Belding

The town of San Pablo grew slowly in the last half of the 19th century, maintaining its role as a small settlement surrounded by agriculture – hay and grain fields, fruit orchards, and dairy farms – for many decades. In the late 1880s, William F. Belding established a store at the corner of San Pablo Avenue and Church Street (Emanuels 1993:144).  After this, the adobe (which was behind Belding's store) was obscured from view and repurposed to serve the business’ storage needs for nearly seven decades.

Belding eventually arrived in San Pablo in 1885 with enough money to open a store which served as a shopping center for miles around. He was able to carry the ranchers for a year's credit until their crop money was paid. He was the most successful store owner in San Pablo. His store, which sold a variety of merchandise (groceries, dry goods, hardware, clothing, including boots and shoes and other fancy merchandise), was located at the corner of San Pablo Avenue and Church Lane. He was well-known in the community and throughout the county for his kindness, his progressive spirit, and his desire that every man should have a square deal and an equal opportunity.

He was appointed U. S. Postmaster for the city of San Pablo on 10 January 1895. He was the Democratic nominee for State Assembly in the 1902 and 1906 elections. In 1907, he was on the original board of trustees for the High School District which was made up of the territory originally comprising the San Pablo School District. In addition to his interest in the civic advancement of the city and the county, he served many years on the school board, also serving as its president. Among his many accomplishments, he was the president and one of the founders of the Bank of Richmond, and one of the founders, and since the beginning, a director in the Independent Publishing Company, publishers of the Daily Independent.

He died at his home in San Pablo on 27 January 1913, after a long illness at the age of 72. A strictly private funeral was held there. Although he married twice in his lifetime, he was survived by his second wife, Emma Taylor and one son, William Forsythe Belding Jr. by his first wife, Herma Pratt. Belding Elementary School was named for him. A family home on Church Lane in San Pablo still stands.

Below: photographs of Belding's Store. "William F. Belding the most successful store owner in San Pablo at [the corner of] San Pablo Avenue and Church Lane. Belding came in 1885 with enough money to open this store which served as a shopping center for miles around. He was able to carry the ranchers for a year's credit until their crop money was paid. He was most influential. He served many years on the school board, and the Belding [Elementary] School was named for him."  Transcribed from a note on the object: William F. Belding - a store owner in San Pablo at Church Lane and San Pablo Ave. Note that the Alvarado Adobe can be seen in the background in both photos.

Belding's General Merchandise Store Invoice. San Pablo, Cal. Dec 1, 1893

Mr. John Smith

"To interest on Bill rendered on Oct 1st 1892 to Oct 1st 1893....$52.85"

Glassware, Paints, Oils, Drugs, Patent Medicines, etc. 

Groceries, Provisions

Dry Goods

Fancy Goods

Clothing

Boots and Shoes

Gents Furnishing Goods

Hardware

Wood and Willow Ware, Queensware

The following are sample Billing Head Invoices for the

Belding General Merchandise Business of San Pablo.

[Courtesy Sonny Jackson Collection]

Obituary for William Forsyth Belding.

 William Forsyth Belding pioneer and capitalist of San Pablo, died at his home in San Pablo on 27 January 1913. Death came at the Belding home in San Pablo at a very early hour yesterday morning after an illness that had extended over a year. His condition for several days has been critical and the final dissolution came from a general breakdown of his system at the age of seventy two years. He leaves a wife, Mrs. Elizabeth Belding and one son William F. Belding, Jr. to mourn his death.

FUNERAL TO BE PRIVATE

 The funeral which will be held at 2 o’clock this afternoon from his home at San Pablo and will be strictly private. The interment will be in Sunset View Cemetery under the direction of Undertaker E. B. Smallwood.

 Mr. Belding and his life in this community and county are so well known that there is nothing that is new to tell the world that surrounded him and approved of his kindness, his progressive spirit, his desire that every man should have a square deal and an equal opportunity. He was a native of New York, but had lived in California since he was a young man and in San Pablo for the past twenty years. His mercantile business was one of the most successful ever established in the county. His patrons all were his personal friends and who regarded him as a man that they could go to in their hour of happiness or stress and he would not be found wanting.

