Henry C. Smith

Candidate Biography:

Born: October 25, 1824 in Fort Defiance, Ohio
Married: Mary Vangorden, Mary Ann Harlan (m. 1847)
Children: Julia A., Emma C., Frankin P., and Charles F.
Family: Brother of Napoleon B. Smith
Died: November 24, 1875 in Livermore, CA

1850:  Associate Judge, Court of Sessions for Santa Clara County
1855-1856: Member, Alameda County Board of Supervisors
1859: Candidate for Alamendo County Clerk (Lost)
1871-1872: Justice of the Peace for Murray Township (this area now includes Dublin, Livermore, Pleasanton, Santa Rita, and San Ramon)

• Niles (which became part of the city of Fremont) was named after Mary Vangorden's hometown of Niles, Michigan.
• LEGISLATION: Smith was the author of the bill which created Alameda County in 1853.

Source: History of Political Conventions in California, 1849-1892 by Winfield J. Davis (1893)