William Watt (July 14, 1828 – July 5, 1878) was a California Gold Rush mining executive, California State Senator, Regent of the University of California,[1] Director of the Nevada County Narrow Gauge Railroad,[2] and owner of the Grass Valley Telegraph, the first newspaper in that town.[3]
Watt was born in Scotland, and spent his early years as a marine engineer.[4] He came to the US when he was 20 and by 1852 was in California.[5] He was a Royal Arch Mason.[3]
He participated in the California Gold Rush by working and purchasing mines in the Grass Valley area. Watt was superintendent and part owner of the Eureka Mine.[6][7] He also owned the Massachusetts Mine in Grass Valley and discovered the Derbec Mine (near North Bloomfield).[8] From 1861 until 1863, he served as California State Senator from Nevada County. He served as Regent from 1868 until his resignation in 1871, when he became a candidate for Governor of California on the Democratic Party ticket.[9] Watt died in North Bloomfield, California following an accident involving a runaway buggy.[5]