John T. Smith - Was born near Dayton, Warren County, Ohio, March 30,1828, where he resided until 1841, when, with his parents, he moved and settled near Iowa City, Iowa. He remained there until May 1, 1852, when he, with a company of others, started across the plains for California, arriving in this State in the latter part of September. He immediately came to Napa County, and located two and a half miles west of Napa, on the Sonoma road, where he followed ranching until 1866. He then moved to town, and has since made Napa his home. Mr. Smith is unmarried.

David Smith - Was born in Liverpool, England, in 1836. When he was but nine years of age he left his native land and crossed the ocean, and settled in Providence, Rhode Island, where he resided until 1858, being then twenty-two years of age. He then sailed via, Panama for California, arriving in San Francisco in April of that year. In May, 1858, he came to this county, locating in Napa City, where he secured a situation as clerk in a lumber yard, and remained in that business for two years. He then, at the time of the Fraser River excitement, went to that place and stayed a short time. Subsequently he located in San Francisco, where he resided until 1874, when he again returned to Napa, and engaged in the grocery business, which he has since followed, being a member of the well-known firm of Hottel & Smith. The subject of this sketch is still unmarried.

Mathew Shaw - Son of Thomas Shaw, was born in Lancastershire, England, December 2,1836. When he was thirteen years of age, he, with his widowed mother, came to America, and settled in Lawrence County, Ohio, where he found employment in the coal mines of that section. He remained there until 1856 when he came to California. He sailed from New York on tile steamer "George Law " to Aspinwall, and from Panama to San Francisco on the "Old Constitution," arriving in the latter place in April of that year. He immediately proceeded to the mines at Jackson, Amador County, and continued in that occupation for the succeeding four years. In January, 1860, he returned to Ohio, and was married February 19th of that year to Miss Ann Bowron, a native of the North of England, born August 27,1842. He then, with his bride, returned to California, and proceeded to his old home in Amador County. He at once engaged in mining at the Tunnel Hill Gravel Mine, which he continued until 1861. He then moved to Mokelumne Hill, Calaveras County, and began mining which he followed until 1872. He then came to Napa County and located in Napa City, where he resided until 1874, not being, however, actively engaged in any business. In that year he began operations on his fine farm, situated about three miles north of Napa City. In 1879 he returned to Napa City with his family. During all this time he was actively engaged in mining in Tehama and Nevada Counties. February 4,1880, he purchased a one-third interest in the extensive and well-known clothing and gentlemen's furnishing goods house of Alden & Co., of Napa City and Suisun, and is now dividing his attention between that, his farm, and his mining interests. Their children are Mattie H,, Mabel, Lee W., Edith, and Ella L.

L.H. Sweitzer -Was born in Iowa September 3,1838. When he was nine years of age his parents moved to Atchison County, Missouri. In 1849 he, with his parents, crossed the plains to California. The first year after arriving was spent in the mines. In the fall of 1850 they settled in Suisun Valley, and in 1862 the subject of this sketch began farming on his own account. This he followed in Solano County for five years, when he came to Napa County and settled in Berryessa Valley. After following the same business there for eight years he returned to Solano County, where he resided until 1879, when he returned to Napa County and settled on his present place, consisting of two hundred acres located in Pope Valley, where he is engaged in farming and stock raising. Mr. Sweitzer married, April 19, 1863, Miss Emma V. Stanton, by whom he has three children: Lewis H., born July 2, 1865; Charles H., born July 26, 1868, and Edith L., born February 21,1874.

T.S. Scribner -Is the youngest child of Enoch and Chloe Sprague Scribner, and was born in Saratoga County, New York, January 31,1840. He received his education at the common schools, and resided in his birth county until 1856. He then went to New York city, and in March of the following year sailed on the steamer "Northern Light" to Panama, and at that port took passage on the "Orizaba" to San Francisco, arriving in April. He spent the first year at Mount Diablo, and then moved to Benicia, and there followed hunting and ranching until 1863. He then moved to Napa City, and was employed in hauling soda water from the Soda Springs for eight years, in connection with which he established a livery business in 1866, which he conducted until 1870. In the latter year he began to run a stage from Napa to Knoxville, which he conducted until 1878. In 1875 he moved his family to Knoxville, where they opened a hotel, which they run until 1877. He then removed to his present estate, consisting of six thousand three hundred acres, located in the upper end of Berryessa Valley, where he now resides. He was married in 1868 to Miss Anna Jackson, who died in 1873. He was married secondly to Miss Ella Sweet in 1876, and by this union they have one child, Thaddeus M.

