Person:James Smith (203)

Copied from the Northeastern Indiana Memorial of

James M. Smith.--- The subject of this sketch is a self-made man and a representative farmer of Whitley county, Indiana. His farm is located on section 29, Washington township.

Elias Smith, the father of James M. was born in Wayne county, Ohio in the year 1825, son of Moses Smith, a Pennsylvania farmer and a descendant of German ancestry. In his native county Elias Smith married to Miss Nancy Merryman, whose birth occurred there in 1829 and whose father was Elisha Merryman. They continued to reside in Wayne county, Ohio for two years after their marriage and in 1849 came to Indiana to and located on land in section 27, Washington Township, Whitley County. At that time there were only a few families in this locality and the country was nearly all thickly wooded. Mr. Smith had been here as early as 1844 and at that time had made choice of the land upon which he settled in 1849. He entered three quarter-sections of land. Here he built his cabin, moved his family into it, and here he passed the residue of his life, the date of his death being 1878. He cleared the land, and all the buildings now on it were erected by him, with the exception of a residence. His widow survives and still makes her home on the farm. Following are the names of their children, all of who are living: Mary C. Haley, James M., Basil C., Elisha T., William Albert, Harriet Keziah Raber, and Sherman H. Mrs. Smith is a member of the Baptist Church, as also was her worthy husband, who was a Deacon at the time of his death. He took an interest in local affairs, helped to organize the township of Washington, and was a man who had the respect and esteem of all who knew him.

We pass now to the life of James M. Smith, with whose name we introduce this article. He was born at the old homestead above described, October 5, 1852, and was reared in a manner similar to other farmer boys, his education being received in the schools of his district. Before he was eighteen he assisted in the clearing of about thirty acres of the home farm, and at eighteen he started out in life for himself, going first to Ford county, Illinois, where he worked out as a farm hand one year. At the end of that time he returned to his home in this county. The three years which followed found him employed in work at the carpenter's trade, after which he cultivated the home farm until 1875, and in the fall of that year he purchased sixty acres of his present farm. About eighteen acres of this place were cleared when he purchased it. Then another year he spent in work at the carpenter's trade, and again he settled down to farming, in connection with he also for three years operated a threasing-machine. Since 1888 he has resided on his present farm. He now owns 120 acres, ninety five of which are under cultivation, all the building on his land being errected by him. His residence was built in 1891. Mr. Smith now devotes his time exclusively to farming.

He was married in 1880 to Miss Sabina E. Lehman, a native of this township and cleared a farm here on section 32. Mr. and Mrs. Smith are the parents of seven children, all of who are living, and as follows: Rollie Otto, Myrtle Olive, Florence May, Amos Basil, Claude Adam, Robert Russell, and Harley Monroe. (youngest son Dorl Paul born in 1900 not mentioned).

Mr. Smith was for several years active member of the Sugar Grove Grange and in 1894 filled the office of Overseer in the same. His political affiliations are with the Democratic party. He and his family are entitled to the esteem and respect in which they are held by the people of the community in which they reside.

========================================================================

The 1870 U. S. Census, Indiana, Whitly County, Washington Township shows James age 19 living at home with his parents Elias and Nancy Smith. He worked on the farm.