 In addition to his interest in the civic advancement of this city and the county, he took a deep interest in the Richmond union high school, being one of the prime organizers of the school and since the institution of the district he has served as president of the high school board. He often visited the school and was ever ready and willing to give his time and money to the advancement of the school.

 He was the president and one of the founders of the Bank of Richmond, one of the most successful and conservative conducted banking houses in the state. For the past year, Mr. Belding’s health has been such that he could not attend to his duties at the bank and John H. Nicholl, vice president of the bank, has been acting. Mr. Belding was also one of the founders and since the beginning a director in the Independent Publishing Company, publishers of the Daily Independent. In this connection he was honored and beloved by his associates and the employes and attaches of this newspaper for his high sense of honor and fair play and his efforts to do what he could to boost Richmond and the county. His presence as a member of the board of directors will be sincerely missed by those associated in this corporation. Mr. Belding was prominent in the Masonic order, having joined Perfection Lodge in Salt Lake City many years ago and later transferring to McKinley Lodge of this city. He was also a member of Acantha Chapter, No. 249, Order of Eastern Star, and a Shriner.

 William Forsythe Belding was born in Caughdenoy, Oswego County, New York, January 3, 1842, and came to California with his parents in 1850. His father was engaged in the erection of quartz mills throughout the mining districts of the state, and it was not until he was 17 years of age that Belding went to San Francisco in 1860. After serving his apprenticeship at a trade he went to Nevada where he was associated with his father in the construction of a number of quartz mills. Later he went into the business for himself being associated with David E. Buell a well-known mining man. Later he had charge of a number of mines and his rise as an able manager was rapid. He held positions in California, Nevada, Colorado and Utah as the superintendent of large reduction works and later returned to San Francisco where for a number of years he was connected with the San Francisco Produce exchange.

 Twenty-seven years ago, he came to San Pablo where he entered the mercantile business in partnership with G. W. Terrill under the firm name of Belding and Terrill.  Six years afterward he became the sole owner of the business and has conducted it with the greatest success ever since. When Richmond was established, Belding turned his activities to this city and has been as influential in aiding the growth and development of the city as any other man. He was one of the organizers of the Bank of Richmond and at the time of his death was president of that institution. He served in the early days of the city as the president of the Point Richmond Chamber of Commerce and the Contra Costa Board of Trade. When Richmond Union High school district was formed Belding was one of the leaders on the move at the time of his death.

 He was a man who was always ready to aid in any charitable or civic work and in his death, Richmond will lose one of its most able and energetic men. Belding was first married in 1882 to Miss Herma Pratt in Salt Lake City, who on her death left one son William F. Jr., now a prominent merchant of San Pablo who has had active management of his father’s business during his late illness.

 For more than a third of a century Belding has been a mason being a member of McKinley Lodge of this city, Alcatraz Chapter of the Royal Arch Masons of Oakland and the Oakland Commandery Knights Templar. He was a member of the Ancient Order of Foresters and the Knights and Ladies of Honor. He served in the state legislature of Nevada while in that state and was on several occasions the leader of the Democratic party in this county for legislative honors.

[Transcribed by Janean Hendrickson and Delma Saunders; Feb. 2010]

**TIMELINE**

1860: Arrived in San Francisco at age 17.

1861: Employed at Miners’ Foundry in SF and engaged in mining in Nevada.

1874: Marriage to Herma Ethna Pratt at Salt Lake City, Utah (1856-1877).

1880: Superintendent of Belle Mining Co.

1884: Marriage to Emma V. Taylor at San Francisco (1856-1926).

1895: Belding was appointed U. S. Postmaster for San Pablo on 10 January 1895. 

1905: Candidate for State Assemblyman

1907: Wm. F Belding Appointed to Richmond School Board.

1911: Becomes president of Bank of Richmond.

1913: Death and Burial, Sunset View Cemetery, El Cerrito.

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/157914207/william-forsyth-belding

Read more about: WILLIAM FORSYTH BELDING (rootsweb.com)