Sidney Webster Fish
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Sidney Webster Fish (March 16, 1885 – February 5, 1950) was an American lawyer and military officer who retired from the law and moved to California, becoming a rancher at the Palo Corona Ranch.


Early life

Fish was born on March 16, 1885, in New York City and was named after his uncle, Sidney Webster. A member of the prominent
Fish family The Fish family is a prominent American family, members of which became influential in politics, diplomacy, and business. The family is of English origin and is descended from Jonathan Fish (1615–1663), who was born in East Farndon, Northamptons ...
, he was the youngest of four children of
Stuyvesant Fish Stuyvesant Fish (June 24, 1851 – April 10, 1923) was an American businessman and member of the Fish family who served as president of the Illinois Central Railroad. He owned grand residences in New York City and Newport, Rhode Island, entertai ...
(1851–1923) and Marian Graves Anthon Fish (1853–1915), a leader of " The 400". His two surviving siblings were Marian Anthon Fish (1880–1944), who married (and divorced) Albert Zabriskie Gray (a son of Judge
John Clinton Gray John Clinton Gray (December 4, 1843 – June 28, 1915) was an American lawyer and politician from New York. Early life Gray was born on December 4, 1843, in New York City. He was the son of wholesale dry goods dealer John Alexander Clinton ...
, and Stuyvesant Fish Jr., who married Isabelle Mildred Dick (a daughter of Evans R. Dick. Another brother, Livingston Fish, was born and died before Sidney was born. His paternal grandparents were
Hamilton Fish Hamilton Fish (August 3, 1808September 7, 1893) was an American statesman who served as the sixteenth governor of New York from 1849 to 1850, a United States senator from New York from 1851 to 1857, and the 26th U.S. secretary of state from ...
, the 16th Governor of New York, a
U.S. Senator The United States Senate is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the upper house, with the U.S. House of Representatives being the lower house. Together, the Senate and House have the authority under Article One of the ...
, and
U.S. Secretary of State The United States secretary of state (SecState) is a member of the executive branch of the federal government of the United States and the head of the U.S. Department of State. The secretary of state serves as the principal advisor to the p ...
,American Heritage Editors (December, 1981), ''The Ten Best Secretaries Of State...''. and Julia Ursin Niemcewicz ( Kean) Fish (sister of Col. John Kean), a descendant of New Jersey governor
William Livingston William Livingston (November 30, 1723July 25, 1790) was an American politician and lawyer who served as the first governor of New Jersey (1776–1790) during the American Revolutionary War. As a New Jersey representative in the Continental Congr ...
.Corning (1918), pp. 20-22. His maternal grandparents were Sarah Attwood ( Meert) Athon and Gen. William Henry Anthon, a successful lawyer and
Staten Island Staten Island ( ) is the southernmost of the boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Richmond County and situated at the southernmost point of New York (state), New York. The borough is separated from the ad ...
Assemblyman who was a son of jurist
John Anthon John Anthon (born in Detroit, May 14, 1784; died in New York City, March 5, 1863) was an American jurist. Early life Anthon was born in Detroit on May 14, 1784. He was the son of Geneviève Jadot (1763–1821), a descendant of Louis Hebert, on ...
. Fish prepared for college at
Groton School Groton School is a Private school, private, college-preparatory school, college-preparatory, day school, day and boarding school located in Groton, Massachusetts, United States. It is affiliated with the Episcopal Church (United States), Episcop ...
before graduating from
Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...
, in 1908, and then
Columbia Law School Columbia Law School (CLS) is the Law school in the United States, law school of Columbia University, a Private university, private Ivy League university in New York City. The school was founded in 1858 as the Columbia College Law School. The un ...
.


