Butte County CA Archives Biographies.....Smith, John McKinstry 1816 - 
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com January 30, 2006, 2:53 am

Author: Fariss & Smith (1882)

    JOHN McKINSTRY SMITH was born in Livingston, Columbia county, New York, June
30, 1816, and was the son of Eleazer and Elizabeth (Davis) Smith. Before coming
to California, Mr. Smith followed merchandising at Kingston, Roadont, Catskill
and East Durham, all in New York. He came to California via the isthmus, and
landed in San Francisco June 23, 1850. He went at once to Butte county, the
thirtieth of June, his birthday, being his first day at mining. He mined on the
east branch of the middle fork of the Feather river for some time. In 1852, he
camped on the site he now occupies, and from that time to this it has been his
residence. Since 1852, Mr. Smith has been extensively engaged in quartz-mining,
being one of the first to locate and work the celebrated Banner ledge in Oregon
gulch. Mr. Smith's life in Butte county has been one of assiduous industry and
intense application to business. He was married to his first wife before coming
to California, and she died in 1852. In 1857, on the thirtieth of June, he was
united in marriage to Minerva A. Jennings, of Greene county, New York. To them
have been born four daughters—Bessie, Mary, Julia J., and Gertrude. Mr. Smith's
house is situated on the bank of Feather river, in full view of that noble
stream. He has six hundred and twenty acres of land, well improved. In his
vineyard are six thousand vines, from which he yearly makes three thousand
gallons of wine.

Additional Comments:
Extracted from:

HISTORY OF BUTTE COUNTY, CALIFORNIA,
IN TWO VOLUMES.

I.
HISTORY OF CALIFORNIA FROM 1513 TO 1850.
BY FRANK T. GILBERT.

The Great Fur Companies and their Trapping Expeditions to California.
Settlement of the Sacramento Valley. 
The Discovery of Gold in California.
BY HARRY L. WELLS.

II.
HISTORY OF BUTTE COUNTY,
From its Earliest Settlement to the Present Time. 
BY HARRY L. WELLS AND W. L. CHAMBERS.

BOTH VOLUMES ILLUSTRATED WITH VIEWS AND PORTRAITS.
HARRY L. WELLS,
517 CLAY STREET, SAN FRANCISCO
1882.

Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1882, by HARRY L. WELLS, in
the office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington, D. C.

FRANCIS, VALENTINE & Co., Engravers & Printers
517 Clay St., San Francisco

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