Napa-Tuolumne-Calaveras County CA Archives Biographies.....Smith, W. A. C. 1840 - 
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Author: Lewis Publishing Co. (1891)

W. A. C. SMITH, real-estate and insurance dealer, St. Helena, was born in
Lincolnshire near the celebrated St. Botolph's Church with its 365 steps to the
top of its steeple, the date August, 1834. He was intended for a shoemaker, and
learned that trade while a boy, and from the premature age of ten years having
to depend solely upon his own support. Drawn irresistibly to this land of
liberty and opportunity, in 1851 he used his earnings to bring him across the
Atlantic to Philadelphia, and to set him up as a farmer in the Conestoga Valley,
Pennsylvania. He was not satisfied, however, with a life of manual labor, and
had been profiting by every chance to enlarge his knowledge and complete his
education, stinting himself to get the necessary books, and studying far into
the night to master their contents. By the winter of 1852-'53, he was prepared
to take and teach a country school, this employment being only the stimulus to
further studies, as from this time until 1875, when he finally gave up the
teacher's occupation, he was a very hard student, and becoming so proficient
especially in mathematics as to win a solid and lasting reputation. To give an
idea of the energy and economy which the Professor manifested at this early and
formative period of his life, it may be stated that he walked a distance of
three and a half miles night and morning to the Pennsylvania school, in order to
save $2 out of his meager salary of $18 per month Later he went to Onondaga
County, New York, where he taught for some time. In 1857, he came to California,
via the Isthmus of Panama, and for three years devoted himself to mining in
Tuolumne and Calaveras counties, but afterward engaged in teaching in the mining
regions, until in 1862 he removed to Vacaville in Solano County, taking charge
of the public schools in that town. His eminence as a mathematician at this time
led many of the pupils then in attendance at Vacaville College to resort to him
to perfect themselves in that science. In September, 1863, he was appointed
principal of the St. Helena schools, giving up that position in the following
year to accept the professorship of mathematics in the Academy at Healdsburg. In
1865 he purchased the Democratic Standard newspaper in that town, and for two
years conducted it as editor and proprietor, in an able and efficient manner. In
1866, he was recalled to St. Helena to resume the principalship of the public
schools, a position he held for nearly ten years continuously, with great
efficiency. Meantime, he became extensively interested in vineyard and other
business, and finally in 1876 opened a private bank in St. Helena, at that time
the only banking establishment in the town. This he carried on until in 1886 he
gave up the banking business and has since then devoted himself strictly to the
real-estate, insurance and conveyancing business, having also a large interest
in internal revenue broking for the many distillers and others in his county.

  Professor Smith is a Democrat in politics, decided yet liberal in his
sentiments, and a leading man in his party, having frequently been chairman of
county and other conventions. His family consists only of wife and one child.


Additional Comments:
Extracted from

Memorial and Biographical History of Northern California.

Illustrated, Containing a History of this Important Section of the Pacific Coast
from the Earliest Period of its Occupancy to the Present Time, together with
Glimpses of its Prospective Future; Full-Page Steel Portraits of its most
Eminent Men, and Biographical Mention of many of its Pioneers and also of
Prominent Citizens of To-day.

"A people that takes no pride in the noble achievements of remote ancestors will
never achieve anything worthy to be remembered with pride by remote
descendents." – Macauley.

CHICAGO
THE LEWIS PUBLISHING COMPANY
1891.


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