William Watt (July 14, 1828 – July 5, 1878) was a California Gold Rush mining executive, California State Senator, Regent of the University of California,[1] Director of the Nevada County Narrow Gauge Railroad,[2] and owner of the Grass Valley Telegraph, the first newspaper in that town.
[3] Watt was born in Scotland, and spent his early years as a marine engineer.
[3] He participated in the California Gold Rush by working and purchasing mines in the Grass Valley area.
He served as Regent from 1868 until his resignation in 1871, when he became a candidate for Governor of California on the Democratic Party ticket.
[9] Watt died in North Bloomfield, California following an accident involving a runaway buggy.