Merced-Solano County CA Archives Biographies.....Smith, Oscar Eugene 1861 - ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ca/cafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher sdgenweb@gmail.com February 6, 2006, 12:39 am Author: John Outcalt (1925) OSCAR EUGENE SMITH One of the "old-timers" of the West Side in Merced County is Oscar Eugene Smith, living retired at the western city limits of Los Banos. He was born in Fayette County, Iowa, on May 5, 1861, soon after the first gun of the Civil War had been fired, and was the son of Samuel A. and Nancy (Dollarhide) Smith, born in Illinois and Indiana, respectively. The father was a school teacher and farmer and thirteen months after their first child, Oscar Eugene, was born, in 1862, they set out for California, across the plains behind horse-teams, coming via the Platte River and Salt Lake routes. Arriving in California, the family lived in Yolo County one year, then settled in Solano County on the present site of Dixon, where Mr. Smith did a general farming until 1868, then came down to Merced County and settled on the West Side near what is now the town of Los Banos. Here he preempted 160 acres and bought 160 more, and began making improvements and raised grain and stock. He had to guard his fields from the depredations of the cattle belonging to Miller and Lux, he standing guard during the night and his son during the day, as there were no fences at that time. While the irrigation canal was being built Mrs. Smith boarded the engineers and foremen in charge. This couple had ten children, six now living. Mrs. Smith died in 1879, and Mr. Smith died on January 5, 1923, aged eighty-four years. A more detailed sketch of the family is given on another page in this history. Oscar Eugene Smith grew up on the home ranch and attended the public school in Los Banos. When he was seventeen he was driving a six-horse team over the mountains through Pacheco Pass, teaming from Gilroy to the San Joaquin Valley, continuing this business until he was twenty-one. Then he married and located on a ranch he had preempted, made all improvements, and after considerable litigation over the title, which was claimed by Miller and Lux, he received his patent from the government to 160 acres and here he has lived and prospered for forty years, doing general farming and dairying. He sold eighty acres of the original quarter section; also five acres to the Associated Creameries for their plant site. On May 31, 1883, Mr. Smith was united in marriage with Miss Amy Hunt, born in Mankato, Minn., the daughter of William Harry and Rebecca (Frizzell) Hunt, natives of New York State and London, England, respectively. Upon coming to California the Hunts settled in lone, Amador County in 1875, where Mr. Hunt had charge of a mine. Later they moved to Stockton, and still later, about 1880, to the West Side of Merced County, where they lived until moving to Turlock, where Mr. Hunt spent the balance of his days, dying at the age of seventy-five. Mrs. Smith is the only survivor of the six children born to Mr. and Mrs. Hunt and she finished her schooling in the Central Point district school. Mr. and Mrs. Smith have had ten children, viz: Clarence E., of San Jose, married Ella Johnson and they have two children, Dorothy and Harold; Letha B., Mrs. David Allen, of Newman; Oscar Noble, deceased; Harvey S., deceased; Myrtle Ruth, married Fred Carroll of Corcoran and they have three boys, Frederic, Ruxton and William Allen; Jesse M., of Merced, served as a mechanic during the World War and was the first man to enlist from Los Banos. He trained at Kelley Field in San Antonio, Texas, then went to New York and from there to Dover and was commissioned a lieutenant. He is married and has one son, Jesse M., Jr. Wesley Leland is the pioneer mail aviator pilot in the United States service, now flying between a point in New Jersey to Bellefontaine, Ohio. He served in the World War, entering the University of California, then going to Camp Lewis, trained at Rockwell Field and received a commission as lieutenant. He is a fine baritone singer. David H., principal of the Weber school in Stockton, has two children, David H., Jr., and Randolph; Blythe A., married Thomas Hancock of Los Banos and has two children, Thomas and Betty; and Lyle H., of Salinas. Politically Mr. Smith is a Democrat. He is a member of the Fraternal Aid of Los Banos. Additional Comments: From: HISTORY OF MERCED COUNTY CALIFORNIA WITH A Biographical Review OF The Leading Men and Women of the County Who Have Been Identified with Its Growth and Development from the Early Days to the Present HISTORY BY JOHN OUTCALT ILLUSTRATED COMPLETE IN ONE VOLUME HISTORIC RECORD COMPANY LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA 1925 File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ca/merced/bios/smith432bs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.poppet.org/cafiles/ File size: 5.1 Kb