Career

After his admission to the bar, he practiced law until 1928. He was a partner in the firm of Colgate, Parker & Co. with Craig Colgate, Prescott Erskine Wood, Henry S. Parker, Frank Hamilton
Davis Davis may refer to: Places Antarctica * Mount Davis (Antarctica) * Davis Island (Palmer Archipelago) * Davis Station, an Australian base and research outpost in the Vestfold Hills * Davis Valley, Queen Elizabeth Land Canada * Davis, Sa ...
and Darragh A.
Park A park is an area of natural, semi-natural or planted space set aside for human enjoyment and recreation or for the protection of wildlife or natural habitats. Urban parks are urban green space, green spaces set aside for recreation inside t ...
. In 1921, the firm reorganized as Parker & Company when Colgate, Wood and special partner Louis du Pont Irving withdrew; Fish then became a special partner.


Later life

In April 1927, Fish and his wife Olga purchased over , which they named the Palo Corona Ranch in
Carmel Valley, California Carmel Valley is an Unincorporated area#United States, unincorporated community in Monterey County, California, United States. The term "Carmel Valley" generally refers to the Carmel River (California), Carmel River watershed east of California ...
. The ranch was part of the Rancho San José y Sur Chiquito
Mexican land grant In Alta California (now known as California) and Baja California, ranchos were concessions and land grants made by the Spanish and Mexican governments from 1775 to 1846. The Spanish concessions of land were made to retired soldiers as an indu ...
to the west, with some inland areas within the
Rancho Potrero de San Carlos Rancho or Ranchos may refer to: Settlements and communities *Rancho, Aruba, former fishing village and neighbourhood of Oranjestad *Ranchos of California, 19th century land grants in Alta California ** List of California Ranchos * Ranchos, Buenos ...
land grant. Fish built a home and ranch on the property and ran a herd of
Hereford cattle The Hereford is a British List of cattle breeds, breed of beef cattle originally from Herefordshire in the West Midlands (region), West Midlands of England. It was the result of selective breeding from the mid-eighteenth century by a few famil ...
. In 1929, the ranch barn was designed and built by M. J. Murphy. In the 1940s, the film ''
National Velvet ''National Velvet'' is a novel by Enid Bagnold (1889–1981), first published in 1935. It was illustrated by Laurian Jones, Bagnold's daughter, who was born in 1921. The novel tells the story of a teenaged girl who wins a horse racing compet ...
'' was partly filmed at the ranch. In the 1930s, Fish hosted
Charles Lindbergh Charles Augustus Lindbergh (February 4, 1902 – August 26, 1974) was an American aviator, military officer, and author. On May 20–21, 1927, he made the first nonstop flight from New York (state), New York to Paris, a distance of . His aircra ...
at the ranch and, in 1965, his son hosted
Princess Margaret Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon (Margaret Rose; 21 August 1930 – 9 February 2002) was the younger daughter of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother. She was the younger sister and only sibling of Queen Elizabeth II. ...
and the Earl of Snowden at the ranch for dinner. After his son's death, the ranch passed to his widow, Diana Fish.