Andrew Safely (Deceased) -Was born in the village of Dolhourie, in the famous parish of Cockpen, Scotland, February 17,1813. At an early age he showed a marked aptitude for mechanics, and he was given a thorough course in that branch of study in Edinburg; but his favorite pursuit in after life was agriculture. In the year 1835 he came to America, accompanied by his aged mother, who lived to the remarkable age of one hundred and three. They settled in Sugar Grove, Linn County, Iowa, where he held several positions of trust and honor. In 1865 he moved to California, and chose the beautiful Napa Valley as his future home, settling in the vicinity of Calistoga, where he resided till his death, which occurred July 13,1880. He was always known as a man of honor and strict integrity. He was married September 3,1841, to Miss Margaret Hunter, and there are four living children, as follows: Robert, born August 1,1844; John, born March 3,1848; James, born November 25,1849, and Agnes (now Mrs. W. F. Fisher), born October 9,1853.

Captain Edwin P. Simmons -Whose portrais appears in this history, was the son of John and Nancy Ann Pitcher Simmons. He was born in Athens County, Ohio, May 5, 1828. When but one year of age he, with his parents, moved and settled in Greene County, Illinois, where he resided until 1850. During that time he received a common school education in Greene County, and also attended a select school for eighteen months in Athens County, Ohio. In 1850 he began life for himself, and going to Quincy, Illinois, he embarked in the mercantile and hotel business, in which he continued until 1852. May 1st of that year he started across the plains for California, arriving September 10th of the same year. He first went to Soscol Valley, Solano County, and worked by the month for a short time, and then went to Tuolumne County and embarked in mining, which he followed until October, 1854, when he returned to Quincy, Illinois, by way of the Isthmus and New Orleans. He once more engaged in the mercantile business, and continued till the summer of 1855, when he moved and settled in Perry County, Illinois, where he continued in the mercantile business. United in marriage October 12,1855, to Miss Ann E. Rogers, who was born in Greene County, Illinois, December 31, 1835. He continued in business until the breaking out of the war in 1861, and August 11, 1862, he enlisted in Company " H," 81st Illinois Volunteer Infantry, under Colonel J. J. Dollins, and served three years. He was honorably discharged as Captain of Company " H," at Chicago, August 11, 1865. He participated in the campaign against Vicksburg, in the Red River campaign, the two day's battle at Nashville, Tennessee, the forty-seven day's siege against Vicksburg, the thirteen day's siege of Spanish Fort, which was the defense of Mobile, and participated in all other battles in which the regiment was engaged. At the fatal charge on the enemy's works at Vicksburg on the 22d of May, his regiment and the 7th Missouri Volunteer Infantry were selected as the assaulting column, and provided with ladders for scaling the works, moved forward under a murderous fire, with fixed bayonets and orders not to, fire but use the steel. Almost immediately the Adjutant of his regiment was mortally wounded. He received the compliment of being detailed to the adjutantcy by Colonel Dollins, who in a moment after was shot dead. In this charge the right wing of his regiment, which was the most exposed, lost in killed or wounded their commissioned officers - both field and line, bat he came out himself without a scratch worth mentioning. In the campaign of Nashville he had the honor of serving as Acting Inspector-General of the second brigade of the third division of the 16th Army Corps. After being discharged he returned to Ferry County, Illinois, and engaged in the produce business, which he followed until 1868. In connection with this business he moved to St. Louis and opened a commission boose under the firm name of Dodson, Simmons & Wood, which he continued until 1876. He then sold his interest and returned to California, this time settling on his present farm of one thousand two hundred acres, where he is engaged in general farming. He has three living children, Carrie A. (now Mrs. Booth), born August 18, 1856; Frederick J., born July 27, 1859, and Julia E., born December 4, 1868.

John W. Smittle -The subject of this sketch, whose portrait will be found in the body of this work, was born in Highland County, Ohio, November 18,1829, and is the fourth child of Jacob and Esther Smittle, and while quite a youth emigrated with his parents to south-west Missouri, where, like other backwoods children, he grew up to manhood without the advantage of an education, for want of which his struggle through life has been a hard one, but imbued with a spirit of adventure, in 1851 he determined to come to California, and, being without means, he bargained with L. H. Grigsby to drive team or cattle across the plains for his board, and, after a five months journey, without any accident other than an occasional big Indian scare, he arrived safely in Napa Valley, California, September 18th. Remaining here only a few days with acquaintances - relatives he had none - with two others of his plains' companions, he started out with his blankets on his back to try his luck in the mines. He remained in the mines about six months, making only small wages. Came to the conclusion that mining did not suit him, so, in March, 1852, returned to Napa Valley, where he engaged to work by the month, which employment he followed until September, 1853. Concluding to get still a little farther west, he boarded a schooner in San Francisco, and sailed for Humboldt Bay in the county of the same name, where he remained for one year, working alternately in the timber and saw mill; but, not being very well pleased with the country there, concluded to return to Napa County. In 1853 returned to Napa Valley, and engaged in farming in company with George Linn, on land belonging to George C. Yount, and continued there until December, 1856, when he returned to Missouri by way of the Isthmus and New Orleans, and re-crossed the plains in the summer of 1857, part owner of two hundred or more head of cattle, which he brought to Napa County, where he remained farming until 1863, when he went to Nevada; spent three years in an unprofitable enterprise, losing all the means before acquired. Then returned to Napa County, engaged in farming and general stock raising in Berryessa Valley, where he still resides, and is the owner of one thousand four hundred and thirty acres of fine land. He served the county one term of two years as Supervisor of the Third District, and has taken an active part in all that tends to the advancement of the community in which he lives.

