Charles Smith

SMITH, DAHLER

Posted By: Marthann Kohl-Fuhs (email)
Date: 5/16/2009 at 07:57:15

1889 BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY OF
SHELBY AND AUDUBON COUNTIES, IOWA
W. S. DUNBAR & CO., PUBLISHERS
113 ADAMS STREET, CHICAGO

pages 737-738

CHARLES SMITH, a thriving agricult-
urist of Hamlin Township, was born in
Hesse-Darmstadt, Germany, July 10,
1851, and is the oldest living son of Adam
and Frederika Smith, who emigrated to Amer-
ica when Charles was five years of age. They
landed in the city of New York, and after
stopping there a short time they proceeded
to Carroll County, Illinois, and there settled
on a farm, where the father died March 26,
1882. His wife, who survives him, is living
on the old homestead in Carroll County, Illi-
nois. Of her eight children four are living.
Charles Smith spent his youth in Carroll
County, Illinois, attending the district school
during the winters, and assisting his father
on the farm during the summers. He re-
mained under the parental roof until his
twenty-third year, when he began farming
on his own account, in which he was fairly
successful. He remained in Carroll County
until 1882, when he came to Audubon County
and invested in 120 acres of land, upon which
he has made many valuable improvements.
Formerly Mr. Smith followed general farm-
ing, but of late years he has turned his atten-
tion to stock-raising and feeding, and has
been very prosperous in this department of
agriculture. Charles Smith was united in
marriage to Dora Dahler, of Carroll County,
Illinois, a daughter of Henry and Lizzie
Dahler, both natives of Germany. Five chil-
dren have been born of this union -- Lewis,
Adam, Louisa, Clara and Lena. Mr. Smith
has served as township trustee, and takes an
active interest in the success of the Demo-
cratic party. He began his career on the
bottom round of the ladder, and while he has
had his ups and downs, he has succeeded
well, and to-day holds an enviable position
among Audubon County farmers.