Yolo-El Dorado-Nevada County CA Archives Biographies.....Smith, James Keeson 1831 - ************************************************ 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@yahoo.com January 13, 2006, 6:03 pm Author: Lewis Publishing Co. (1891) JAMES KEESON SMITH, grocer at Woodland, California, was born in Richmond, Virginia, June 10, 1831, son of William N. and Ann (Brown) Smith, who moved in 1839 from Virginia to Glasgow, Howard County, Missouri. The mother died in Virginia about 1833 or 1834, and the father survived until 1878, dying in Missouri. Mr. Smith was brought up in the latter State from the age of eight years to the age of nineteen. In 1850, with a party from his neighborhood, he started across the plains for California, arriving at Hangtown on the last day of August. He followed gold-mining, mostly in Nevada and Yuba counties, until 1868, when he came to Yolo County. While living in Nevada County he was elected to the Legislature, serving during the years 1857-'58, and while in Yuba County he was a member during the sessions of 1867-'68. On arriving in Woodland, Yolo County, he first engaged in furniture and undertaking for a number of years, and during that time served one term on the Board of Supervisors of this county, being elected in 1875. In 1880 he was elected County Clerk and served three years: on his election to this office he disposed of his furniture business. Being a candidate in 1883, he was defeated by M. O. Harling, the present county clerk. He then purchased the interest of C. B. Culver, who was in the grocery trade in partnership with T. S. Spaulding, and the firm became Smith & Spaulding. In 1885, having become a candidate, he was elected County Treasurer and served a term of two years; being renominated for the same position, he was defeated. He then bought the interest of M. O. Harling in the grocery firm of Harling, Frazer & Company. He is now a member of the Town Board of Trustees, having been elected in May, 1888, and is the only Republican member of the board. He has been a member of the Masonic order ever since 1854, and has been for the past three or four years the Masonic Inspector for the nineteenth district. He is also a member of the I. O. O. F. and of the A. 0. D. W., in which latter order he is financier. Mr. Smith was married in 1859 at Nicolaus, Sutter County, to Miss Abbie O. Gilman, a native of the State of Maine, but brought up in Illinois. She came to this State in 1854 with her brother-in-law, Dr. D. Ray, at one time a resident of Yolo County. Mr. and Mrs. Smith have one son and five daughters. In 1887 Mr. Smith made a visit to his old home in Missouri, which after a lapse of thirty-seven years presented many remarkable changes, but the most extraordinary change witnessed on the trip was the difference in the mode of travel between the older States and the coast, the time being reduced from four or five months to as many days. During the Fraser River mining excitement, which began in 1858, Mr. Smith was one of the many who repaired to that point, the journey being exceedingly difficult. He went by steamer from San Francisco to Whatcom on Puget Sound, and thence by pack animals crossing the Cascade Mountains. At some of the points on the way he had to do considerable excavation in order to make his road, being the pioneer over that route. It is well known that nearly every one that went to that region returned without finding anything of value. 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. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ca/yolo/bios/smith371nbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/cafiles/ File size: 4.5 Kb