Personal life

On September 18, 1915, Fish married Olga Martha Wiborg (1890–1937) at St. Luke's Church in
East Hampton, New York East Hampton is a Administrative divisions of New York#Town, town in southeastern Suffolk County, New York United States. It is located at the eastern end of the South Shore (Long Island), South Shore of Long Island. It is the easternmost town i ...
. The wedding was quiet due the recent death of his mother. They spent their honeymoon aboard
Harold Vanderbilt Harold Stirling Vanderbilt Order of the British Empire, CBE (July 6, 1884 – July 4, 1970) was an American railroad executive, a champion Yachting, yachtsman, an innovator and champion player of contract bridge, and a member of the Vanderbilt fa ...
's yacht ''Vagrant''. Olga was a daughter of
Frank Bestow Wiborg Frank Bestow Wiborg (April 30, 1855 – May 12, 1930) was a businessman from Cincinnati who, with Levi Addison Ault, created the ink manufacturer Ault & Wiborg Company. Early life He was born on April 30, 1855 in Cleveland, Ohio. He was a son of ...
and sister to socialite Sara Sherman Wiborg and playwright
Mary Hoyt Wiborg Mary Hoyt Wiborg (January 28, 1888 – March 27, 1964) was an American playwright, art patron, and socialite. She wrote the 1922 play ''Taboo'' that starred Paul Robeson. Wiborg was born in Cincinnati to businessman Frank Bestow Wiborg. Her moth ...
. They had a country home known as "Duck Pond" in
Roslyn, New York Roslyn ( ) is a village in the Town of North Hempstead in Nassau County, on the North Shore of Long Island, in New York, United States. It is the Greater Roslyn area's anchor community. The population was 2,988 at the time of the 2020 census. ...
adjoining the
August Belmont August Belmont Sr. (born Aron Belmont; December 8, 1813November 24, 1890) was a German-American financier, diplomat, and politician. He served as Chair of the Democratic National Committee from 1860 to 1872. He was also a thoroughbred racehors ...
place, and in
North Hempstead, New York North Hempstead (officially known as the Town of North Hempstead) is one of three towns in Nassau County, on Long Island, in New York, United States. The population was 237,639 at the time of the 2020 census. It is the 7th largest city or town ...
adjacent to the estates of Mrs.
Frederick Guest Frederick Edward Guest, (14 June 1875 – 28 April 1937) was a British politician best known for being Chief Whip of Prime Minister David Lloyd George's Coalition Liberal Party, 1917–1921. He was also Secretary of State for Air between 192 ...
,
Clarence Mackay Clarence Hungerford Mackay (; April 17, 1874 – November 12, 1938) was an American financier. He was chairman of the board of the Postal Telegraph and Cable Corporation and president of the Mackay Radio and Telegraph Company. Early life H ...
, and
Harry Payne Whitney Harry Payne Whitney (April 29, 1872 – October 26, 1930) was an American businessman, thoroughbred horse breeding, horse breeder, and member of the prominent Whitney family. Early years Whitney was born in New York City on April 29, 1872, as ...
. They sold it in 1929, and bought a house in East Hampton, where they were known for their entertaining. Before her death, they were the parents of: * Sidney Stuyvesant Fish (1921–1988), who married Virginia "Ginny" Small, a daughter of James Small of
Pawtucket, Rhode Island Pawtucket ( ) is a city in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 75,604 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making the city the fourth-largest in the state. Pawtucket borders Providence, Rhode Island, Prov ...
, in 1954. They divorced in 1960. She later married Frank Rothwell, and he married Diana Fish. In 1939, he married Esther ( Foss) Moore Roark (1894–1954), the daughter of
Massachusetts Governor The governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is the head of government of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The governor is the chief executive, head of the state cabinet and the commander-in-chief of the commonw ...
Eugene Noble Foss. She had previously been married to George Gordon Moore, a polo player whom she divorced in 1933, and Aiden Roark, another polo player whom she married in 1934 and divorced in 1937. He died in
Carmel Carmel may refer to: * Carmel (biblical settlement), an ancient Israelite town in Judea * Mount Carmel, a coastal mountain range in Israel overlooking the Mediterranean Sea * Carmelites, a Roman Catholic mendicant religious order Carmel may also ...
on February 5, 1950, and was buried at Monterey City Cemetery. His widow died in November 1954.


References

;Notes ;Sources


External links


Olga Wiborg Fish, Sidney Fish, and Stuyvesant Fish, Palo Corona Ranch, Carmel, California, before 1937
at the
Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library The Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library () is the rare book library and literary archive of the Yale University Library in New Haven, Connecticut. It is one of the largest buildings in the world dedicated to rare books and manuscripts and ...
,
Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701, Yale is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Stat ...
. {{DEFAULTSORT:Fish, Sidney Webster 1885 births 1950 deaths Sidney Lawyers from New York City Groton School alumni Harvard University alumni Columbia Law School alumni People from Carmel Valley, California Military personnel from New York City United States Army officers United States Army personnel of World War I