J. L. Smith (Hualapai Smith) facts for kids

J. L. Smith, also known as Hualapai Smith, was an important pioneer in Arizona. He was also a "Forty-Niner", which means he traveled to California during the Gold Rush in 1849, hoping to find gold. Later, he became known for operating a ferry and a steamboat landing on the Colorado River. His landing, called Hualapai Smith's, was in Sonora and was active from 1865 into the 1870s.

Smith earned his nickname "Hualapai Smith" because he was the first known person to enter the Hualapai Valley in Arizona. He arrived in Arizona Territory around 1862.

Smith's Ferry and Steamboat Landing

After 1865, J. L. Smith took over an old ferry crossing in Sonora. He made it a busy place for both ferries and steamboats. A ferry is a boat that carries people and goods across a river. A steamboat landing is a place where steamboats can stop to pick up or drop off passengers and supplies, like wood for their engines.

Smith's landing was very important for the Colorado Steam Navigation Company. It was known as Hualapai Smith's or Smith's Ferry. This busy spot was about 30 miles south of Fort Yuma and 20 miles from Yuma.

Later Life and Passing

J. L. Smith passed away on January 19, 1887. The Arizona Sentinel newspaper in Yuma, Arizona wrote about his life and death on January 22, 1887. The newspaper mentioned that he was well-known across the territory as "Hualapai" Smith.

He had been a very energetic person for most of his life. The newspaper also noted that he had been a Sheriff in Santa Barbara County, California a long time ago. Smith had lived in the Arizona Territory for about 25 years. In his last year, he became very ill and passed away at around 70 years old.