Saline County, Missouri - Biographical sketches, 1910 (part 17 of 17)

The subject is a son of George W. and Mary A. (Tyson) Smith. George W. is a native of Pennsylvania, having been born in Lancaster county, on December 2, 1833. He is a son of Wilham B. and Mary A. (Shafer) Smith, the fon-ner of whom was a native of Alaryland and the latter of Lancaster county, Pennsylvania. William B. Smith was a shoemaker by vocation, and died in his native state at the age of seventy-eight years. He was the father of the following children: William S., Elizabeth, Mariah, Jacob, John, Emily, Mary, Louisa, Leah, George W., and one that died in infancy. George W. learned the trade of shoemaking and followed that vocation twelve years in his native state. In 1865 he removed to Sterling, Illinois, where he farmed until 1878, when he came to Alaryville, Missouri, and started a creamery, farming to some extent in connection. Subsequently he removed to Lincoln, Nebraska, but in 1883 he came to Sweet Springs, Saline county, and engaged in contracting and building. He erected and operated the first creamery here, and was fairly successful in this enterprise. In 1888 he was appointed postmaster of Sweet Springs, holding the office four years. At the expiration ot this term Mr. Smith and his son, the subject of this sketch, erected a creamery, in the operation of which they were engaged until 1896. when ^Ir. Smith again received the appointment as postmaster, and he has held the office continuously to the present time, a period of fourteen years. Mr. Smith is a good business man and of an accommodating and obliging disposition so that his administration of this responsible position has been eminently satisfactory to the patrons of the office. In January, 1854. George W. Smith was married to Mary A. Tyson, a native of Pennsylvania, who died on July 3, 1900. They became the parents of the following children : W^illiam F., who is a successful farmer in North Dakota, married Mary A. Burch and they are the parents of two children, Vernon and Merle : John Jacob is the immediate subject of this review: Amos, who is a farmer in New Mexico, married Louisa : , and they have three children. Hazel. Harold and Raymond : Augustus A is married and lives in Kansas City, Missouri, where he is a carpenter, painter and paper hanger; Ida, who is single and remains at home, is her father's assistant in the postoffice : Mary Ellen, unmarried, lives m New :^Iexico- Laura Jane is the wife of J. Harvey Dooly and lives m New Mexico. In politics Mr. Smith is a stanch Republican, and while a resident ot Pennsylvania he was a member of the state militia and stood ready during the Civil war to be called into active service.

John Jacob Smith was born on the parental homestead in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, on November 12. 1856. He was reared on the tai-m and secured his education in the common schools near his home and at Oberlin College, Ohio. In 1865 he accompanied his father on the removal to Ster- lint;-. Illinois, and in 187X {o Marvville, Missouri. He was his father's partner antl assistant in several enterprises, referred to in foregoing- paragraphs. Thv family resided a short time at Lincoln, Nebraska, but in December, 1883, thcv finally located at Sweet Springs, this county, where they have since resided, being numbered now among the leading citizens of this prosperous comnninitv. .\fter coming here the subject was interested with his father in the erection and operation of the creamery and also did a good deal of contracting. The creamery, which was built in 1896, was run with very satisfactory success a number of vears and was then sold. Mr. Smith has been active in manv wavs in advancing the material interests of the community, and has al- \\a\s been relied on to give a hearty support to every mo\ement having for its oj)ject the best interests of the town in any respect.

In 1890 Mr. Smith was united in marriage to Lucy Kelly, the daughter of Gen. W. H. and Afariah (Lawson) Kelly, early settlers of Ohio, but who in 1888 became residents of Missouri. Mrs. Smith died in 1905.

In matters political Mr. Smith has been a stanch Republican from the time he attained his majority, and he has for several years been considered one of the most active and intluential members of the party in this section of the state. He has been prominent in local public afTairs. ha\'ing been elected mayor of Sweet Springs in 1902 and retained the office until 1908. He gave an able and satisfactory administration of the duties of the office and iTtired with the high regard of his fellow townsmen. In i8t}o he was chosen chairman of the Republican centi"al committee of Saline county and served as such until 1896. giving able and efficient service to his party during this period. His ability to "do things" has been recognized in his selection as a member of the Republican state central committee, in which position he served for six years. He was a delegate from this congressional district to the Republican national convention which met at St. Louis in 1896 and he assisted materially in the nomination of William McKinley for the Presidency. He is a keen, shrewd and sagacious politician in the highest sense and his services as an adviser in the councils of his party have been recognized and appreciated by his fellow workers, among whom he occupies a high standing.

fraternally ]\Ir. Smith is a inember of the time-honored order of Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, in which he has taken the degrees up to and including that r)f Knight Templar, and he is also a member of the auxiliary onler. the Ancient Arabic Order of Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, in the work of which l)odies he takes a deep interest. Throughout his entire cai-eer, he has been industrious, energetic and successful, and he has won for himself an honorable name in business and political circles, while at all times he has rereived the unlxmnded confidence of his fellow men.