Smith, James A.

SMITH, SWYLER, SIMPSON, LANGLEY, TENEYCK, WILSON

Posted By: Volunteer Transcribers
Date: 2/14/2003 at 15:47:37

JAMES A. SMITH. 

During early manhood the subject of this sketch was actively engaged in mechanical pursuits, and having acquired a comfortable competence is now able to lay aside all business cares and spend the remainder of his life in ease and quiet at his pleasant home in DeWitt. He was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, April 10, 1846, and first came to this county in the summer of 1851.

John Smith, the father of our subject, was a native of Donaghadee, County Down, Ireland, and was of Scotch-Irish descent. He was quite young when his parents died, and when only eleven years of age hid himself as a stowaway on a vessel bound for the new world, not being discovered for three days after leaving port. He landed at New York and later went to Boston, where he served a seven years’ apprenticeship to the marble and stone cutter’s trade, which he continued to follow throughout his active business life. He was married in Wheeling, West Virginia, to Miss Minerva C. Swyler, who was born in that city of Scotch parentage, Subsequently he worked for several years in different cities, including Cincinnati, St. Louis, Nashville and Rock Island, and was employed on many large and important buildings. In 1851 he came to DeWitt, Iowa, and made a permanent location. Here he entered some land, which was operated by his sons, while he continued to work at his trade. He was a skilled mechanic and was very prominent in his line of work. He spent his last years in DeWitt, where he met death by accident in October, 1877. His wife still survives him at the age of seventy-five years, and now makes her home in Jefferson, Iowa. He served three years in the war of the Rebellion as a member of Company H, Twenty-sixth Iowa Volunteer Infantry, and when hostilities ceased was honorable discharged.

James A. Smith was a lad of six years when he came with his parents to this county, and is indebted to the public schools of DeWitt for his educational privileges. When not quite eighteen years of age he joined the boys in blue, enlisting October 5, 1864, in Company I, Tenth Iowa Volunteer Infantry. He joined his regiment at Kingston, Georgia, and went with Sherman on the march to the sea and through the Carolinas, taking part in the battle of Macon, the siege of Savannah, and the engagements at Columbia, South Carolina, and Bentonville, North Carolina, which was the last battle of the war and lasted three days. The rains during that time brought on fever and Mr. Smith was sent to the hospital at Goldsboro, being later transferred to a hospital in Troy, New York, where he remained about a month. On the 26th of May, 1865m he was honorably discharged and returned to the home farm in this county.

In July, 1866, Mr. smith commenced learning the blacksmith’s trade at DeWitt, and later worked as a journeyman for about twelve years in Kalamazoo, Detroit and Grand Rapids, Michigan; St. Louis, Missouri; and Chicago, Illinois, being at the last name place nearly eight years.

At DeWitt, Iowa, November 29, 1874, Mr. smith married Miss Ellen A. Simpson, a daughter of George and Mary Jan (Langley) Simpson, both natives of England. Her mother died when she was only three years old and she was adopted by William S. Teneyck, one of the early settlers of this county, having located here on coming west in 1849. He was born in the Mohawk valley, near Albany, New York, and on reaching manhood married Miss Susan M. Wilson, also a native of Albany county.

Mr. and Mrs. Smith began their married life in DeWitt, where he opened a shop and engaged in blacksmithing very successfully for almost a quarter of a century, selling out his business in 1898, since which time he has lived retired. He purchased a residence, which he has since enlarged and remodeled and now has a nice home.

Mr. Smith cast his first presidential vote for Abraham Lincoln in 1864, but on national issues has since supported the Democracy, though at local elections he votes independent of party lines. While not a member of any religious organization, he and his wife attend the Congregational church and give to its support. Socially Mr. Smith is a prominent member of the Odd Fellows lodge of DeWitt, in which he has filled all the chairs and is now past grand. He has always taken an active part in its work and served one year, as district deputy grand master. He is also a member of the Encampment of that order, and of the Grand Army Post at DeWitt, of which he was commander three terms. He has been a delegate to a number of state encampments, and to the national encampment at Washington, d. c. His upright, honorable course in life has commended him to the confidence of all with whom he has come in contact, and he is held in the highest regard by his fellow citizens.
Source: The 1901 Biographical Record of Clinton Co., Iowa, Illustrated published: Chicago : S. J. Clarke Pub. Co., 1901.