About the Smith Family

William Henry Smith was born on 26 May 1866 in New York to John Henry Smith, Jr. and Harriet Shaw. His father and mother originated from Massachusetts and Rhode Island, respectively. He was raised in Brooklyn, Kings County, New York at 45 St. Marks Place, where multiple generations of his family lived. William married Clara Cull on 18 October 1888 in Belvedere, Warren County, New Jersey, at this time the couple lived apart while William worked on the railroad. By 1906, William and Clara had divorced.

Shortly thereafter, William married Bertha Blidberg, a Swedish immigrant. After Bertha returned briefly to Sweden in 1906, the newlyweds headed west with fellow New Yorker and financier, Frank Bartow Anderson; they all settled in San Rafael, Marin County, California. Bertha worked as a servant in the Anderson household, and William worked as a coachman for a “private family.”

By 1914, voting records show William and Bertha living on the coast. William raised chickens and Bertha kept house. Based on several mentions in newspaper articles over the years, William’s son, Herbert visited him often.

Bertha died 6 May 1931 in Gualala, her death certificate stated she was buried in the Gualala Cemetery, however no information surrounding her death or burial has been found in local newspapers, and there is not a surviving headstone.

William died at a restaurant in Ukiah on 27 February 1943. While his headstone is in the Gualala Cemetery, both his Death Certificate and Eversole Mortuary records stated he was buried in the Fish Rock Cemetery. A review of known burials in the Fish Rock Cemetery did not produce a burial for him. Given the conflict in the burial location, and the popularity of the surname Smith, additional research was undertaken to ensure the correct William H. Smith had been identified. There were three men who went by the name William H. Smith on the Mendocino Coast during this era and sorting them out showed they all had vastly different backgrounds and were documented consistently. The other two William H. Smiths were 1) born in Kansas, married to a woman named Nellie, buried in Santa Rosa; and 2) born in England, married to Elsie, and buried in Fort Bragg.

Research compiled by Kelly Richardson, APR, AG. Anchored Genealogy. Research for this report was funded through a grant by the American Society of Genealogists.