William W. Stow

William W. Stow (September 13, 1824 – February 20, 1895) was an American politician and member of the California State Assembly from the 3rd district between 1854 and 1857; he was Speaker in 1855. Blue Heron Lake in Golden Gate Park in San Francisco was formerly named "Stow Lake" after him.

Life and career

Stow was born in Binghamton, New York in 1824. He is buried in Mountain View Cemetery in Oakland.

Antisemitic views and legislation Stow was highly antisemitic and described Jews as "a class of people here only to make money and who leave the country as soon as they make money." He attempted to use blue laws to restrict the commerce of Shabbat-observant Jews, commenting: "I am for a Jew-tax that is so high that [Jews] would not be able to operate any more shops." On another occasion, Stow said: "I have no sympathy with the Jews and would, it were in my power, enforce a regulation that would eliminate them from not only our county but from the entire state!"

In October 2022, three San Francisco city supervisors introduced a resolution urging the Recreation and Park Commission to rename Stow Lake due to Stow's outspoken antisemitism, as part of an effort to rename various landmarks across the San Francisco Bay Area. In January 2024, the Commission decided on the new name of Blue Heron Lake, in honor of the blue herons that nest along the lake.