William Wallace Wilkins arrived in San Francisco at the height of the 

 Gold Rush, on September 17, 1849. Born hi Middleton, Massachusetts in 1824, 

 Wilkins had joined the Gold Rush with one of the earliest joint stock companies 

 of 65 members which brought as part of its cargo on the La Grange a 

 disassembled steamer for use in Sacramento River trade. Upon its completion 

 the steamer, christened Commodore Jones by its makers, made the first voyage 

 of any steamer from Benicia to Sacramento; it subsequently became that city's 

 first jail. Wilkins worked in various mines until late 1852, when he came to the 

 Bolinas area where he met with Capt. Morgan. Wilkins leased Morgan's ranch 

 with the intent of starting a dairy, but instead was employed by Morgan as the 

 ranch manager. He then bought out Morgan's partner in the ranch and made a 

 living for almost ten years cutting cordwood and railroad ties for a commission 

 house in San Francisco. His interactions with Morgan and other neighbors led 

 to his final purchase and settlement on the Wilkins Ranch. 9 



According to family accounts, Wilkins built his large barn soon after 

 purchasing an interest in the property in 1866; the barn appears on the first 

 survey for a road around Bolinas Lagoon in February of 1868. He also built a 

 creamery, horse barn and a number of outbuildings. Also, a number of 

 residences around Dogtown, dating from the sawmill era, remained on the 

 ranch under lease from the owner. Wilkins made agreements with miners to 

 reopen the copper mines on the property that had been first explored in 1863 

 (see sidebar). 



Wilkins did not continue to operate the dairy; in 1870 he leased the 

 ranch to Angelo Pedrotti, a Swiss immigrant, for five years at $1800 per year. 

 Included in the lease were 150 cattle, 8 head of horses and colts, plus all of the 

 "teams, carts, machinery, tools and implements now on the tract." Later, in 

 1883, Angelo's brother James Pedrotti took a five year lease on the dairy. 10 



Reportedly the fine Wilkins house was built around 1875 as he prepared 

 to get married and start a family. In 1876 he married Mary B. Morse, sister of 

 a neighbor down Bolinas Lagoon, Benjamin Morse. The couple had five 

 children, twins Mary (May) and Bessie (born 1876), James G. (Jim) (1878), 

 Helen (1882) and Edith (1884). Jim and his twin sisters worked on the ranch, 



9 Munro-Fraser, Marin County, pp. 428-430; Prof. J. M. Guinn, History of the State of 

 California and Biographical Record of the Coast Counties (Chicago: Chapman Publishing Co., 

 1904), pp. 393-394. 



'"Deeds Book I, p. 310, Leases Book A, p. 523, Book B, p. 121, Book C, p. 130, MCRO. 



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