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Collection: Books and Periodicals
A Memorial and Biographical History of Northern California (1891) (713 pages)
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Page: of 713
566 HISTORY OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA.
Mrs. Dalbey is a daughter uf Benjamin and
Mary (Hiner) Johnson, her father a uvative of
Maryland and her mother of Virginia. She was
born in Indiana, in 1824; spent fifteen years in
Illinois, and was educated there. Twenty-three
yearsof her life were past in Iowa, where, in
1846, she was married to Frank Dalbey, a native of Pennsylvania. Her hushand was a
farmer and stock-raiser in Iowa previous to his
coming West. They crossed the plains to California in 1867, and were fonr months on the
way. During the journey they lost four good
work horses during an Indian raid. Their first
stupping place in thie State was near Mrs. Dalbey’s present location, in the neighborhood of
Sheridan. In that year Mr. Dalbey purchased
the property upon which his widow now resides.
It consists of 640 acres of land, and is located
on the Sacramento road, in the corner of Placer,
Sutter and Yuba counties, two and a half miles
from Wheatland. He died at this place in
1887, aged seventy-six years and ten months.
Tle was an honored and respected citizen, and
while he lived did much to advance the best
interests of the community in which he had made
his home. One of their children, Frank, is deceased. Eight are living, namely: George W.,
S. M., R. J., Joe B., Charles A., Harrison C.,
Mary A. and Anna E. All are married and
settled in life except Anna E. and Charles A.
8-8
MOHN JAMES SMITH.—The history of
the State is intimately related to the history
of its citizens, and the history of that citizen who has been a prominent factor in founding and developing its resources is as closely
connected with all that goes to make up one of
the grandest commonwealths in the sisterhood
ot States. California owes much to its pioneers
and earlier settlers, and every town in its wide
domain owes a debt of gratitude to the energetic, courageous men who laid the foundations
of the business reputation which it enjoys at the
Such a man has been the subject present time.
of this sketch to the county of Butte, and to this
portion of the State, and his district has but
recently given evidence of their appreciation of
his efforts, and confidence in his ability and
integrity, by electing him a member of the Assembly of the State. Hon. John James Smith
is a native of England, born near the city of
Liverpool February 20, 1828. His parents
were Thomas and Ann (Appleton) Smith, also
of the same country, the former of whom had
been a merchant for many years in his native
town, but who subsequently, in 1840, came to
America and settled in Wisconsin. Young
John attended the common public schools in the
pursuit of learning, during which time also he
both farmed and mined on his own account,
and when nineteen years of age left home to
make his own way in the world. In 1852, imbued with a spirit of adventure and a desire to
accumulate wealth he came to California, and
was engaged in mining mostly on Cherokee
Flat, near Placerville, on the American River,
where varied success was met with. One company which he joined during their operations on
North Fork of Feather River took considerable
ore trom the mines, though the profits of their
labor was somewhat lessened by large expenses.
In 1858 Mr. Smith started for Fraser River,
but the reports that reached him not being altogether favorable he stopped at Oroville and
accepted a position in the hardware establishment of J. M. Brooks, then the leading house
in that line in the town. For twelve years he
was actively engaged in the mercantile business,
when in 1868, under the administration of
President Grant, in recognition of his faithful
services in behalf of the Republican party, ha
received the appointment of Postmaster at Oroville, which position he filled with perfect satisfaction to all concerned for more than fourteen
years, only retiring at the end of that time to
devote more attention to matters of a private
nature. In company with others he was the
builder of the Oroville waterworks and the Oroville water mill, and having purchased the interest of his partner Mr. Smith is now the sole