Ayer, Washington, Dr., 1823-1899.

Dr. Ayer spent two years at Mokelumne Hill & Volcano in Amador County. During the summer of 1852, Ayer was the appointed surgeon during the so-called "French War" of California, a land claim dispute between French and American miners on French Hill. American miners succeeded in driving the French from the coveted claim and "robbing them of $15,000 in one hour." During Ayer's residence in Volcano, he organized a Vigilance committee, which caught the murderer of an elderly man. He also helped to organize, and was elected Master of the Volcano Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons, and was its first Representative at the Grand Lodge at Sacramento. In 1856 Ayer settled permanently in San Francisco. In 1863 he was voted a Member of the Board of Education, and served until 1868 when he refused a re-election. From 1883 to 1891 Dr. Ayer filled the chair of Professor of Hygiene in the Medical Department of the University of California. In 1890 Ayer was elected a Member of the Board of Supervisors of San Francisco, and was made Chairman of the Hospital Committee. He made many reforms in the various institutions of public charity. He helped organize the "Medico-Chirurgucal Society" and was its first president. He was also President of the "Sloat Monument Association" and presided at the Laying of the Corner Stone of the Monument at Monterey, July 7, 1896. Dr. Ayer was an accomplished writer, having published numerous essays in his field as well as a small volume of poems and also a romance entitled, "Might Have Been."

From the description of Autobiography and Reminiscence of Dr. Washington Ayer (Deceased) : San Francisco, 1901. (The Society of California Pioneers). WorldCat record id: 55978947

Biography

Dr. Washington Ayer was born in 1823 in Haverhill, MA. He studied medicine at Harvard, and was about to embark on a trip to Europe when the Gold Rush hit. Dr. Ayer traveled to California on the ship Leonore in July 1849. After arriving in California, he tried prospecting and hotel-keeping, but then settled down in medicine. Dr. Ayer spent two years at Mokelumne Hill and Volcano in Amador County. During the summer of 1852, Ayer was the appointed surgeon during the so-called "French War" of California, a land claim dispute between French and American miners on French Hill. American miners succeeded in driving the French from the coveted claim and "robbing them of $15,000 in one hour." During Dr. Ayer's residence in Volcano, he organized a vigilante committee, which caught the murderer of an elderly man. He also helped to organize and was elected Master of the Volcano Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons and was its first representative at the Grand Lodge at Sacramento. In 1856, Dr. Ayer settled permanently in San Francisco. In 1863, he was voted a Member of the Board of Education, and served until 1868, when he refused a re-election. From 1883 to 1891 Dr. Ayer filled the chair of Professor of Hygiene in the Medical Department of the University of California. In 1890, Dr. Ayer was elected a Member of the Board of Supervisors of San Francisco and was made Chairman of the Hospital Committee. He made many reforms in the various institutions of public charity. He helped organize the Medico-Chirurgical Society and was its first president. He was the president of the Sloat Monument Association and presided at the Laying of the Corner Stone of the Monument at Monterey, July 7, 1896. Dr. Ayer was also the president of the Society of California Pioneers. Dr. Ayer, an accomplished writer, died in 1899 having published numerous essays in his field, as well as a small volume of poems and a romance entitled, "Might Have Been."

From the guide to the Dr. Washington Ayer Papers, 1853-1897, (Society of California Pioneers)