Past Events

In 1999 member Raymund F. Wood celebrated the bicentennial of Jed’s birth by publishing Jedediah Smith and His Monuments. Wood shares photographs and interesting details of 66 monuments in eight states—monuments that have been created to honor Jed and to tell the story of his deeds in the West.

Any historian who takes on the task of revising Wood’s compilation for reissue will now have at least one more photo to add, at least one more monument to describe.

On January 17, 2023, the Kern County, California, Board of Supervisors and the Jedediah Smith Society unveiled a new Jed Smith monument in Panorama Park in Bakersfield. A generous donation from Society member Therese Melbar and the persistent efforts of members James Ahrens and William Horst helped to make the monument possible.

Jeff Flores, Kern County Board of Supervisors Chairman, celebrated Jed, “He’s a part of the pioneering spirit of Kern County. He might have stood on these very bluffs, looking out at the great expanse of the Central Valley.”