Timothy Guy Phelps
| Timothy Guy Phelps | |
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| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California's at-large district |
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In office March 4, 1861 – March 3, 1863 |
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| Preceded by | John Chilton Burch |
| Succeeded by | Cornelius Cole |
| Member of the California State Assembly | |
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In office 1855–1857 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born |
December 20, 1824 Oxford, New York |
| Died | June 11, 1899 (aged 74) near San Carlos, California |
Timothy Guy Phelps (December 20, 1824 – June 11, 1899) was an American politician, businessman and government official. He was the first president of the Southern Pacific Railroad from 1865 until 1868 and saw the railroad build its first tracks south of San Francisco, California.
Phelps was born in Oxford, New York, and completed preparatory schooling there and then moved to New York City in 1845 where he worked in mercantile for a short time, then returned to Chenango County to study law. As soon as word of the mid-century gold finds in California reached New York, Phelps took a boat to the west coast. He arrived in San Francisco, California, via Panama, on December 14, 1849 and he moved to Tuolumne County, California where he tried his hand at mining. Failing to find a fortune in gold, he moved to San Francisco to resume a career in the mercantile, starting a merchant house in August 1850.
Phelps' business losses were substantial in the great fire of May 1851, but Phelps rebuilt and soon recovered his loss. It was during this period of recovery that he purchased 3,500 acres (1,400 ha) of land in what is now San Mateo County, California. He used the land for farming and soon decided to make the area, now the city of San Carlos, his home.
Living in San Carlos, in 1851 Phelps became involved in the local vigilance committee in an effort to uphold the law.
Following a failed state assembly bid in 1854, when he ran with Col. E.D. Baker, Phelps was elected to the California State Assembly in 1855 and served until 1857 as the first Republican from San Francisco and San Mateo Counties. During his term, he served on the first Grand Jury on August 1, 1856. He introduced "An Act to reorganize and establish the County of San Mateo" in March 1857.
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