San
Joaquin County
Biographies
Among the prominent women of
northern San Joaquin County, Miss Estella M. Smith has for many years been
esteemed as a substantial resident of her community and factor for good and
progress in religious, moral and social circles. Since 1885 she has been a resident on her
beautiful estate of thirty acres situated near Woodbridge on the
Lodi-Woodbridge Road at Smith’s Lake.
She first saw the light of day at Jackson, Amador County, and is a daughter
of Charles Edward and Isabelle (Robertson) Smith, the former a native of
Kennebunk Port, Maine, and the latter born near Toronto, Canada. The father crossed the plains in an ox-team
train to California in 1853 and the mother came about the same time via the
Panama route. The father engaged in
mining at Jackson for a few years, then followed farming until 1874 when he
went to Sacramento County remaining there for one year; then in 1875 he located
at Woodbridge where he purchased eighty acres on the south bank of the Mokelumne River. On
this ranch is located what is known at Smith’s Lake, a small body of water
covering about fifteen acres surrounded by large oak trees. Charles E. Smith purchased this ranch from
Capt. McQueen and owned it a few years when he sold it and removed to Escalon
where he lived and farmed for seven years; then returned to Lodi and bought
back his original place and lived upon it until his death in 1902, at the age
of seventy-two years, while the mother passed away in 1900, at the age of
fifty-eight. The eight acres was
originally heavily wooded and only a portion of it was cleared when Mr. Smith
purchased it and during his lifetime he cleared the balance and planted it to
vineyard; in 1885 he built a fine residence on his place. He was school trustee and was a member of
Woodbridge Lodge of Masons. This worthy
couple had four children, three living, Miss Smith being the youngest.
Estella M. Smith received her
education in the Woodbridge grammar school and San Joaquin Valley College at Woodbridge,
where she was graduated in 1893 with degree B. S. She grew up on her father’s farm which has
enabled her to continue the cultivation and care of a portion of the old
homestead. Fifty acres of the original
tract has been sold, so that Miss Smith now owns and operates thirty acres all
in full-bearing vineyard. She is most
progressive in her methods of farming and her labors and supervision have been
attended with excellent results. As her
father was a staunch Republican so Miss Smith votes. Her father was also a strong and active
member of the Woodbridge Masonic Lodge and Miss Smith is past matron of
Woodbridge Chapter No. 118 of the Eastern Star Lodge at Woodbridge. She is a Presbyterian in religion and her
mother was one of the early members of Woodbridge Presbyterian Church. Her life has been characterized by unflagging
industry and it is upon this foundation that she has builded
her present prosperity.
Transcribed by V. Gerald Iaquinta.
Source: Tinkham, George
H., History of San Joaquin County, California , Page
1545. Los Angeles, Calif.: Historic
Record Co., 1923.
© 2012 V. Gerald Iaquinta.
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