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William Goodwin Dana was born in Boston, Massachusetts on May 5, 1797. His mother was Elizabeth Davis, born 1778, oldest daughter of Major Robert Davis of Boston, an officer in the Revolutionary War, member of the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company, and said to have been one of the members of the Boston Tea Party. She was married to William Dana (born 1767 and died June 3, 1799) on December 8, 1796.
He spent his youth in Boston, where he received a good education. At the age of eighteen, he entered the service of his uncle, William Heath Davis, who was a Boston merchant. This service took him to Canton, China for two years and then to Calcutta, India where he spent another year before returning to Boston.
During his time in the Orient, Dana was observant and studious, and he quickly learned the art of ship navigation. When he returned to Boston at the age of twenty-one, Dana was able to obtain a first class certificate as a navigator.
His stay in Boston was short as Dana was determined to make use of his knowledge and engage in the China trade. He sailed from Boston on the brig "Waverly" to the Sandwich Islands, or the Hawaiian Islands as they are now called. In 1822 Dana's uncle William Heath Davis died and left him $5000. Captain Dana used the money to buy his own ship and begin trade with Canton. From his headquarters in Honolulu, Oahu he engaged in trade between China, California, Boston, and South America.
In the late 1820's, California was beginning to open to foreigners. On his trading expeditions to the California Coast, Captain Dana became interested in the business opportunities the area offered. The otter trade attracted him, and he soon became licensed to operate ten boats for hunting sea otter between San Luis Obispo and Bodega.
In 1825 he established permanent residence in Santa Barbara, There he opened a store and placed Captain C. R. Smith in charge. Dana continued his trade with foreign countries for a short time after this. He eventually closed his affairs in the Sandwich Islands and left his property there in charge of Stephen Reynolds.
During the early periods of California's history, Santa Barbara was noted for its beautiful women. Among the loveliest was Maria Josefa Carrillo, the eldest daughter of Don Carlos Antonio Carrillo, resident of the presidio of Santa Barbara and later provisional governor of California. While in Santa Barbara, Captain Dana met Maria Josefa, and in 1828 he won the hand of this Spanish maiden in marriage.
Because of his desire to marry a native girl, Dana needed to become a Mexican citizen and a member of the Roman Catholic Church. In 1827 he was baptized into the Catholic Church, and he applied for citizenship sometime in January of 1828.
On March 22, 1828, Captain William G. Dana wrote a letter on stamped paper from Santa Barbara and addressed to Senor Gefe Superior Politico, praying for the authorization of his espousal with Dona Maria Josefa Carrillo, daughter (hija legitima) of Don Carlos Antonio Carrillo, resident of the Presidio of Santa Barbara.
Dana received the following reply, "To this the worthy Political Chief replies from San Diego, under date of May 1, 1828, that the application could not be acted upon as yet since the Mexican Authorities had not replied to Senor Dana's application for citizenship forwarded sometime in January ultimo. In this case he said proceedings would necessarily be delayed for at least five months in accordance with the law in which time if nothing happened to the contrary, the question would be definitely settled.
The prospective bridegroom waited the allotted five months from March, and the couple was married August 20, 1828 in Santa Barbara. However, Dana did not receive his certificate of naturalization until February 18, 1835. The certificate was signed by Jose Figueroa, whose title was General of the Brigade of the Mexican Republic, Commandant General Inspector and Political Chief of the territory of Alta, California. It was attested to by Augustin P. Zamorano, Secretary.
After Captain Dana became a Mexican citizen, he was appointed Captain of the Port at Santa Barbara. In 1836 he was Alcalde of Santa Barbara. Under Mexican rule he was "Prefecto" of the district, the highest office in the gift of the Governor.
In 1828, Captain Dana built a schooner on the coast near Santa Barbara at a place which still bears the name, Goleta, the Spanish word for schooner. This was probably the first seagoing vessel ever launched in California (The Dana, Carrillo, Boronda, Deleissigues and Munoz Families in California by Alonzo P. Dana, 1966, 1st edition, self published).
In 1837 Dana received a 37,887 acre Mexican land grant in Nipomo. He designed and built the Dana Adobe. In 1839 the Dana family moved from Santa Barbara to their new home. Captain and Senora Dana had twenty-one children, most of them born in Santa Barbara. Thirteen of the children lived to adulthood.
The Yankees such as Captain Dana had made the choice to become part of the Spanish culture in California. He learned to speak, read and write Spanish. He changed his name to Guillermo. As in other California homes the first language was Spanish.
In 1933 his son, Juan Francisco, told a reporter from the Los Angeles Times that his father had taught his children to speak English but that he (Juan) preferred Spanish.
The Dana Rancho was a huge cattle operation, the products of which (hides and tallow)created the major industry prior to the Gold Rush.
After the Gold Rush began there was a change in emphasis as the cattle became valued for the beef that was needed in the Gold Country.
Some of Captain Dana’s sons participated in the cattle drives that headed North.
William Dana was ill with rheumatism in his last years and was therefore unable to be as much a part of the new political scene as he would have wished,
but he welcomed the statehood of California, finding himself, once again, an American citizen.
Captain William Goodwin Dana died in his home February 12, 1858.
By Judith Walker, Edited by Carol Bowen and Barbara Watson