William D. Smith

SMITH, BARNETT, KEEBLE, CRONK, GODFREY

Posted By: Peter Gausmann (email)
Date: 2/6/2010 at 08:44:47

WILLIAM D. SMITH

For over half a century William D. Smith has been prominently identified with the agricultural interests of Winnebago county and is today the owner of a valuable farm in Center township, his home being on section 12. He was born in Middlesex, Vermont, on the 26th of December, 1841, and belongs to an old New England family. His parents, Alvin and Amanda (Barnett) Smith, were natives of Connecticut. During his childhood the father was taken by his parents to Vermont, where he grew to manhood and engaged in farming for some years. Eventually he removed to Winnebago county, Iowa, and purchased forty acres of land where the town of Lake Mills now stands, but was not long permitted to enjoy his new home, dying shortly after his arrival in 1868. His widow long survived him, passing away in 1906 at the advanced age of ninety-four years.

In the state of his nativity William D. Smith was reared and educated in much the usual manner of farmer boys, and when the country became involved in civil war he put aside all personal interests and entered the Union service. He was nineteen years of age when he enlisted in Company B, Thirteenth Vermont Volunteer Infantry, and he remained at the front for one year, the last engagement in which he participated being the battle of Gettysburg. On being mustered out Mr. Smith came direct to Winnebago county, Iowa, and purchased eighty acres of his present farm in Center township at two dollars per acre. Later he bought eighty acres more and today has one of the best improved and most highly cultivated places in the locality. His land is located on sections 12, 13 and 1, Center township, and is now operated by his son-in-law, Byron Cronk, who makes a specialty of raising Black Polled cattle.

On the 25th of October, 1872, Mr. Smith married Miss Ella Keeble, who died on the 1st of November, 1899, after a year's illness. By this union were born six children, namely: Minnie, who is now the wife of Byron Cronk and has two children, Margaret and Majel; Frank, a farmer of Center township; Fred A., also a farmer of Center township, who is married and has one child, Melva; Etta, who is the wife of M. J. Godfrey, of Chapin, Iowa, and has two children, Clinton and Clifford; Etta, who died at the age of eight years; and William, who died at the age of two years.

Mr. Smith has practically retired from active labor, but still owns his farm and is a stockholder in the Lake Mills Lumber Company and the Lake Mills Creamery Company. Since casting his first presidential vote for Abraham Lincoln, he has always supported the republican party and for a number of years he served on the school board in his district. In religious faith he is a Methodist and he was a member of the Grand Army Post at Lake Mills until it was disbanded. In days of peace he has been found as true to his country's interests as in time of war and he is regarded as one of the leading and representative citizens of his community, a man honored and respected by all who know him.

Source: History of Winnebago County and Hancock County, Iowa: A Record of Settlement, Organization, Progress and Achievement, Vol. II. Pioneer Publishing Company (Chicago), 1917. pp. 525-526.