William Hatton

William Hatton (June 9, 1849 – October 22, 1894) was an American businessman who was one of Carmel Valley, California's pioneers. He was manager of the dairy and cattle interests of the Pacific Improvement Company, acquired land of his own, and became one of the wealthiest dairymen in Monterey County.

William Hatton was born on June 9, 1849, in Aghowle, County Wicklow, Ireland, fourth in a family of eight children. His father was Edward Hatton and mother Ann Kelly. He left Ireland at age thirteen and went to sea as an apprentice sailor. He lived a seafaring life for seven years, achieve the title of first mate. At age 20, he settled in Charleston, South Carolina where he worked as an agent for the United States Revenue Cutter Service, where he met Katherine Harney (1851-1922) a native of James Island, South Carolina. Hatton and Kate moved to Monterey County in 1870 and married in 1875. They had nine children in 18 years.

Hatton took his first job as dairyman apprentice for E. St. John at the old St. John Dairy Ranch near Salinas, California. This job gave Hatton the funds to buy the 640 acres (260 ha) parcel of land from where he was working from the Pacific Improvement Company.

In 1888, the Pacific Improvement Company hired Hatton to manage two large Del Monte dairies, the Rancho Cañada de la Segunda in lower Carmel Valley and the ranching operations of Rancho Los Laureles in the upper Carmel Valley that the company purchased in 1882. Hatton had the first telephone service in Carmel Valley, which was installed from Hotel Del Monte to his dairies.

In August 1889, Hatton, as Superintendent of PIC, purchased the 49 acres (20 ha) Joseph W. Gregg ranch southeast of the Carmel River mouth off Highway One, on what is now the Odello Ranch. The Odello Ranch got its name from Battista Odello (1885-1963) who came to American in 1909. His family worked the ranch until 1995. They sold the west side field to the State of California and the east side to actor Clint Eastwood in 1996.

Hatton Lower Dairy

Hatton managed the 2,200 acres (890 ha) Hatton Lower Dairy business at the Rancho Cañada location, which extended along the north bank of the Carmel River into the mouth of Carmel Valley. In 1892, Hatton purchased the west half of the Rancho Cañada from Dominga for $55,000 (equivalent to $1,791,370 in 2022). Hatton and his wife built an eighteen room Victorian house, which was located at the entrance to the valley on land that is now Carmel Knolls. The house was completed in 1894, the year Hatton died. In 1921, the Hatton Fields was still being used for grazing cattle from the Hatton dairy.

The Hatton Middle Dairy dates back to 1890, with the 909 acres (368 ha) tract that was deeded to Frank D. Hatton (1887-1943) in 1925, the son of William and Kate Hatton. The ranch was located on both sides of Carmel Valley Road about three miles east of Highway 1. The northern section of the property is forested with elevations up to 968 ft (295 m). Frank Hatton managed the ranch until his death in 1943. The Hatton dairy barn, built ca. 1890, on the south side of Highway 1, was restored in 2011 by Frank Tarantino and is one of the only surviving structures from the Hatton’s dairy.

In 1890, Hatton managed a second dairy up Carmel Valley called the Hatton Upper Dairy on the old Rancho Los Laureles. Hatton modernized the diary operations at the old Boronda adobe, adding Durham cattle to the Holsteins that increased the milk butterfat content. Large vats and presses were installed to manufacture Monterey Jack cheese. The Del Monte Milk House dates to 1890 and stands in Carmel Valley Village, California just before the Robles del Rio Road, at the White Oak Plaza. A windowed tower at the building's top was designed to ventilate the milk inside.

Hatton died on October 22, 1894, in Carmel Valley. Newspapers said that the immediate cause of death was a brain aneurysm. Further analysis determined it was bright's disease. He had an insurance policy for the sum of $25,000 (equivalent to $845,577 in 2022). He was buried in Monterey, California. Every business in the city was closed from 12 pm until 3 pm out of respect. The funeral was from Masonic Hall under the sponsorship of the Watsonville Commandery No. 22, Knights Templar, and Monterey Lodge No. 217 F. & A. M. It was one of the largest funerals that took place in Monterey County.

After his Hatton's death, his wife Kate and her brother John Harney managed the dairy until the 1900, when her sons took over the management with Andrew Stewart (stepson of John Martin). The Hatton land was left in equitable divisions among his heirs.