Weed H. William

William H. Weed, one of the most progressive and enterprising business men of New Mexico, who has worked his way upward from humble surroundings to a position of wealth and affluence, was born in New York city, on the 22d of May, 1823, and remained there until he had attained his majority. The West, however, proved to him a more attractive field of operation, and in 1846 he went to Independence, Missouri, engaged in freighting from that place to Santa Fe, New Mexico, until 1848, and that year witnessed his arrival in St. Louis, where he continued for about a year, going thence to California. Starting from St. Joseph, Missouri, he traveled by way of Fort Laramie and the Humboldt river to the Pacific slope. This was the time of the gold excitement in that State, and he hoped to rapidly acquire a fortune. He at first engaged in mining on the north fork of the American river, but shortly afterward engaged in merchandising in Sacramento, where he remained until 1852.
In that year Mr. Weed went to the Isthmus of Panama and engaged in the transportation business from Panama to Cruces and Gorgona, and owned boats on the Chagres river until 1854. In that year he again went to California and once more resumed mining, but subsequently engaged in trading for several years through that State, Oregon and Washington, and later through Arizona, New Mexico and Texas: was trading and contracting most of the time. He then went to the Pan-Handle of Texas, where he embarked in merchandising in 1873. He also laid out the town of Mobeetie, was instrumental in securing the organization of the county, was elected at that time as County Commissioner, and during his service built the court-house.

Mr. Weed has resided in White Oaks since March, 1882. He arrived here with $20,000 worth of goods and kept freight trains of goods coming constantly. His store was called the “big new store,” for it was larger than any other mercantile establishment in the locality. From the beginning his enterprise was attended with a phenomenal success, his sales amounting to the immense sum of $326,000 the first year, while his trade extended throughout the Pecos valley, and included Chaves and Eddy counties. Mr. Weed purchased lumber immediately on his arrival at this place, and on the 15th of April had his store building completed and his goods in. His first year’s trading amounted to $126,000 with Gross, Blackwell & Company, of Las Vegas. He owned the freighting outfit which he used, and carried on the largest business ever transacted in this part of the Territory.
Mr. Weed has also been largely interested in the promotion and development of mining interests, and owns considerable mining property in the vicinity of White Oaks. His property of this character is quite extensive, and he has varied business interests all over the Territory, including a very fine store in San Pedro, New Mexico, which he opened in 1889. He has obtained an ample fortune through his own exertions, and his career is an illustration of the fact that persistent work and earnest application is sure of its reward. He is widely known in this section of the country, and his honorable business career and many social qualities have gained him a large circle of friends. [Source: “An Illustrated History of New Mexico . . .;” The Lewis Publishing Company, 1895; transcribed by Genealogy Trails Transcription Team]

In December of 1885, a post office was established at a wide spot in Agua Chiquita Canyon, which was somewhat central for the area and a natural crossroads. The post office was named for W.H. Weed, a prominent White Oaks merchant, born and raised in New York City who had come to that mining town about 1882. There is no evidence that he ever visited the Agua Chiquita, but he set up a branch store there which became Weed as others built around it. The post office changed locations eight times in the next ten years. See Full Story Here

William Weed purchased Block 34, Lot 3 in 1882. So this is where the New Big Store was located.

John Eaker Page

Newspaper Clippings

• Various Articles for Weed

Lincoln County Ownership

See Interactive Map  Ownership

Ancestry.com

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Timeline for William Weed

• May 29, 1900 Sheriff Sale

From the Sheriff sale mention of: “One undivided third interest in the N.W. quarter of section 5, Township 7, SR 13 E. Appears located on Coal Dump Canyon, see here

See locations of all William Weeds property in White Oaks New Mexico