Sacramento County
Biographies
CHARLES S. SMITH
CHARLES S. SMITH.--For more than half a
century a resident of Sacramento County,
Charles S. Smith is well known especially in the Galt district, where he has
for many years extensively engaged in ranching.
New York was Mr. Smith’s native state and there
he was born in Fulton County,
October 4, 1848, his parents being Arthur A. and Sarah (Vanderburg)
Smith, both natives of the Empire State. The father, who was a merchant in Fulton
County, lived to be seventy-four
years old, Mrs. Smith passing away when sixty-two.
One
of a family of three children, Charles S. Smith spent his boyhood days near the
scene of his birthplace. In 1867, when
eighteen years old, he started for California via the
Isthmus of Panama, leaving New York on March 7, and
landing at San Francisco on April
2, 1867. He soon made his way to the Reese
River country near Austin,
Nev., working in the mines and quartz mills
there for two years. Coming to Sacramento
County from there, he has ever since made his
home here except for one year spent in Mendocino County,
Cal.
After raising stock and poultry in various parts of Sacramento County,
he purchased a ranch of 640 acres about ten miles northeast of Galt and there
he engaged in farming until about two years ago, when he disposed of his farm
property and removed to Galt, where he is now living, retired from active
business after a busy life.
At
Sacramento in June, 1880, Mr. Smith was married to Miss Dalila Robillard, born in Montreal,
Canada of French
ancestry, her parents being Alexis and Louise (St. Denis) Robillard. Mrs. Smith, who was one of a family of twelve
children, came to California in
1878. Mr. And Mrs. Smith are the parents
of five children: Alexis and John of Galt; Sarah, Mrs. Howery
of Acampo, Cal.; George of Galt; Joseph, the youngest, is deceased, giving his
life for his country while a member of the American forces in Siberia during
the World War. He was honored by his
comrades in the American Legion, the Galt organization being called the Smith-Lippi Post. Mrs.
Smith died at Galt, August 15, 1921, aged sisty-four. Mr. Smith is a Republican in politics and is
prominent in Masonic circles, being master of the Galt lodge, and a member of
the Eastern Star.
Transcribed
by Priscilla J. Delventhal.
Source: Reed, G. Walter, History
of Sacramento County, California With Biographical
Sketches, Page 589. Historic Record
Company, Los Angeles, CA. 1923.
© 2007 P. J. Delventhal.