| WOODSON COUNTIES, KANSAS. | 573 cont'd |
WILLIAM R. SMITH.
WILLIAM R. SMITH—Among the substantial and public-spirited farmers of Marmaton township is William R. Smith, of Bronson. He settled near the east line of Allen county, on the southeast quarter of section 33, township 24, range 21, purchasing the right of John Meeks to the land. He moved his bachelor quarters into the little box cabin, 14x16, and lived alone the first year. All these primitive improvements have given way to substantial and modern ones and our subject is today the owner of one of the attractive farms on the Bronson and Moran road.
Mr. Smith came to Kansas from Cass county, Missouri, but is a native of Caledonia, Ohio. He was born December 13, 1855, and is a son of Noah Smith residing near the place of our subject's birth. Noah Smith went from Maryland out to Ohio in an early day. Farming has been his theme and practice and he has remained a citizen where he first rolled a log or plowed a furrow. He was born in Maryland in 1829, and was married to Jemimah Richey who died in 1894. Their children were: William R.; Emma, wife of E. Gaddis, of Caledonia, Ohio; Miss Mary Smith of the old home and Corwin Smith, of Ft. Scott, Kansas.
William R. Smith left home soon after he came of age. As a youth
| 574 | HISTORY OF ALLEN AND |
and young man he followed farming, making brick and painting. He accumulated a small amount of money at various honorable pursuits and came west, by the advice of Horace Greeley, as it were. Without the funds to provide him a team he sold off the right-of-way to the Missouri Pacific railway across his land and with the proceeds purchased a team with which to break and begin the cultivation of his farm. In April, 1880, he was married to Eva Garber, whose father, Abram Garber, came to Allen county, in 1878 from Illinois. Her mother died in 1882.
Mr. Smith is a Republican. His ancestors espoused the same faith. He takes no special interest in active politics and when he has cast his ballot he has performed his whole duty to the State.
Pages 573-574, transcribed by Carolyn Ward from History of Allen and Woodson Counties, Kansas: embellished with portraits of well known people of these counties, with biographies of our representative citizens, cuts of public buildings and a map of each county / Edited and Compiled by L. Wallace Duncan and Chas. F. Scott. Iola Registers, Printers and Binders, Iola, Kan.: 1901; 894 p., [36] leaves of plates: ill., ports.; includes index.
