Socrates Smith

SMITH

Posted By: Connie Swearingen (email)
Date: 3/18/2007 at 23:37:53

Source: History of Monona County Iowa
Chicago National Pub. Co 1890

Socrates Smith, one of the well-known residents of this county, has his home on section 13, Kennebec Township, where he is engaged in general farming and stock-raising. He was born in Lyons, Monroe County, N.Y, May 28, 1813. His father, Ebenezer Smith, a native of Massachusetts, served well and gallantly in the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War, entering the service with his father, Abner Smith, and seven brothers, and served his country for four years, the others remaining about a year longer. He was a farmer, miller, and a distiller at the town of Arcadia, in Wayne County, which had formerly been a part of Phelps Town, and died in that locality in 1844. His wife, formerly Miss Sarah Appleton, died in 1855. Abner Smith, the grandfather of our subject, after a long life of usefulness, died in Chester, Mass., reaching the advanced age of one hundred and four years.
When Socrates Smith first left home, on attaining his majority, for about three years he was engaged in horse trading, and then entered into speculating in wheat, and having made a large amount of money easily lost it without much effort. During the years 1847-48, he was engaged in the raising and distilling of peppermint in Wayne County, N.Y., and had one of the finest plants for that purpose in the world. He was the first to use steam tubs, instead of the old fashioned way of boiling by the direct application of heat, thus making the oil quite as clear as water, and raised its price five cents above the market in the English trade. Selling out this factory in the latter part of 1848, in 1849 he went to Carlton, Ky., with Gen. Butler, and bought horses and took them to Montgomery, Columbus and other places, and disposed of them. This business he continued until 1853, when he went onto the plantation of the Widow Chambers, near Montgomery, Ala., and took charge of about one hundred and ten slaves, cotton pickers, and some ninety common field hands. He acted as overseer on this place until 1861, in the meantime running a small plantation of his own which he had purchased with some sixteen blacks. This latter, with the chattels, he sold at the breaking out of the war and started for the North. He had about $2,500 worth of goat and sheepskins and Spanish moss which he shipped to New York, but which, on account of the blockade, never got any further than Savannah, Ga. After selling his horse, saddle and bridle to Alexander H. Stephens for $250, he went to New Orleans and on the steamer “Empress” came to St Louis. On the way up some parties on the shore ordered them to land, thinking to rob them, but through the persuasions and influence of Mr. Smith and another party, and their being given a hogshead of sugar and two sacks of coffee, the boat was allowed to proceed without molestation. Under the act of 1843, the father of our subject was entitled to one hundred and sixty acres of land and $500 for his service during the Revolution, and after his death his children drew this, assigning the money to their mother and the land to Socrates.
On reaching the North at Keokuk, Mr. Smith walked to Sioux City, where he found employment and after a short time spent at that point and at Yankton, came to Monona County and made a settlement and has here remained ever since.
May 12, 1867, Socrates Smith was united in marriage with Miss Ellen Smith, the daughter of Seth and Sophia (Leach) Smith, the former of whom was the pioneer settler of Grant Township, and of whose life work a sketch appears in the pages of this volume. Mr. and Mrs. Smith are the parents of four children: Euretta, Charles F., Lycurgus D., and Inez.