JOHN SMITH

SMITH

Posted By: Jake Tornholm (email)
Date: 4/23/2020 at 13:30:22

JOHN SMITH, who resides on section 17 in Quincy township, is one of the pioneers of Adams county.

The time of his reaching Quincy, his point of destination, was in the afternoon of the 16th of November, 1854. He was born and raised in Cumberland township, Greene county, Pennsylvania. His birthday was July 28, 1818. His father, Benjamin Smith, was a native of the same town and county, as was his mother, whose maiden name was Barbara Neff. The paternal grandfather of our subject was Ichabod Smith. The Smith family are of Scotch descent, but the maternal ancestors were of German lineage.

The mother of Mr. Smith died at the homestead in Greene county, Pennsylvania, in 1846. The father later went to Richland county, Ohio, and died at the home of his sister, Mrs. Mary Findley. Mr. Smith is one of ten children, seven sons and three daughters; only four of the family are living in 1891. Mr. Smith was obliged to make his own way in life from an early age. He began learning the trade of a carpenter and joiner when eighteen years old with Albert Rickey. After about two years he engaged to learn cabinet-making with Hiram Mulligan, with whom he continued three years, and became a thorough master of the trade,

In the fall of 1845 he went to Indiana; general work at his trade was easy to yet at that time; while in Indiana he engaged in the manufacture of fanning mills. But he returned to Ohio in the fall of 1845, and engaged at the business of carpentering in Coshocton county, at West Carlisle. The following February he returned to his old home in Pennsylvania, and next April he returned to Coshocton county, Ohio, accompanied by his brother, Abraham.

June 3, 1852, he was married to Miss Hannah Plowman, a native of Maryland, and a daughter of Joseph and Harriet (Moffitt) Plowman, who emigrated from Maryland to Ohio, where they lived till death. In the spring of 1854 they removed to Knox county, Ohio. In October following they started for Western Iowa, for the purpose of making a permanent settlement. The family then consisted of himself, wife and one child, Benjamin F. They came through in a wagon, being about six weeks on the journey. Mr. Smith settled with his family in the village of Quincy, where he continued six years, engaged in working at his trade. He then settled where he now lives. He has 260 acres in his home farm and on section 27 has 200 acres, and seventy-five acres of timber on section 29. Mr. Smith has a fine farm and a pleasant home. He and his wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. In fact, Mr. Smith has been a faithful and consistent member of the Methodist Episcopal Church since 1842, and his wife, since she was fifteen years of age. They are the parents of six children: Benjamin F., Joseph R., James Freeman, Emery Alvin, Ella, wife of George Baker, and Mary.

Mr. Smith is one of the well-known and esteemed citizens of Adams county, where he and his wife have resided so many years. He has ever been interested in the financial, moral and religious growth of the community, where he has lived so long.