Smith, John E.

John E. Smith, born in New York City on November 15, 1857, was reared and educated in his native city before journeying to the Pacific Coast at eighteen years of age. Upon arriving in Fresno County in 1875, he immediately secured employment with a sheep grower at the Sink of the Panoche on the West Side. Through diligent application in this early role, he gained the vital livestock experience that prepared him for a distinguished career in agricultural management. He soon became recognized as one of the oldest settlers of the West Side and one of the most knowledgeable individuals regarding the early history of his region.

On April 11, 1880, Mr. Smith entered the employ of Miller and Lux, beginning a long and dedicated tenure as superintendent of their sheep department. Except for a three year period spent in San Francisco, he remained continuously with the company, overseeing operations that stretched across a vast territory from Stockton to Tulare. At various times throughout his career, he managed up to 150,000 head of sheep from his headquarters at the Dillon ranch near Firebaugh. Utilizing his extensive practical expertise, he successfully established a program for the company to raise their own pure bred bucks across eleven distinct breeds of sheep.