health caused him not to seek re-election. He moved to San Diego, where he is buried in Mt. Hope Cemetery. In 1891, he purchased for US$17,000 a Queen Anne-style house built in 1889 known as the Long-Waterman Mansion, now located at 2408 First Avenue, San Diego, 92101.
Family life
Waterman married Jane Gardner (November 8, 1829 in Stanstead, QuebecStanstead, Quebec
Stanstead is a town of about 3,000 people, part of the Memphrémagog Regional County Municipality in the Estrie region of Québec. Stanstead is located on the Canada-United States border across from Derby Line, Vermont....
– April 12, 1914 in Barstow, California) on September 29, 1847, in Belvedere, Illinois. His children were sons Frank G. Waterman (Born September 12, 1848 in Belvidere, Illinois, died on August 20, 1853), Waldo Sprague Waterman (born February 1, 1860 in Wilmington, Illinois, married Hazel Emma Wood in Erie Villa, California on April 11, 1889, died February 23, 1903 in San Diego, California), James Sears Waterman, (born August 22, 1853 in Wilmington, Illinois, married Sarah C. Brown on December 15, 1902, died January 19, 1930); daughters Mary Pamela Waterman Rice (born April 9, 1850 in Belvidere, Illinois, died November 3, 1925, married to Hyland W. Rice, San Bernardino County's Public Administrator), Helen Jane Waterman, (born December 18, 1856 in Wilmington, Illinois); a picture in The Bancroft Library lists Anna Waterman and Abby Lou Waterman, but Waterman only had six children in all.
Legacy
After his death, on February 29, 1892, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in the case of Waterman v. Alden reported at 143 U.S. 196. That case involved the will of his brother, James S. Waterman of Sycamore Illinois, who died on July 19, 1883 without children or descendants. On May 14, 1881, Waterman gave his brother an agreement in writing to give his brother within 12 months on demand 24/100th of mining property in California. Waterman testified that the value was $1,000,000 at the time. James Waterman advanced $25,000 to $30,000 to the Waterman Porter partnership, part of which was repaid before James' death. James also held five promissary notes dated in late 1881, for $10,000, payable from February to March 1882 at 8 percent per annum interest. The notes were transferred by Robert Waterman to Philander M. Alden and George S. Robinson, citizens of Illinois and executors of James' estate. The Court ruled that the will did not include the notes.Today, Waterman Avenue, Waterman Gardens, and Waterman Canyon are still named for him in San Bernardino, California
San Bernardino, California
San Bernardino is a city located in the Riverside-San Bernardino metropolitan area , and serves as the county seat of San Bernardino County, California, United States...
, as well as Waterman Road at the western margin of Barstow
Barstow
-Places:In the United States:*Barstow, California, a city in San Bernadino County*Barstow, Fresno County, California, an unincorporated community*Barstow, Illinois*Barstow, Maryland*Barstow, Texas-People:...
, south of State Route 58 and north of the Mojave River
Mojave River
The Mojave River is an intermittent river in the eastern San Bernardino Mountains and Mojave Desert in San Bernardino County, California. The river is notable as most of its flow is underground, while its surface channels remain dry most of the time, with the exception of the headwaters and several...
.
Waterman's papers and photographs are in The Bancroft Library at UC Berkeley and the San Diego Historical Society.
External links
- Guide to the Waterman Family Papers, 1839-1906 at The Bancroft Library