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Note: His life story was featured in this 1891 History of Northern California as follows: "William Hatcher: This gentleman is an early resident of Yolo County, and one of its representative wheatgrowers and stock-raisers. He has lived a busy and eventful life, experiencing many toils and hardships, but always actuated by the manly resolve to make the most of every opportunity, and to deal fairly by his fellow men.
Mr. Hatcher was born February 6, 1828, in Sevier County, East Tennessee, and is the eldest son of John and Eliza (Taylor) Hatcher. His parents were not wealthy as the world regards wealth, but possessed what is better than lands or gold, namely, rectitude of life and energy of purpose, traits of character fully inherited by their son. They came of good family, also, the father being of English and German descent, and the mother of German and Scotch ancestry. They were married April 15, 1827, and for two years lived at Wear's Cove, where their son was born. Afterwards they moved to Monroe County, Tennessee, among the Cherokee Indians, remaining there four years.
The next move was to Callaway County, Missouri, where they arrived November 11, 1834. Here his father occupied a position as overseer for Captain Boone, a nephew of the celebrated Daniel Boone. After a residence there of three years, the family removed to the northern part of Missouri, settling in what is now Linn County, but which was then inhabited by the Sioux Indians. There Mr. Hatcher grew up, being brought up to the life of a farmer, but ready to turn his hand to any kind of honest labor, and working at times at tanning leather, making shoes, weaving, spinning, knitting, sewing, school-teaching, etc.
It was at this period that he was married to his estimable wife, who has been a true partner in all his ups and downs, and is now peacefully enjoying the evening of life with her worthy husband, and surrounded by children and grandchildren. Her maiden name was Sarah Frances Mullins, and she was born in Howard County, Missouri. Her grandfather, Thomas Rawlings, settled in Missouri at an early day, and was known throughout the west as "Old Uncle Tommy." Mr. Hatcher married his wife March 27, 1849. They continued to live in Missouri until in the spring of 1852, they determined to set out for California, setting out with ox teams upon the long, hard journey across the plains on April 20th of that year.
They had one small child with them, Columbus W., now a man of forty years of age, residing on a farm of his own of eighty acres adjoining that of his father. He himself is the father of three children, one boy and two girls.
The family arrived in Amador County after the tedious trip, on the first day of September. They had made the journey by the Central route, and Mr. Hatcher had been much impressed by the beauty and possibilities of the country through which he passed, and resolved to become the owner of some of its fertile soil, but like most of the early pioneers he must first take a turn in the fascinating lottery of hunting for gold in Nature's rock-bound repositories. Accordingly he went to mining in Amador County, and after six months spent in that employment returned from the scene the richer by $150.
In the spring of 1853 Mr. Hatcher went to gardening with good sucess(sic), and coming to Yolo County on September 5, 1853, he bought for $750 the magnificent property where he still resides. When he located there thirty-six years ago, there were only fourteen women between his place and the town of Washington, opposite Sacramento, and just children enough to organize a small school. He was a prime mover in putting up the first small school building in that large section, where now are flourishing high schools and colleges.
Mr. Hatcher's ranch is a fine tract of 200 acres, devoted chiefly to the raising of grain and stock. Mr. Hatcher has had seven children, of whom four are living. The names of those living are: Columbus W., Hannah, now the wife of J. D. McLeod; George Pierce and Asa B. Of those deceased: Mary E., John D. and Nancy H., wife of J. T. Nimmo. Mr. Hatcher has also six grandchildren, four boys and two girls. George P. has two sons and Nancy H. one"
This biography appeared in "History of the...Sacramento Valley, California" in 1906:
"WILLIAM HATCHER". When Mr. Hatcher came to Woodland, a little more that half a century ago, Yolo county was but sparsely populated, there being just one thousand men, fourteen women and sixteen chilcren within its limits. It has been his privilege and pleasure to watch its steady growth, and in the establishment of beneficial projects to lend his aid and influence. He comes of English ancestry, his paternal great-grandfather having come to this country from England in colonial days. He is a native of Tennessee, his birth having occurred February 6, 1828, in Sevier county, on the same farm that his father, John Hatcher, was born. His grandparents, William and Mary Hatcher, were born and bred in Virginia, but after their marriage settled in Tennessee. The grandfather served as a soldier in the Revolutionary war.
After attaining his majority, John Hatcher was engaged in farming on his own account for awhile. In 1834, he followed the tide of emigration westward to Callaway county, Mo., where he rented land for one season. He was subsequently for three or four years overseer of the plantation belonging to Captain Boone, a nephew of Daniel Boone, and had about one hundred slaves under him. Locating then in Sullivan county, Mo., before the county was formed, he took up fifteen hundred acres of land, paying $1.25 an acre, and was there extensively engaged in ranching and stock-raising, making a specialty of raising sheep. He was quite successful, and remainded there until his death, at the age of eighty years. He married Eliza Taylor, a daughter of George Taylor, who served in the war of 1812, and was wounded in the left thigh at Horseshoe Bend, Ky. Mr. Taylor was a Virginian by birth, but after the close of the war went to Tennessee with a colony of forty families that settled on a reservation in what is now Sevier county. He subsequently removed to Linn county, Mo., where he spent his remaining years. Both John Hatcher and his wife were strict Methodists, and active workers in the denomination. She died many years before he did, passing away on the home farm in Missouri, when forty-two years old.
