HALSEY G. SMITH

Sacramento County

Biographies

HALSEY G. SMITH

HALSEY G. SMITH. California has been a land of opportunity for many of its people and for none more so than for Halsey G. Smith, one of the pioneers of the far west and for many years inseparably identified with the business interests of Sacramento. It was during the early ‘50s that he arrived in Sacramento, then little more than a mining camp destitute of permanent improvements, with a cosmopolitan population as yet unassimilated (sic) with their environment. A keen observer of men and things, he has watched with the solicitude of a patriotic citizen the gradual transformation of the town from a sleepy hamlet into a beautiful city, the capital of a prosperous commonwealth and the center of a valley noted for its fertility of soil. In this work of development he has been a personal contributor and through his executive ability displayed in the growth of an important industry he has been a factor in the progress of the city from a commercial standpoint.

The success which has come to Mr. Smith amid western scenes and interests might not have been possible had he lacked the training in youth and the qualities of mind indispensable to permanent progress. From his ancestors he inherited sterling qualities of mind and healthful robustness of body. A member of an old-established eastern family and a son of Franklin Smith, a farmer, he was born near Ithaca, N. Y., at the head of Cayuga lake, January 17, 1832. In youth he alternated work on the home farm with attendance at the country schools. Upon starting out for himself, at seventeen years of age, he secured a clerkship in a drug store at Ithaca, where during the following two years he devoted his attention to the acquisition of a thorough knowledge of business methods, in so far as they could be studied in those surroundings.

At that time California was drawing to its unknown possibilities many of the most promising young men of the east and Mr. Smith early was drawn to consider its resources as most attractive and inviting. In company with two friends, Joseph Truman and John Thompson, he set sail from New York, December 7, 1850, and traveled to Nicaragua, thence crossed to the Pacific ocean, and from there up the Pacific to San Francisco, where he landed January 9, 1851, after what was considered a remarkably short trip for those days. Naturally, like most of the early comers to the state, he tried his luck at mining. However, a brief experience at Negro bar on the American river convinced him that there was nothing congenial to him in the occupation, so he sought other fields of endeavor. Coming to Sacramento in March, 1851, he followed whatever employment offered a livelihood, and for a time owned two drays, one of which he drove himself, hauling principally for the old Bay state mill. During the seven years he remained in the business he accumulated considerable money, which laid the foundation of subsequent successes.

Upon the failure of the Odd Fellows Bank Mr. Smith was appointed receiver and closed out the affairs of that institution, after which, on the organization of the People’s Bank, he became a large stockholder and director in the new concern. As early as 1863 he bought stock in the Pioneer mill, and when a joint-stock company was organized under the laws of the state of California, in 1883, he was chosen president of the Pioneer Milling Company, Llewellyn Williams became vice-president, F. B. Smith secretary and S. N. Garfield general manager. Through wise judgment in the supervision of his large milling interests he has accumulated ample means and now occupies a position among the moneyed men of Sacramento, where also he holds a place of influence through his recognized worth as a citizen and prestige as a pioneer.

In 1855 Mr. Smith was united in marriage with Cordelia Bullard, a native of New York state, who was born September 4, 1836, and died in Sacramento, Cal., December 26, 1890. Two children were born of this union, George and Frank, both connected with the Pioneer Milling Company. Mr. Smith’s second marriage occurred in Sacramento, uniting him with Miss Mollie Scaniker, a native daughter of California, having been born in the San Joaquin Valley.

The history of the milling business in Sacramento is traced back to the old Bay state mill on M street between First and Second streets, which was owned by Polly, Nichols & Garfield, and had a capacity of one hundred and fifty barrels. In the great fire, November 3, 1852, this mill was totally destroyed, but in six weeks it was again in operation. An explosion destroyed the plant in 1856. Prior to this Mr. Garfield had sold his interest to Mr. Hall and, with George W. Mowe, had bought the Wilson mill located at the mouth of the American river. This mill, known as the Eureka, was built in 1852 and was improved by Garfield & Mowe, who changed its name to the Pioneer mill. Subsequently Mr. Mowe sold out to Alexander Dyer. In the fall of 1859 the mill was burned by an incendiary.

As early as 1854 Mr. Carey had purchased the buildings of the Boston Ice Company and had put in mill machinery, starting what was known as the Carey mill. At the time of the burning of the Pioneer the Carey mill was owned by E. P. Figg. In 1861 Garfield & Co. bought the mill and changed the name to Pioneer, but a year later this mill burned to the ground. Thereupon Mr. Garfield bought the Sunnyside mill at Auburn, moved it to the mouth of the American river, and once more, under the same title of Pioneer, embarked in the milling business. The firm of Mowe, Carroll, Simpson & Garfield subsequently enlarged this plant at an expenditure of more than $70,000. When the mouth of the river was changed the property was damaged and its storehouse was washed away by the current. Under the firm title of H. G. Smith & Co. the business was conducted until 1883, when the Pioneer Milling Company was organized for business under the state laws. The mill is one of the oldest in northern California and its equipment is unsurpassed for quality of the product as well as quantity of the output. The plant stands upon the banks of the Sacramento river and consists of a large and substantial mill, to which is attached a warehouse of ample dimensions. The latest improved machinery has been introduced and every facility has been added for the securing of the most satisfactory results. Employment is furnished to a large corps of men and the plant adds another industry to those contributing to the permanent prosperity and commercial development of Sacramento.

Transcribed 11-2-07 Marilyn R. Pankey.

Source: “History of the State of California and Biographical Record of the Sacramento Valley, California” by J. M. Guinn. Pages 1043-1044. Chapman Publishing Co., Chicago 1906.