In the 1870s, Billy Wright arrived in the San Joaquin Valley; he looked over the valley and declared, "Someday I am going to own all this!" This is exactly what he tried to do.</p><p>Billy Wright's full name is William Walter Wright; and he was one of Los Ba&#241;os pioneers. His former house sits in the park on Pacheco Boulevard, and a county road west of town is named after him.</p><p>He was born on Christmas Day in 1847. The early years of his life remain a mystery. According to local historian Charles Sawyer, Billy Wright was a private man and never discussed his childhood or shared information about his parents. There are actually three different accounts of his early life. Which one is accurate is anyone's guess. The first account describes Billy Wright as being raised by cousins in New Zealand. Although the account is sketchy, it appears that he boarded a boat with two of his cousins and sailed to America.</p><p>The second account indicates that Billy Wright's parents died when he was a child. It says that he was raised by relatives in Kentucky. When Billy Wright was eleven years old, he ran away from home and joined an emigrant train headed west from Kentucky.</p><p>The third account is that Billy Wright was born in Saratoga Springs, New York, and ran away at the age of thirteen to travel west. We may never know which story about his past is the most accurate, as they are based on local history discussed by early Los Ba&#241;os residents. Yet, it's not about how Billy Wright came to California, but what he did. </p><p>Somehow on his journeys, Billy Wright moved to Utah. He only had two horses which he sold in Salt Lake City, Utah. Once he came back to California, all he had with him was $100. He decided to go into the sheep business. He was a true entrepreneur. He settled on a ranch in the Romero area. He later sold his ranch in the Romero area and brought 2,000 acres from Brown and Yancy in the Los Ba&#241;os Creek area, which he later increased to 20,000 acres.</p><p>Billy Wright was not alone in his life though. He was married to Estelle Wright and had four children, Nellie, Walter, William, and Belle. He also had one stepson, Hugh Newsom.</p><p>In 1926, Billy Wright, after being diagnosed with diabetes, had an infection where one of his legs needed to be amputated. After the operation, he contracted pneumonia and died at the age of 78.</p><p>During Billy Wright's lifetime, he acquired more than 20,000 acres. He had about 23,000 off of Billy Wright Road, where he lived, and about 1,100 acres east of Los Ba&#241;os at Turner Island.</p><p>Billy Wright Road, which is named after him (the road runs by his property and where he lived), is used today by local residents going to the Merced County dump, the Billie Wright Disposal Site and Landfill. It is located a few miles west of Los Ba&#241;os. When the road was originally made, the road actually ran all the way to Hollister.</p><p>It was always his wish to be buried on the hills he lived on. However, Billy Wright was buried in Gilroy with his wife's family. On the way to Gilroy, the hearse got a flat tire. Some took this to be an omen that Billy Wright should be buried on the hills, but after arriving safely in Gilroy he was laid to rest there.</p><p>There are few pictures left of Billy Wright. The best one I could find is on display at our local Milliken Museum. Drop by there to get a good look. It is a fascinating place.</p><p>Contributions were made by Omar Razo and Norma Stephanie Ortiz </p><p>"Ask Us" is produced by Tim McNally's Advanced Placement American Government class. Do you have a question about the history of Los Banos? Submit it to Mr. McNally's class by e-mail to tmcnally@losbanosusd.k12.ca.us.