San
Joaquin County
Biographies
CHARLES F. SMITH
An enterprising rancher, who is also
a native son, is Charles F. Smith, who was born on the ranch upon which he is
now living about two miles west of Clements, on January 9, 1876. He is a son of John and Caroline (Megerle)
Smith, the former a native of Tennessee, from which state he went to Cherokee
County, Texas, and from there came to California and for some years drove stage
from Sacramento to Stockton, Sonora and Benicia. Mrs. Smith was the daughter of the pioneer,
Christian Megerle, who came to California the first time in 1849 and after
remaining here about a year went back east for his family and to settle up his
affairs, after which they came to the Coast in 1852, settled on the Mokelumne
River, about three miles from Staples Ferry, about a mile west of what is now
the town of Lockeford, where D. J. Staples, J. F. Staples, W. H. Nichols and a
number of other pioneers had located in 1849.
Mr. Megerle turned his attention to ranching and during his lifetime
acquired about two sections of land, upon which he raised grain and stock. On his trip to this state he brought six of
his seven children; the oldest son, C. H. Megerle, had made a start for the
coast country with another train and lost his life in 1851. Those who accompanied him were Caroline, the
mother of our subject; Henry J., who was killed in a fight with Indians in
1856; Ernest P., Louis J., Philip L. and Fred C. Mr. Megerle was a fine old character,
influential and public spirited. He died
in 1872, at the age of sixty-nine, on the ranch where he had settled in
1850. The children born to Mr. and Mrs.
John Smith, who were married in Sacramento, were ten in number; William A.,
died in Montana in 1913; Laura E., died in 1889; Olive G. married P. W. Compton
of Modesto; Fredricka, became the wife of W. S. Allen
and died at Sutter Creek in 1921; Minnie I., lives in Modesto; Carrie V., is
the wife of C. H. Bacon of Placerville; Charles F., of this review; Claude M.
is in Oakland. Two children died in
early childhood.
Charles F. Smith received his
education in the Athearn school at Clements and when he was eighteen years old
became the practical head of the family and has resided upon the old home place
where he was born, with the exception of about five years when he was engaged
in mining in Goldfield, Nevada. He now
owns eighty acres of fine bottom land, which was originally owned by his
Grandfather Megerle, and engages in general ranching.
The marriage of Mr. Smith in
Stockton on July 29, 1915, united him with Miss Leva
Murray, a native of Tazewell County, Illinois, who came to California in
1904. She is the daughter of Thomas and
Ella Murray, natives of Kentucky and Illinois respectively and farmers in the
state of Illinois. Mr. and Mrs. Smith
are the parents of one son, Charles Morris.
The ranch home was built in 1891, but in 1915, before his marriage, Mr.
Smith remodeled it into a modernly equipped home. In politics he is a Republican and fraternally
is a member and past grand of the Odd Fellows at Clements and a member of the
N. S. G. W. of Lodi. Mr. Smith stands in
his community as an example of honest, exemplary citizenship.
Transcribed by Gerald Iaquinta.
Source: Tinkham, George
H., History of San Joaquin County, California , Page
996. Los Angeles, Calif.: Historic
Record Co., 1923.
© 2011 Gerald Iaquinta.
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