Timothy Guy Phelps
Encyclopedia
Timothy Guy Phelps was an American business executive and politician. He was the first president of the Southern Pacific Railroad
from 1865 until 1868 when the railroad was purchased by members of The Big Four, and saw the railroad build its first tracks south of San Francisco, California
.
, and completed his elementary schooling and then moved to New York City
in 1845 where he worked in mercantile for a short time, then took time to study law. As soon as word of the gold discoveries in California reached New York, Phelps was on the boat to the west. He arrived in California, via Panama
, in December 1849 and he moved to Tuolumne County, California
where he tried his hand at mining
. Failing to find a fortune in gold, he moved to San Francisco
to resume a career in the mercantile.
s (14 km²) of land in what is now San Mateo County, California
. He used the land for farming and soon decided to make the area, now the city of San Carlos
, his home.
Living in San Carlos, in 1851 Phelps became involved in the local vigilance committee
in an effort to uphold the law.
Following a failed state assembly bid in 1854, Phelps was elected as the first Republican from San Francisco and San Mateo Counties the following year and served until 1857. During his term, he served on the first Grand Jury
on August 1, 1856. He then went on in 1858 to serve in the state senate until 1861 when he ran for Governor of California. Instead of that post, he was elected US Senator for California. His US Senate term lasted from March 4, 1861 to March 3, 1863.
Phelps chose not to run for reelection in 1862, instead he returned to California
. His next job was in real estate until 1870 when he became the customs collector for the port of San Francisco (until 1872). In 1875 he again ran for Governor of California, and he was again defeated, by William Irwin.
He also served as regent of the University of California
at Berkeley.
in 1853. He died near San Carlos, California
after he was struck by two boys on a tandem bicycle at 75.
Southern Pacific Railroad
The Southern Pacific Transportation Company , earlier Southern Pacific Railroad and Southern Pacific Company, and usually simply called the Southern Pacific or Espee, was an American railroad....
from 1865 until 1868 when the railroad was purchased by members of The Big Four, and saw the railroad build its first tracks south of San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
.
Early years
Phelps was born in Oxford, New YorkOxford, New York
Oxford is a town in Chenango County, New York, United States. The town contains a village named Oxford. Oxford is an interior town in the south-central part of the county, southwest of the City of Norwich. At the 2000 census the town population was 3,992...
, and completed his elementary schooling and then moved to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in 1845 where he worked in mercantile for a short time, then took time to study law. As soon as word of the gold discoveries in California reached New York, Phelps was on the boat to the west. He arrived in California, via Panama
Panama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
, in December 1849 and he moved to Tuolumne County, California
Tuolumne County, California
Tuolumne County is a county in the Sierra Nevada of the U.S. state of California. The northern half of Yosemite National Park is located in the eastern part of the county. As of the 2010 census, the population was 55,365, up from 54,501 at the 2000 census...
where he tried his hand at mining
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
. Failing to find a fortune in gold, he moved to San Francisco
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
to resume a career in the mercantile.
Career
Phelps' business losses were substantial in the great fire of 1851, but Phelps rebuilt and soon recovered his loss. It was during this period of recovery that he purchased 3,500 acreAcre
The acre is a unit of area in a number of different systems, including the imperial and U.S. customary systems. The most commonly used acres today are the international acre and, in the United States, the survey acre. The most common use of the acre is to measure tracts of land.The acre is related...
s (14 km²) of land in what is now San Mateo County, California
San Mateo County, California
San Mateo County is a county located in the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California. It covers most of the San Francisco Peninsula just south of San Francisco, and north of Santa Clara County. San Francisco International Airport is located at the northern end of the county, and...
. He used the land for farming and soon decided to make the area, now the city of San Carlos
San Carlos, California
San Carlos is a city in San Mateo County, California, USA on the San Francisco Peninsula, about halfway between San Francisco and San Jose. It is an affluent small residential suburb located between Belmont to the north and Redwood City to the south. San Carlos' ZIP code is 94070, and it is within...
, his home.
Living in San Carlos, in 1851 Phelps became involved in the local vigilance committee
Vigilance committee
A vigilance committee was a group formed of private citizens to administer law and order where they considered governmental structures to be inadequate. The term is commonly associated with the frontier areas of the American West in the mid-19th century, where groups attacked cattle rustlers and...
in an effort to uphold the law.
Following a failed state assembly bid in 1854, Phelps was elected as the first Republican from San Francisco and San Mateo Counties the following year and served until 1857. During his term, he served on the first Grand Jury
Grand jury
A grand jury is a type of jury that determines whether a criminal indictment will issue. Currently, only the United States retains grand juries, although some other common law jurisdictions formerly employed them, and most other jurisdictions employ some other type of preliminary hearing...
on August 1, 1856. He then went on in 1858 to serve in the state senate until 1861 when he ran for Governor of California. Instead of that post, he was elected US Senator for California. His US Senate term lasted from March 4, 1861 to March 3, 1863.
Phelps chose not to run for reelection in 1862, instead he returned to 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...
. His next job was in real estate until 1870 when he became the customs collector for the port of San Francisco (until 1872). In 1875 he again ran for Governor of California, and he was again defeated, by William Irwin.
He also served as regent of the University of California
Regents of the University of California
The Regents of the University of California make up the governing board of the University of California. The Board has 26 full members:* The majority are appointed by the Governor of California for 12-year terms....
at Berkeley.
Personal life
He met and married Sophronia J. Jewell, of Guilford, New YorkGuilford, New York
Guilford is a town in Chenango County, New York, United States. The town is on the east border of the county. The population was 3,046 at the 2000 census.- History :The land was purchased from the Oneida tribe in 1785.The town was first settled around 1787...
in 1853. He died near San Carlos, California
San Carlos, California
San Carlos is a city in San Mateo County, California, USA on the San Francisco Peninsula, about halfway between San Francisco and San Jose. It is an affluent small residential suburb located between Belmont to the north and Redwood City to the south. San Carlos' ZIP code is 94070, and it is within...
after he was struck by two boys on a tandem bicycle at 75.