Hill, Ramon J.

Son of Daniel Antonio Hill and Rafaela Sabrina Luisa Ortega, Ramon J. Hill was a native of the Goleta Valley in Santa Barbara County, California. While attending college, Ramon Hill held office as armorer at the Mount St. James Fencing Club, organized in October, 1859. In 1860, Hill received an A.B. in philosophy and gave the valedictory speech at his graduation. Fluent in both English and Spanish, he worked as a court interpreter, making $3.00 a day. In 1863, he ran for county assemblyman on the Union Party ticket. In 1864, as assemblyman for Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties, Hill wrote a State of the Union address entitled, "La Situación Actual de los Estados Unidos" (Housed in Folder 9). Hill also published poems in such newspapers as the New York Tribune, and the Santa Barbara Gazette.