William J. CLEVELAND

From History of Mendocino County 1880- p. 563-564

William J. Cleveland. Born in South Carolina, December 21, 1822. When but a child, his parents moved to Georgia, where they resided about ten years, when they moved to Missouri, where they resided on a farm until 1849. Then the subject of this sketch, leaving his parents, came to California across the plains with ox-teams. After spending one year mining in Butte county, he returned (via Nicaragua) to Missouri, where he remained until 1832, when he once more crossed the plains, bringing his family, consisting of wife and two children. He arrived in Butte county in September, where he followed farming one year, when his wife died. He then returned with his two children to Missouri (via Nicaragua), where he followed farming for three years. He then, in 1856, once more crossed the plains to California, bringing his own and his father’s family with him. After spending one year in Butte county, he came to Mendocino county, leaving his father in Butte. On arriving in this county, the subject of this sketch located upon a farm near Ukiah, where he followed farming until 1863, when he bought the Coyote Grist-mill, located at the upper end of Coyote valley, where he still carries on a general milling business. Mr. CLEVELAND married in 1847, Miss Tennessee OWEN, a native of Tennessee, and by this marriage they have two children, George and Missouri. His wife died in December, 1853. He married in March, 1854, Miss Sarah A. OWEN, a native of Tennessee, by whom he has Napolean B., and Robert L.

Also from History of Mendocino County 1880 - p. 446 Coyote Valley Flour-mill

The Coyote Valley Flour-mill was built in 1860 by a company, and for a while it did tolerably well; but the great flood of the winter of 1861-2 played such havoc with it that it was abandoned for awhile, remaining an unoccupied wreck for two years. On the 9th day of June, 1864, William J. CLEVELAND purchased it, and after giving to it much-needed repairs, and increasing its capacity, he put it again in operation, and it has continued ever since at work under his management. It had a capacity of five tons of wheat a day; but its average work was about four tons, and there has never yet been a lack of wheat to keep it busily engaged. This mill was run by a twenty-foot water-wheel, which could be increased six feet more. The motive power - water - was conveyed in a flume a distance of one and three-fourths miles, from the east side of Potter valley out of a branch of the Russian River. Its machinery was substantial, and staunch, and its internal arrangement perfect. But the mill was destroyed by fire in June, 1866, being evidently the work of an incendiary, as the water in the flume was found diverted so that there would none get to the mill and be of any assistance in quenching the flames. The mill was rebuilt in October in the same year, and it is now driven by steam. It is a complete gristmill, and does excellent work, and has a capacity of eighteen barrels of flour per day.

History of Mendocino County, California
Alley, Bowen & Co., Publishers
San Francisco, California 1880