MARTIN SMITH.
One of the well-known and highly respected farmers of this county, now
living retired, is Martin Smith, who was born in County Galway, Ireland,
on May i, 1838, the son of Patrick and Anna (Lutney) Smith, the former
of whom was a road contractor and followed this business all his life, dying
in Ireland in 1844. His wife, who was the mother of five children, of whom
Martin Smith is the only one now living, also died in 1844.
Martin Smith came to America with his sister when he was eleven years
old and located in New York City, where he attended school, selling newspapers to assist in paying his way. After leaving school he took up the carpenter
trade and followed that until the Civil War broke out. On August
17, 1861, Mr. Smith enlisted in Company E, Ninth Regiment, New York
Volunteer Infantry, and, serving in three different regiments, was in the
service of the Union army continuously until the close of the war. He was
engaged in the battles of South Mountain, Antietam, Fredericksburg, and
a number of skirmishes, and when mustered out of the service was attached
to the army of General Burnsides. Mr. Smith has an honorable military
record and performed brilliant services in behalf of his adopted country
during the period of civil strife. He was one of the guard during the execution
at Washington of the conspirators connected with the assassination of
President Lincoln.
Returning to New York City at the close of the Civil War, Mr. Smith
resumed work at his trade and was thus engaged until 1867, i" which year
he moved to Aledo, Illinois, where he rented a farm, remaining there until
1880, when he came to Audubon county, locating in Lincoln township, where
he purchased eighty acres of virgin land at six dollars and twenty-five cents
an acre. After breaking the sod, Mr. Smith moved to Melville township,
where he bought eighty acres of land at fourteen dollars an acre. He later
increased his holding to one hundred and sixty acres and was actively
engaged in farming until 1899, when he retired and moved to Audubon,
having acquired a substantial competence for his declining years.
In i860, Martin Smith was married to Julia McCarty, to which union
two children were born, both of whom died early in life. After the death
of Mrs. Julia (McCarty) Smith, Mr. Smith married Anna Welsch, who
died a few years later, whereupon Mr. Smith married Mary Lowmer, daughter
of John F. and Mary Lowmer, natives of Bavaria, Germany. No children
were born either to the second or third marriage.
Martin Smith is a prominent member of the Grand Army of the Republic
and has served as commander and delegate to state conventions several
times. He has been officer of the guard in the local post for twenty years.
Mr. and Mrs. Smith are members of the Catholic church, and Mr. Smith is
identified with the Republican party.
Few men deserve more credit for their part in the growth and development
of this country than Martin Smith, who, during the Civil War, gave
four of the best years of his life to the service of his country, and who,
since the end of that great war, by his labors has assisted in the development
of this great agricultural region. Martin Smith is a good citizen, a
credit to the community in which he has lived for so many years.
xx.
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Transcribed from History of Audubon County, Iowa Its People, Industries and Institutions With Biographical Sketches of Representative Citizens and Genealogical Records of Many of the Old Families, by H. F. Andrews, editor, Indianapolis: B. F. Bowen & Company, 1915, pp. 362-363.
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