WILLIAM LANGLOIS
Is a native of the Isle of Guernsey, one of the channel islands of England lying near the coast of France, and with Alderney and Jersey distinguished for their fine breeds of milch cows and their dairy products. On the Island of Guernsey he was born October 10, 1826, being the fourth child of eight in the family of James and Rachel (Sackett) Langlois, there being five sons and three daughters. In the schools of Guernsey he received his education, and in his native village learned the manly and valuable trade of blacksmithing. When twenty-three years of age he emigrated from his little island to the great continent of America, and sought a new home at Racine, Wisconsin, on the shore of Lake Michigan. That was in 1849, when nearly all people ready to move were rushing off to the new El Dorado on the Pacific Coast, but the lovely prairies of Wisconsin and the thriving city by the great lake were too attractive to Mr. Langlois and his young bride, and there they remained until 1852. Three years were spent in Racine, Mr. Langlois working there at his trade as blacksmith. Then came the fever for California, and in the summer of 1852 he crossed the plains to the gold region, locating in Sierra County, and at once engaged in mining. But there were other ways of getting gold than digging it out of the earth. The miners were very destructive of all their iron implements, and were willing to pay large prices for making, mending, and sharpening picks, drills and many other things, and Mr. Langlois soon found he had a better mine in his trade than he could find in the gulches, bars, and hills of Sierra County, and he therefore resumed his blacksmith work. To this he added a saw-mill, and engaged in the lumber trade, continuing the business in that county for eleven years. In 1863 he removed to Sonoma County, buying a dairy farm and stock of cows, and engaging in the manufacture of butter and cheese. In 1867 he came to San Luis Obispo County, and bought a ranch of 500 acres located at the head of Morro Creek, ten miles from Cayucos and eighteen miles from the town of San Luis Obispo. Here he has since lived, carrying on the business of dairying in a thorough and first-class manner. A view of Mr. Langlois’ place will be found on another page of this work.
Mr. Langlois was married February 25, 1849, to Miss Susan Langlois, a native of the Isle of Guernsey. They have now seven children, three sons and four daughters, having lost one little boy by death, who was born in 1862.
Source: History of San Luis Obispo County, California, pp348-349. Transcribed for the CAGenWeb Project by Cathy Portz.