J. L. Smith, also known as Hualapai Smith, (1817? – January 19, 1887), a Forty-Niner, and an Arizona

pioneer Pioneer commonly refers to a settler who migrates to previously uninhabited or sparsely inhabited land. In the United States pioneer commonly refers to an American pioneer, a person in American history who migrated west to join in settling and de ...

, a ferry and steamboat landing operator on the

Colorado River The Colorado River ( es, Río Colorado) is one of the principal rivers (along with the Rio Grande) in the Southwestern United States and northern Mexico. The river drains an expansive, arid watershed that encompasses parts of seven U.S. s ...

, Hualapai Smith's in Sonora after 1865 into the 1870s. Nothing is known of the date and location of his birth or his life before he came to

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

in 1849, nor much of his life before he came to Arizona Territory in 1862. There he earned his nickname Hualapai Smith "by being the first man to enter the

Hualapai Valley Hualapai Valley is a valley in Mohave County, Arizona. Location Hualapai Valley is an endorheic basin and its watershed terminates in the dry lake or playa called Red Lake at an elevation of 2762 feet. It is bounded on the east by the Grand Wash ...

."''The Arizona Sentinel'', Saturday, January 22, 1887, p. 3 After 1865, he acquired the site of an old ferry crossing in Sonora, which he revived and made a steamboat landing and woodyard, for the Colorado Steam Navigation Company. This place was called Hualapai Smith's or Smith's Ferry, located 30 miles below

Fort Yuma Fort Yuma was a fort in California located in Imperial County, across the Colorado River from Yuma, Arizona. It was on the Butterfield Overland Mail route from 1858 until 1861 and was abandoned May 16, 1883, and transferred to the Department o ...

and 3 miles below Pedrick's and 20 miles from Yuma.''The Arizona Sentinel''; Saturday, December 7, 1872, p. 3
/ref> J. L. Smith's death and a brief biography are recorded in the January 22, 1887, Arizona Sentinel of

Yuma, Arizona Yuma ( coc, Yuum) is a city in and the county seat of Yuma County, Arizona, United States. The city's population was 93,064 at the 2010 census, up from the 2000 census population of 77,515. Yuma is the principal city of the Yuma, Arizona, M ...

: :"Sheriff Nugent returned from

Phoenix Phoenix most often refers to: * Phoenix (mythology), a legendary bird from ancient Greek folklore * Phoenix, Arizona, a city in the United States Phoenix may also refer to: Mythology Greek mythological figures * Phoenix (son of Amyntor), a ...

on Thursday morning. He informs us of the death on Wednesday in the asylum, of J. L. Smith, well known throughout the Territory as "Hualapai" Smith, an appellation which he earned by being the first man to enter the

. In the days of long ago he was Sheriff of

Santa Barbara County Santa Barbara County, California, officially the County of Santa Barbara, is located in Southern California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 448,229. The county seat is Santa Barbara, and the largest city is Santa Maria. Santa Barba ...

California, and until about four years ago was a man of great energy. He came to the coast in '49 and for the past 25 years has resided in the Territory. One year ago he had a stroke of apoplexy which caused the loss of his mind. His age was about seventy."Examination of the early history of Santa Barbara County, California shows none named Smith was Sheriff between 1850 and 1862. A J. S. Smith asked to be appointed sheriff in 1854 but was denied and another was appointed. An I. L. Smith was appointed as a roadmaster that year. A John L. Smith was elected Superintendent Public Instruction in 1857. see
''History of Santa Barbara county, California, with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers'', Thompson & West, Oakland, Cal. 1883
/ref>

References

External links

Photograph of J. L. Smith taken in the 1870s. If taken in 1870 he would 53 years old if the January 22, 1887, Arizona Sentinel is correct. From the Sharlot Hall Museum, Photograph collection, accessed June 27, 2015. {{DEFAULTSORT:Smith (Hualapai Smith), J. L. History of the American West Colorado River People from Arizona Territory History of California History of Sonora 1810s births 1887 deaths