John Bartley Smithson (1841-1910)


 * Mississippi Saints 1846 Pioneer Company

Mississippi Saints 1846 Pioneer Company
Numbered amoung the participants in the Mississippi Saints 1846 Pioneer Company, a early Mormon pioneer wagon train that left Mississippi in 1846 to join the Mormon exodus to Utah. This group Brigham Young's vanguard company and spent the winter of 1846/47 at  Fort Pueblo where the were joined by soldiers of the sick detachment of the Mormon Battalion. They reached Salt Lake City in late summer of 1847.

1910 Obituary
DEATH CALL'S PIONEER OF VALLEY - END COMES FOR PIONEER JOHN BARTLEY SMITHSON SUNDAY AT CLOSE OF DAY by John Brown, Jr.

"The many friends of John Bartley Smithson scattered all over Southern California will regret to learn that their old acquaintance has finished his work on earth, his spirit having taken flight to the realms of the blest on Sunday evening at 5 o'clock P.M., August 7, 1910, at his home in this city, 947 Myers street, surrounded by his faithful wife and devoted children. With a brave but resigned spirit he endured his long illness, and up to the day before his death entertained hopes of his recovery so that he would be able to visit the mountains again where he had spent so many happy days, but the nature of his ailment was such as to prevent his recovery and gradually declined until Sunday evening last."

"John Bartley Smithson was born at Parkerville, Marian county, Alabama, October 6, 1841, and was born the son of Allen F. Smithson and Leticia Holiday Smithson. March 1, 1846 Mr. Allen F. Smithson and wife and family, including young Bartley Smithson, started on their perilous journey to explore and settle in the great west. In the Rocky mountains, neat Gaos, he remembered seeing those well known mountaineers and trappers, Kit Carson, John Brown, James W. Waters, V. J. Herring and a portion of the party under Captain Jefferson Hunt. Passing on over the plains and mountains to Salt Lake, Utah, they remained for a time, then crossed the deserts with ox teams to San Bernardino, California, where they arrived June 25, 1851, and settled on some ones surveyed land near what is now the old City Cemetery, afterwards described as the corner of A. and Seventh streets. Father Smithson went back to Pareath, Utah to serve as postmaster while his son, John Bartley returned to San Bernardino and found employment with those well known mill men, John M. James, David Seely, D. T. Huston, William Caley, Frank Talmadge and W.S. LaPraix, who furnished the first lumber to build the homes for the pioneers of San Bernardino. Here Mr. Smithson formed that strong attachment for out grand and inspiring mountains that followed him to his last conscious hours. The Smithson ranch, now known as Pinecrest, was his mountain home, where his family and numerous friends loved to assemble and enjoy the hospitality of a genuine pioneer. Many are the barbecues, family and social reunions, bonfires and picnics that memory recalls connected with this Smithson paradise."

"Mr. Smithson was a past president of the San Bernardino Society of California Pioneers and was highly esteemed by all its members. He and his beloved wife Jane Smithson and their family were prime movers in locating the pioneer camps on the most picturesque spots in our mountains where from 100 to 200 of the happiest people on earth would enjoy life for two and three months at a time, one of the happiest of all these campers being no other than Mr. Smithson himself, realizing that all around him was....and gladness that he___. Mr. Smithson was happily married to Jane Cadd and twelve children have blest this union: T.A. Smithson, J.B.Smithson, Jr., James A. Smithson, Rose E. Scaff, Effie McGarvey, William F.Smithson, Adolphus H. Smithson, George Smithson, Mary E. Smithson, Freeman Smithson, Nelle Smithson, Lena M Smithson and Charles F. Smithson. Five of these, James, Albert, Freeman, Mary E., William and Nelly have passed on ahead of their father. The devotion these children have always shown towards father and mother has been noticed and highly commended by their large circle of neighbors and friends. Rev. Mr. Crumley will officiate at the chapel of Stephens & Sons, undertakers on E street between Fourth and Fifth streets at 3o'clock today and the simple burial service of the Pioneers will be observed at the grave. "