Plumas County Biographies

William A. Cheney

Transcribed by Craig Hahn, Nov. 2004 

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This gentleman is a native of Boston, Massachusetts, and settled in La Porte in 
the fall of 1876, as a minister of the gospel. He remained there during the 
winter, and came to Quincy to attend the republican convention of 1877, entering 
the lists as a candidate for the county judgeship. He received the nomination 
over T. F. Emmons of Greenville and J. W. Walker of Taylorville. The delegation 
from La Porte demanded the nomination of Cheney, and the leaders of the party, 
remembering how, on a former occasion in 1869, a bolt had occurred under similar 
circumstances, whereby Pappy B. W. Barnes had been defeated by G. C. Charles, 
conceded the point, and put the La Porte man on the ticket. Walker, an 
intelligent young Louisiana man, and Emmons, a pioneer of the party in Plumas, 
felt greatly aggrieved, and left the convention in disgust. Jackson Urie was the 
democratic nominee, and though a pioneer, familiarly known, was defeated by 
Cheney at the election by a small majority. Judge Cheney, though not a law 
student, had the advantage of being a man of education. After his election, 
Judge Cheney moved to Quincy, abandoned the pulpit, and turned his attention to 
the law. In 1879 Judge Cheney ran for joint senator from Butte and Plumas 
counties, having opposed to him George H. Crossette, democratic, of Chico, and 
John C. Gray, new constitution, of Oroville. Both of these he defeated by a 
large plurality. In December, 1879 he was admitted to practice in the supreme 
court. He now resides in Sacramento. His overweening self-esteem and confidence 
in his own superiority have not endeared him to the people of Plumas county.    
 
Illustrated History of Plumas, Lassen & Sierra Counties, with California from 
1513 to 1850. – Fariss and Smith, San Francisco,  1882. p 180