But six years old when his parents removed to Missouri, William Hatcher was educated in the district schools, while on the home farm he received practical instruction in agriculture. Beginning to teach school when eighteen years old, he taught winters for a number of terms, in the summer seasons being employed in farming. At the age of nineteen years he enlisted in the Mexican war, in the company commanded by Capt. W. Withers, and was sworn in and drilled, but was never sent to the front. After his marriage he bought land, and carried on general farming some time. Renting his farm of eighty acres in 1852, Mr. Hatcher and his wife started for California, both earning their passage across the plains, he by driving the five yoke of oxen that drew the wagon in which they traveled, and she by doing the cooking for the owner of the wagon and oxen. Locating at Muletown, Amador county, Mr. Hatcher laid out a claim, and subsequently buying cloth erected a cloth house, in which he took boarders for awhile. His health failing, he was forced to give up mining at the end of six months. Going into the valley, he rented land, and made a business of raising vegetables, which he peddled throughout the mining district, getting good prices for his produce.
September 5, 1853, Mr. Hatcher came to Yolo county, locating nine miles northwest of Woodland, and bought a squatter's right to the land now contained in his present home ranch. Thes was a part of Knight's grant, and the settlers were at law with Mr. Knight for ten years before they won their case. Industrious, hard-working and enterprising, Mr. Hatcher improved a valuable and productive ranch, on which he has since resided, being numbered among the prosperous and respected men of the community.
March 27, 1849, in Linn county, Mo., Mr. Hatcher married Sarah F. Mullins, who was born in Howard county, Mo., in 1833, a daughter of David and Nancy (Rawlings) Mullins, the former a native of Virginia, and the latter of Kentucky. David Mullins, a millwright by trade, went to Missouri when a young man, being among the earliest settlers of that state, and resided there until his death, when fifty years of age. He served in the Black Hawk war. His wife survived him, passing away when sixty year old. She was a most charitable and estiimable woman, and a member of the Christian Church. Of the union of Mr. and Mrs. Hatcher seven children were born, namely: Columbus Washington, a farmer in Yolo county; John D. who died in young manhood; Hannah, wife of John D. McLeod, whose sketch may be found elsewhere in this work; Nancy, who became the wife of J. T. Nimmo, and died at the age of twenty-six years; George Pierce, a rancher and dairyman, living near the parental homestead: Asa R., who died at the age of eighteen years: and Mary E., who died when in her firth year. Uniting with the Methodist Episcopal Church when they were young, both Mr. and Mrs. Hatcher have since been faithful workers, and have done much toward the establishment and maintenance of churches, and their house has ever been a home for the preachers of their denomination
This biography appeared in "A History of Black's Station/Zamora and Its People" as noted on Nel Hatcher's RootsWeb site for William Hatcher 1613-1680 on 1/14/2002.
"William Hatcher was born February 6, 1828, in Sevier County, Tennessee, on the same farm on which his father had been born. His grandparents, William and Mary Hatcher, were born in Virginia, but moved to Tennessee after the Revolutionary War: the grandfather served as a soldier in the Revolutionary War. Young William was only six years old when he moved with this parents to Missouri. He attended the district schools and at home received a practical education in agriculture. When he reached the age of 18, he taught school during the winter and farmed during the summer. He enlisted in the Mexican War, was sworn in and drilled, but was never sent to the front.
In March of 1849, William married Sarah Frances Mullins, a daughter of David and Nancy (Rawlings) Mullins. Sarah was born in Missouri in 1833.
Following his marriage, William bought 80 acres in Missouri where he farmed for some time. The tales of the gold strike in California enticed him to rent his farm and head west in 1852. William and Sarah earned their passage across the plains, he by driving the five yoke of oxen which pulled the wagon in which they traveled, and she by cooking for the owner of the wagon and oxen. (A ring from the oxen yoke of one of the wagons in this train is imbedded in the trunk of a tree at Mary's Chapel and Cemetery.) They first located in Amador County, where he tried mining his claim. They also took in boarders in the tent house which they had erected. His health forced him to give up mining after six months. They moved down onto the lower lands where he rented land and raised vegetables which he peddled throughout the mining district.
Moving on to Yolo County in September 1853, he bought a squatter's right to land north of Cacheville. William's brother, George, had already located in the area. George, however, returned to Missouri after the death of his wife in 1876.
The land William Hatcher purchased was part of the Knight's Grant and it took about ten years of litigation before William received a government patent on it. His 320 acres, located on County Road 15, became known as the "Missouri Ranch," and the popular couple were known to all as "Uncle Billy" and "Aunt Fanny." William and Sarah were faithful and hard working members of the Methodist coummunity and did much for the establishment and maintenance of churches. Their house was a home for the preachers of their denomination, and their parlor was sometimes used for church services. They had seven children; all but the first were born on the "Missouri Ranch."
William and Sarah Hatcher lived long and prosperous lives, and celeberated their 50th wedding anniversary ikn March 1899 with a surprise reception on the "Missouri Ranch" that was attended by 260 guests. William died on July 24, 1913, and Sarah died on October 31, 1926. Both are buried at Mary's Cemetery as are all their children"
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