Washington Meeks was born on June 17, 1818 in New York City. He studied law and was admitted as an attorney in the Supreme Court of New York. He left New York for California on January 19, 1849 on the brig "Endora". In Panama, he switched ships and joined the "Niantic" and arrived in San Francisco on July 5, 1849. After a few days, Mr. Meeks took passage for Sacramento and from there headed out to the Yuba River. He mined there for about six weeks and then returned to Sacramento and remained there until 1862, when he resettled in San Francisco. His primary interests were in mining, real estate and financial matters.
From the description of Autobiography and Reminiscence of Washington Meeks, San Francisco, 1904. (The Society of California Pioneers). WorldCat record id: 55979381
