Person:Robert Smith (231)

"RL Smith came to this township with his family in 1848 and settled on the place now owned by him called the Rural Home. Mr. S. was an ardent Abolitionist and his house was for years a station on the underground railroad. Mr. S. often relates how negroes escaping from slavery were brought to him at night and he assisted by others among whom we may mention Judge E Graham and Hon. S.S. Burdett would hitch up his team and take them to the next station on their way rejoicing to that then haven of the colored man, Canada."

From The History of Clinton County, Iowa: Containing a History of the County, its Cities, Towns, Etc., p. 544-545. Chicago: Western Historical Society, 1879.


"The Free Methodist Church Was organized in the year 1868 by Rev. C.H. Underwood with a membership of eleven. Rev. B.F. Doughty was the first Pastor. The names of some of the prominent members at the organization are as follows: Mrs Robinson, Miss Florinda Schaeffer, Mrs Abby Haney, Samuel Mummy, RL Smith and others. The present church building situated on the northwest corner of Jefferson and Bluff streets was erected in the year 1870. The present membership of the Church is about forty; the present Pastor, Rev. Mr. Hall."

From The History of Clinton County, Iowa: Containing a History of the County, its Cities, Towns, Etc., p. 564. Chicago: Western Historical Society, 1879.

Robert L., removed from Pennsylv ania to Iowa, in 1848, and settled in Clinton County, wher e he engaged in farming. He was formerly a blacksmith.
Strongly opposed to slavery, Robert L. Smith was the f irst abolitionist of Clinton County. He assisted in gettin g the first slaves across the Mississippi River. Those slav es were started by John Brown and were taken from Nebraska . Mr. Smith kept them at his residence for some time. He tr ansported many of the slaves over the underground railroa d for many years. He was the means of delivering as many a s 100 from slavery to freedom. His daughter, wife of our su bject, assisted her father in the underground railroad in l iberating slaves.
Loved and esteemed by all who knew him, Mr. Smith died , at the age of seventy-two years, in Clinton County. His w ife died at the age of sixty-seven years.


Household Role Gender Age Birthplace
Robert L Smith Self M 70 Pennsylvania, United States
William L Smith Son M 27 Iowa, United States
Samuel S Smith Son M 23 Iowa, United States
Orange S Smith Son M 32 Pennsylvania, United States
Mary Smith Daughter-in-law F 30 Ohio, United States
Sadie S Smith Granddaughter F 12 Iowa, United States
Ora M Smith Granddaughter F 10 Iowa, United States
Olive K Smith Granddaughter F 7 Iowa, United States
Eva L Smith Granddaughter F 3 Ohio, United States
Charles L Smith Grandson M 0 Ohio, United States
Elliott O Smith Grandson M 20 Iowa, United States

"United States Census, 1880," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MD2Q-PW2 : 13 July 2016), Robert L Smith, De Witt, Clinton, Iowa, United States; citing enumeration district ED 300, sheet 348B, NARA microfilm publication T9 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 0334; FHL microfilm 1,254,334.