Charles N. Souther - Whose portrait appears in this work, was born in Quincy County, Massachusetts, May 11, 1819. He remained with his parents until he was fifteen years of age, when he went to Boston and served an apprenticeship to the carpenter's trade, and continued at this until he was twenty-one years of age. He then worked as a journeyman, which he followed until he started for California, January 20,1854. He sailed from New York on board the steamer " George Law " for Aspinwall, and at Panama he boarded the " John L. Stevens," and arrived in San Francisco February 14th of the same year. He immediately began work at his trade in San Francisco, which business he followed for one year, when he went to the mines in Tulare County and operated in mining for six months. In October, 1855, he moved to Visalia, where he remained until March, 1856, at which time his family arrived from Boston. He located in Napa County and settled in Napa City, where he followed his trade almost continuously until 1877, when he started a glue factory and has since been engaged in that business, a full description of which will be found in its proper place in this history. Mr. Souther married December 22,1848, Miss Mary M. Craig, and by this union they have four living children, two sons and two daughters: Lizzie; Charles and Edgar (twins), and Emily Gertrude.

G.A. Stamer - The subject of this sketch was born in Hamburg, Germany, September 8,1842, where he resided until he was fourteen years of age. He then went to sea, sailing first from Hamburg, going to China, where they were ship-wrecked and captured by the natives, and were detained for four months, when the Dutch Government bought back the subject of this sketch and one other, they being the only ones left out of the whole crew. Mr. Stamer still continued to follow a sea-faring life and sailed around the world some four times in different ships, first landing in America in 1860, on board a Hamburg ship bound for New York. At the latter place, not liking his quarters, he deserted his ship and shipped on board an American vessel, and made several voyages to Spain, and again returned to New York, where he shipped for California, starting around the Horn, but the vessel encountered severe weather, and most all the sailors were frozen. They changed their course and stood for Rio de Janeiro. Remaining there a few months he returned to Hamburg, where he concluded to settle down, being then about twenty-three years old; but his mind was changed on account of the Government wanting him for a soldier, and this not meeting his views, he again went to sea, and followed a sea-faring life until the fall of 1867, when he arrived in San Francisco. He there engaged in the grocery business, and resided there for two years, and in the fall of 1869, he moved to Napa County, locating at St. Helena, and engaged in the saloon business, under the firm name of Townsend & Stamer. In 1871 Mr. Stamer bought his partner out. In 1881 he bought a wine cellar and distillery in connection with his brother, located two miles south of St. Helena. He conducts the saloon business yet. Mr, Stamer was married December 20,1873, to Miss Amelia Banten, a native of Germany, and by this union they have four children: Lillie, Emilia, Julius S. and Gustave.

C.B. Seeley - The subject of this sketch, whose portrait appears in this work, came of revolutionary stock, his grandfather, Jonathan Seeley, having served in the Continental Army throughout the war for Independence. Mr. Seeley was born in Kirkland, Ohio, February 9, 1835, being the son of Benjamin and Lydia Seeley, and the seventh son of a family of eight children. At the age of four years he moved with his parents to Warrick County, Indiana, where he was reared upon a farm, and where he resided until he came to California in 1864. In his youth he attended the public schools of his neighborhood, and subsequently Delaney Academy, at Newburgh, Indiana. He afterwards engaged in teaching. On his arrival in California he located in Napa County, of which he was elected County Clerk in 1865, holding that office by re-election for ten consecutive years. In 1866 he married Mary White, also a teacher. In 1879 he engaged in the business of banking with L. A. Bickford, under the firm name of Seeley & Bickford, in which business he is still engaged. He is at present, 1881, a member of the Board of Trustees of the City of Napa. In politics Mr. Seeley has always been a Republican, and is one of those genial, whole-souled men whom it is a pleasure to meet. While not professing to be a humorist, his frequent sallies of wit "without intent to harm" certainly give him a place second to but few, among that very attractive class of men. But underlying this vein of humor there is a substratum of deep thought and serious reflection. He is at his best in a friendly discussion, wherein he shows in an eminent degree a mind both analytical and logical. In an animated controversy a few days since, we noted this quite characteristic expression: "When I die, I ask no better epitaph than this: Sacred to the memory of one who paid every obligation in life, and met the world more than half way."