HART F. SMITH

Sacramento County

Biographies

HART F. SMITH

HART F. SMITH.–The well-managed ranch of Hart F. Smith, located at Isleton, is a credit to its owner and to the surroundings of which it is a part. It is a portion of the ranch owned by his father, on which he was born March 2, 1867, a son of Hart F. and Maggie (McKever) Smith.

Hart F. Smith, our subject, received his education in the Brannan and Isleton district schools; when he was fifteen years old he went to the mines and engaged in placer mining in Eldorado and Shasta Counties; returning to Sacramento County he found employment on dredgers along the river deltas. He joined the rush to the Klondyke in the spring of 1898, making the trip from San Francisco to St. Michael. He and his comrades, having brought a launch with them, built a scow and towed it up the Yukon to Rampart City, where he made his headquarters. The winters were spent in prospecting, while during the summers he was busy as engineer running the launch. He remained in Alaska until the fall of 1902, when he returned home. He had many interesting experiences and had undergone many hardships, but had done reasonably well and returned in good health. However, his home-coming was saddened on his arrival in Oakland, October 3, 1902, for that same day his father met an accidental death on the home ranch at Isleton. He took charge of the home ranch of 595 acres, which was a corporation until 1922 when it was divided among the heirs, our subject receiving 117 acres as his share of the estate.

On February 26, 1905 at San Francisco, Mr. Smith was married to Mrs. Frank E. Hawley, formerly Miss Mary L. Wiegner, born in San Francisco, a daughter of John and Francis (Knock) Wiegner. John Wiegner was born in Hamburg, Germany, and his wife was a native of Philadelphia. Mr. Wiegner came to California in the seventies and has been a prominent building contractor for many years, and is still active at the age of eighty-three years. Eight children were born to them: Elizabeth, Mrs. W. Hundemer; George; William; Mary L., the wife of our subject; Fred; Louise, Mrs. L. Courtermarsh; Ferdinand; and Ila Pearl, deceased.

Mrs. Smith received her education in the public schools of San Francisco and she was first married to Frank Edwin Hawley, a native of Maine. Frank E. Hawley came to California with his mother when he was ten years old and for a short time was connected with the Southern Pacific Railroad Company; later he became a reporter on the staff of the San Francisco Chronicle and Examiner. Mr. and Mrs. Hawley were the parents of one daughter, Ila Mae, who is now the wife of Napoleon B. Turner. Mr. Hawley passed away in 1903.

Mr. Smith adopted the daughter of Mrs. Hawley and she became known as Ila Mae Hawley Smith until her marriage. Mr. Smith is a progressive Republican. Fraternally, he is a past grand of the Isleton Lodge Number 108, I. O. O. F. He was made a Mason in Rio Vista Lodge No. 208, F. & A. M., and is a thirty-second-degree Scottish Rite Mason, being a member of all the orders of the consistory at Sacramento; he became a member of the Islam Temple, A. A. O. N. M. S., in San Francisco but has been demitted and is a charter member of Ben Ali Temple, Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, of Sacramento. Both he and his wife are members of the Eastern Star Lodge. Mr. Smith has served as constable of Georgiana Township and he is a director of Brannan Island Reclamation District. The home ranch is devoted to the raising of asparagus and garden truck and is irrigated with a pumping plant and also by siphoning water from the river. Mr. and Mrs. Smith have great faith in the future of delta lands; and believing it to be one of the best investments, they purchased a 109-acre ranch on Twitchell Island, which is devoted to raising asparagus, and he is a member of the California Asparagus Growers’ Association.

Transcribed by Vicky Walker, 7/25/07.

Source: Reed, G. Walter, History of Sacramento County, California With Biographical Sketches, Pages 975-976. Historic Record Company, Los Angeles, CA. 1923.

Update:

7/30/07

Nancy, I corrected a few mistakes in bold caps. See paragraph 2, Line 2, Frank Hawley was a brakeman on the railroad and was crushed between two cars and died in 1903.

On February 26, 1905 at San Francisco, Mr. Smith was married to Mrs. Frank E. Hawley, formerly
Miss Mary L. Wiegner, born in San Francisco, a daughter of John and Francis (KNOCH) Wiegner. John Wiegner was born in HOLSTEIN, Germany, and his wife was a native of PENNSYLVANIA. Mr. Wiegner came to California in the seventies and has been a prominent building contractor for many years, and is still active at the age of eighty-three years. SEVEN children were born to them: Elizabeth, Mrs. W. Hundemer; George; William; Mary L., the wife of our subject; Fred; Louise, Mrs. L. Courtermarsh; and Ferdinand. (Ila Pearl was an adopted daughter and not part of the family till 1880.)

Mrs. Smith received her education in the public schools of San Francisco and she was first married to Frank Edwin Hawley, a native of CONNETICUT. Frank E. Hawley came to California with his mother when he was ten years old. and for a short time was connected with the Southern Pacific Railroad Company; (later he became a reporter on the staff of the San Francisco Chronicle and Examiner. ???) Mr. and Mrs. Hawley were the parents of one daughter, Ila Mae, who is now the wife of Napoleon B. Turner. Mr. Hawley passed away in 1903.

I don't know when this bio was written but Turner was Ila Mae's first husband; Hudson Ford, the second.

Gloria Lane GLane339@aol.com