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James Wesley Potts, known as James W. Potts or J.W. Potts, (1830–1896) was a pioneer resident of Los Angeles, California, after that state became part of the United States following the Mexican War. He was a merchant, a landowner and a member of the Los Angeles Common Council, the legislative branch of the city, becoming noted locally as an amateur weatherman nicknamed "The Prophet." ==Personal== Potts was born December 20, 1830, in Rutherford County, Tennessee, the son of John Greene Potts and Cynthia Jones Potts. His father died when James was just four years old, and his mother when he was thirteen.〔 He had a brother, William H.〔("A Veteran's Funeral," ''Los Angeles Times,'' October 28, 1897, page 7 )〕 He came to California via the Overland Trail in 1852, "walking the entire distance beside a yoke of oxen which pulled one of the old prairie schooners containing all of his possessions."〔J.M. Guinn, "Historical and Biographical Record of Los Angeles and Vicinity,'' Chicago: Chapman Publishing (1901)]〕 Potts was married in Los Angeles on July 12, 1866, to Emma Catherine Bedwell or Bedwells of Arkansas and Texas.〔("Isaac E. Parrish," ''Ingersoll's Century History, Santa Monica Bay Cities,'' page 413 )〕〔 They had five children, one of whom died when a baby. Surviving to adulthood were Louisa V. Potts (Sexton), Ida A. Potts (McKenzie, and then Johnson), Robert Whaley Potts, and Emma or Emelie M. Potts (Cole).〔() RootsWeb, citing Native Daughters of the Golden West and ''Los Angeles Herald-Express''〕 Potts, an amateur weatherman〔〔("The Weather Prophet's Cherries," ''Los Angeles Times,'' June 9, 1883, page 6 )〕 who wrote many columns or letters on that and other subjects for the ''Los Angeles Times,'' was nicknamed "The Prophet."〔 The ''Times'' said he was "sometimes eccentric, but always charitable and forgiving.." It noted that he was "one of the first Protestants in this county and gave freely toward the upbuilding of the First Methodist Church,"〔What J.M. Guinn called "the Fort Street brick church."〕 of which he was a founding member.〔 In his later years his was a most familiar and striking figure on the streets, walking along with his old curved apple-wood cane on his arm, nodding a cheerful good-day to everyone and passing the weather, his favorite theme, with his more intimate friends.〔 He died January 22, 1896, in his home〔 on Waterloo Street,〔() Site of the Potts home on ''Mapping L.A.''〕〔("Notice—To All Persons Interested," ''Los Angeles Herald,'' September 9, 1889, page 1 )〕 in the Echo Park district. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「James W. Potts」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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