"History of Southern Oregon, Comprising Jackson, Josephine, Douglas, Curry and Coos Counties. Compiled from the Most Authentic Sources." A. G. Walling, Publisher. Portland, OR. 1884. pg. 539-540. CAPT. THOMAS SMITH Captain Thomas Smith was born in Campbell county Kentucky, September 14, 1809. The father died when Thomas was but sixteen years of age. At the age of twenty-three, with his mothers and sisters, he moved to Boone county, where he remained working at the carpenter trade until 1839, when he concluded to try his luck in Texas. He remained in Texas ten years, and the lessons there learned in frontier life were of great advantage to him in his subsequent pioneer life on the Pacific. In 1849 he came to California, crossing the plains by way of Fredericksburg and El Paso, Texas, New Mexico and Arizona, and the great desert through Lower California and arrived in the mines in October of that year. At Fredericksburn he was elected captain of a company of seventy-five men who were the pioneers over this route for 500 miles to El Passo [sic]. After his arrival in the mines he took sick and was not able to work any that year. The next summer he went to Feather river where he was again taken sick, but managed to make his way to Reading, where in the fall he was broken up by robberies by the Pitt River Indians. In the spring of 1851 he came to the Yreka mines, where, hearing of the Oregon mines down in what is now Josephine county, crossed the Siskiyous on the 7th of June and engaged in mining on the Josephine creek until October. When returning, he prospected for and found gold in considerable quantities at Blackwell and Willow Springs. Believing that good mines would soon be found at these places, he at once determined if possible to raise a crop of vegetables in the valley to sell to the miners. He at once located on the place until recently known as Capt. Smith's ranch, and went to Yreka to find some other parties who were willing to join him in such an enterprise. David Earl, Fred Albuding and Patrick Dunn agreed to take the chances and at once began to prepare for the enterprise. Mr. Smith returned at once to his claim where he remained alone eleven days before the arrival of the other men. It was on the 11th day of November of that year (1851) that the Captain pitched his tent in this beautiful valley, and the same spot was his home for twenty years, when tiring of farming he sold the old home and removed to Ashland. During the early years of his life in this home he passed through many exciting experiences. For several years Indian Chief Tipsu and band were his near neighbors and made themselves more sociable than agreeable to the Captain. In the wars of 1853-5, he was frequently called upon by neighbors to assist in chastising the Indians for robbery, and in the adoption of measures to prevent this band from engaging with the balance of the Rogue Rive3rs in active hostilities against the white people. Mr. Smith was called by his constituents to represent them in the territorial legislature of 1855-6. In 1868 he was elected to the state legislature, and again in 1880 re-elected to the same position. He was married to Margaret J. Harrison, daughter of William Harrison, of Crawford county, Missouri, in August, 1857. Harrison county, Kentucky, was named in honor of her grand-father, who was a relative of President William H. Harrison. Mrs. Smith died December 22, 1874. Ella C. is the only child. ******************* Submitted to the Oregon Bios. Project in July 2005 by Diana Smith. Submitter has no additional information about the person(s) or family mentioned above.