Judge John Howard Watson

— 1813-1882 —

After the California gold discovery in 1848, the rush was on from all parts of the nation to the mining regions of the West Coast. In early 1849, a young man named John Howard Watson arrived in California to seek his fortune. Stories have been handed down that prior to that he lived in Georgia and Texas, married, killed a man, read some law and owned a slave.

Soon after his arrival, Watson was elected to the State Assembly but resigned in 1850. A month later he was elected judge of the Third District which was comprised of Contra Costa, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz and Monterey Counties. He resigned again the next year, apparently always looking for greener pastures.

In 1852 Fecundo Rodriguez sold two square leagues of the Rancho de los Rodriguez, or Bolsa del P?jaro, to Judge Watson and Durell Gregory for $400. Later that same year, Sebastian Rodriguez sold "all of the one undivided half part of that tract of - Rancho Bolsa de los Rodriguez" to them for $4,000. This was the site of the village of P?jaro, the future Watsonville.

In 1861, Judge Watson left Watsonville for Nevada and was never to return. He became Justice of the Peace in Mountain City after trying his hand at mining. He died in Elko, Nevada on August 2, 1882.

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Show me all markers in:  Watsonville, CA  |  Santa Cruz County  |  95076  |  California  |  United States of America

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