Barton County, Missouri Biographies-W. C. Smith

History Of Hickory, Polk, Cedar, Dade And Barton Counties, 
Missouri, 1889.  Published by Goodspeed. Pages, 944, 945


W. C. Smith, a stockman and farmer of Barton County, Mo., is a son of John and Margaret 
(St. Clair) Smith, who were born in Pennsylvania in 1806 and 1821, and died April 18, 
1869, and in 1855, respectively.  The father learned the trade of shoemaker in his youth, 
and followed this in connection with farming the greater part of his life.  At the time 
of his death he was a Republican in politics; his wife was a member of the Lutheran Church.  
Their children are as follows: W. C.; G. H., who is an engineer of Pittsburg, Kan.; J. P., 
who is a farmer of Barton County; Mary C., wife of Will Hope, of Alleghany County, Penn.; 
and C. L., wife of George Crooks, of Pittsburg, Penn.  W. C. Smith, whose name heads this 
sketch, was born on the 7th of September, 1840, and began working for himself in 1859, 
being employed in the oil regions of Pennsylvania for about two years, after which he joined 
Company C, One Hundred and Thirty-fourth Pennsylvania Infantry, under Capt. Anderson, and 
participated in the battles of Antietam and Fredericksburg, and with the regiment through 
the campaign.  He next joined the Third Pennsylvania Artillery Veterans, Company I, under 
Capt. Watson, serving two years, and was in the siege of Petersburg, and was with Grant when 
Lee surrendered, besides being in several minor engagements; and, with the Yankees, skilled 
in martial rule, in November, 1865, he was discharged, and returned to the oil regions of 
Pennsylvania, where he remained four years, then came to Barton County, Mo., and purchased 
his present property, consisting of 192 acres of raw land, at a cost of four dollars per acre.  It is now improved with excellent buildings and an orchard of ten acres, consisting of apple and peach trees, and is valued at twenty-five dollars per acre.  March 23, 1869, he espoused Miss Nancy J. Dolen, a daughter of John and Nancy (McCool) Dolen, to whom were born six children: Joseph, (deceased), Josiah (deceased); Margaret, wife of Ben Stover, of Pennsylvania; Lydia, wife of Jacob Bickel, also of Pennsylvania; Caroline, wife of E. Douglass, of Pennsylvania; and Levi, who also resides in that State.  Mr. And Mrs. Smith are the parents of the following children: R. O., who was born January 6, 1870;  A. V., born October 26, 1871, and died October 21, 1874; Almeda G., born December 9, 1873; Charles N., born September 21, 1876, died August 26, 1877; Franklin, born July 7, 1878; Minnie S., born October 20, 1880; and Sidney B., born July 1, 1883.  Mr. Smith was very much dissatisfied with Missouri after locating, but, after returning to Pennsylvania on a visit, he came back to Missouri well satisfied to remain.  He has had no failure in his apple crops since his residence here, and, although his peach crop is not so successful, small fruit is abundant.  Until recently he voted the Republican ticket, but has since affiliated with the Union Labor party.  He is now filling the office of township trustee.  He belongs to the F. A. R., the Knights of Labor, and the Farmers' alliance, and he and wife are members of the Congregational Church.

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