REV. WILLIAM D. POLLARD
Bio-Pen Pictures
SURNAMES: DAMERON, HOWSMON,
REV. WILLIAM D. POLLARD was born in Spencer, Owen County, Indiana,
April 12, 1840. His father, Uriah Pollard, was a native of Virginia,
and when six years old removed with his parents to North Carolina,
where he was reared. He was married there to Sarah Dameron, a native of
North Carolina. Uriah Pollard was the owner of one slave, although he
did not believe in slavery. He was strongly opposed to the liquor
traffic for sixty-five years. He took a firm stand against using it in
the harvest-field, and although strongly opposed, finally won the day.
Mrs. Pollard was a woman of sterling qualities, like those of old, ever
providing for her children. Each child grew in virtue and became the
head of an honorable family. They moved to Owen County, Indiana, in
1831, and lived there twenty years. In 1851 they moved to McLean
County, Illinois, where they died, Mr. Pollard in 1879, aged eighty-two
years, and his wife in 1874. They reared a family of seven children,
all of whom are now living, three sons and four daughters. W. D.
Pollard is next to the youngest. He made his home with his parents till
twenty-five years of age. He was educated at the Eureka College, in
Woodford County, Illinois, he and his wife attending school one year
after their marriage. He was reared in the Christian faith, his mother
being a very pious woman, and his father a class-leader for forty
years.
He was married June 29, 1865, to Lizzie J. Howsmon, who was born in
Ohio, January 15, 1845. Her parents moved from Ohio to McLean County,
Illinois, when she was an infant. Both Mr. and Mrs. Pollard were
teachers in the public school. After leaving college they returned to
their old home in McLean County; here Mr. Pollard taught school for a
year, and then returned to Woodford County and taught a year. They then
went to Gilman, Iroquois County, Illinois, and took charge of the
public school there, for one year, and from there to Scott County,
where he taught three years, thence to Morgan County, where both Mr.
and Mrs. Pollard taught in the public schools for three years. In 1875
they came to Santa Clara County.
He at once bought a ranch of twenty acres and planted it to
fruit-trees, and at the same time engaged to teach the Saratoga public
school, which he did for four years. Mr. Pollard has been actively
engaged in raising fruit, having had at different times as many as 150
acres. He has realized $5.00 per acre from three-year-old prunes, $75
per acre when four years old, and $200 when five years old. The best he
ever realized from prunes was $550 per acre. In 1887 he realized $300
per acre from five-year-old peach-trees.
Mr. Pollard has been a preacher for twenty-five years. He began his
ministry about the time he commenced school-teaching, and has many
times preached three times a day. Has held protracted meetings and
taught school at the same time. For the past three years he has been
preaching in Santa Cruz. The most of his efforts in this direction have
been gratuitous. The richness of his life has been spent in the
ministry, he having obtained from this service the largest results. Mr.
Pollard, in the death of his wife, February 2, 1888, met with his
greatest loss. She was his constant companion and helper in his
Christian work. She was the mother of three children, all of whom
survived her. In 1883 Mr. Pollad bought a half interest in Washington
College, in Alameda County where both he and his wife taught for one
year. This was the close of their teaching, having devoted about
fifteen years to it and twenty-five years to the ministry. He at
present gives his time to preaching. His present ranch consists of
forty acres, -- thirty-four acres of French prunes, four acres of
pears, and two acres of peaches, there being about 100 trees to the
acre and ranging from two to six years old.
SOURCE: Pen Pictures From The Garden of the World or Santa Clara County, California, Illustrated. - Edited by H.S. Foote.- Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Company, 1888.Transcribed by Carol Lackey- page 262-263
SANTA CLARA COUNTY BIOGRAPHIES
SANTA CLARA COUNTY HISTORY AND GENEALOGY