James Nelson Smith

RODABAUGH, ROBINS, TAYLOR

Posted By: nancy dorwart
Date: 3/8/2004 at 20:52:34

James Nelson Smith, born on Nov, 26, 1841, was the eighth child of the family of Mr. and Mrs. Greenup Smith. In his youth, he became inured to the hardships of farm life of the western frontier. When the war broke out, it was his desire to enter the army but his father, not willing that he should do so, proposed to fit him out for a trip across the plains. In company of Joseph Rodabaugh, he drove five yoke of cattle to Powder River in Baker County, Ore. After five years he returned by way of the Isthmus of Panama and New York in 1867.

In Van Buren County, on May 7, 1868, Mr. Smith was married to Miss Isabella, daughter of Joseph and Mary (Robins) Taylor. She was born in Scotland Nov. 18, 1846,when seven years old, crossed the Atlantic with her parents to America and in 1853, with the family, located in Van Buren County. The young couple began their domestic life in Birmingham.

Mr. and Mrs. Smith have a family of three children, two of whom are living; Pearl M. died at the age of seven months, E. Russell, the oldest, is a student at Parsons College and Harry, who is attending Elliott Business College, of Burlington IA.