San Francisco County
Biographies
WILLIAM H. SMITH
WILLIAM
H. SMITH, was born at Stolp,
Prussia, Germany, in 1832, and at the tender age of fourteen years began to
follow the sea, leading the life of a sailor for nine years. He was promoted to
the position of first mate and entered every important port of the world. In
1855 he landed in Boston, U. S. A., and there abandoned the sea, engaging in
the ship-rigging business which he followed until 1864. He then embarked for
California, coming by the Nicaragua route. Upon his arrival in San Francisco he
worked at his trade for a few months, when he opened a small ship-rigging
business of his own on Main street. He was very
prosperous there, and soon more space was demanded, when he leased his present
location and erected a building adequate to the requirements of his increasing
trade. He then entered more extensively into the work which he has continued to
the present time, standing in the foremost rank of his vocation. He has rigged
seventy-one vessels for Messrs. Hall Brothers, shipbuilders of Port Blakely,
Puget Sound; all work is completed in San Francisco, and is then sent to the
ship-yard with competent men to put the rigging in place. He has also rigged
several vessels for Thomas H. Peterson of Seattle, William Adams, Dicky Brothers, and many other builders of the coast. He is
also engaged in the hoisting of heavy equipment, girders and columns. He took
out and replaced the boilers of the steamer Australia, weighing seventy-two
tons each, the heaviest ever handled on the Pacific coast. He is interested in
sixteen vessels which are employed in freighting between San Francisco and the
islands of the Pacific. His reputation has been established upon his
satisfactory work and efforts to please his patrons. For many years his shop
has been filled with the work which has come to him because of his strict
integrity and honorable methods of conducting business.
Mr. Smith has
been twice married, the first time in Boston, and again in San Francisco.
Sixteen children were born of these unions, eleven of whom survive. Mr. Smith
is a member of the Chosen Friends and of the Society of Master Mariners, which
is composed of sea captains and ship-owners.
Transcribed
by Elaine Sturdevant.
Source: "The
© 2006 Elaine Sturdevant.