William W. Stow | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 6thSpeaker of the California State Assembly | |
| In office January 1855–May 1855 | |
| Preceded by | Charles S. Fairfax |
| Succeeded by | James T. Farley |
| Member of theCalifornia State Assembly from the3rd district | |
| In office 1854–1857 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1824-09-13)September 13, 1824 Binghamton,New York, U.S. |
| Died | February 20, 1895(1895-02-20) (aged 70) San Francisco,California, U.S. |
| Political party | Whig Know Nothing |
| Spouse | Ann Eliza Patterson |
| Children | 6 |
William W. Stow (September 13, 1824 – February 20, 1895) was an American politician and member theCalifornia State Assembly from the3rd district between 1854 and 1857; he wasSpeaker in 1855.Blue Heron Lake inGolden Gate Park inSan Francisco was formerly named Stow Lake after him.[1][2]
Stow was born inBinghamton, New York in 1824.[1]
He was elected to theCalifornia State Assembly as aWhig in 1853 and served until 1857, serving asSpeaker of the Assembly in 1855. In 1856, he was a primary candidate for theKnow Nothing party forGovernor of California but lost. He then served as a confidential attorney for theSouthern Pacific Railroad between 1870 and 1893. He was also on theGolden Gate Park board between 1889 and 1893.[1]
Stow died unexpectedly[3] in San Francisco in February 1895. He is buried inMountain View Cemetery inOakland.
Stow was highlyantisemitic and describedJews as "a class of people here only to make money and who leave the country as soon as they make money." He attempted to useblue laws to restrict the commerce ofShabbat-observant Jews, commenting: "I am for a Jew-tax that is so high that [Jews] would not be able to operate any more shops." On another occasion, Stow said: "I have no sympathy with the Jews and would, it were in my power, enforce a regulation that would eliminate them from not only our county but from the entire state!"[4]
In October 2022, three San Francisco city supervisors introduced a resolution urging the Recreation and Park Commission to rename Stow Lake due to Stow's outspoken antisemitism, as part of an effort to rename various landmarks across the San Francisco Bay Area.[5] In January 2024, the Commission decided on the new name ofBlue Heron Lake, in honor of theblue herons that nest along the lake.[6][7]
| Preceded by | Speaker of the California State Assembly January 1855–May 1855 | Succeeded by |