Albert E. Smith, prominent farmer and stockman of Plum Grove township, is almost a native son of Butler county. He was born in Michigan on September 8, 1870, and was only two months old when his parents came to Kansas and located in Butler county. There were three other children in the Smith family who were born after their parents located in Butler county: Harvey, now living in Wichita, and Herbert, who died at the age of fourteen years, and Laura, who married Mark Wilson, Dirks, Ark. She was a Butler county teacher for a number of years before her marriage.

I. Y. Smith, the father, like most of the other pioneers of the West, had very little capital when he came to Butler county. He homesteaded and in the spring of 1871, the next year after locating here, he built a small one-room house, 12x18 feet, which is still standing.

The father's health was poor for a number of years and he died in June, 1880, and the mother, with the aid of the children, conducted the farm and thus responsibility fell to the lot of Albert E. Smith at a very tender age. His boyhood days were crowded with work and responsibility, and when he was eleven years old he raised his first crop of corn. This was in 1881, the year after his father's death. From that time on he continued to operate the home farm and in 1890 the family bought a half section of land, being the north part of section 25, Plum Grove township. This is one of the finest locations in Butler county, and is a fine productive and well kept farm. Albert bought the interests of the other heirs and is now the sole owner of this place. He is an extensive stock breeder, making a specialty of Herefords and has an excellent herd of pure bred Hereford cattle, having thirty-four head of registered cattle on hand at this writing. He also raises and feeds a great many beef cattle, feeding and shipping approximately two carloads annually. His herd of Herefords comes from the best strain of Herefords in the State of Kansas, sired by "Old Anxiety." Mr. Smith bought his original Herefords from Robert H. Hazlett, of El Dorado.

Mr. Smith was married to Miss Leona Scott, a daughter of John and Mary (Trimdle) Scott, natives of Ohio and early settlers in Cowley county, Kansas, settling there about 1876. The father was a successful farmer and stock raiser there and died in 1896, and the mother now lives in Arkansas City, Kans. To Mr. and Mrs. Smith have been born

the following children: Wayne, Helen, Hazel and Hayward. Helen is a graduate of the Arkansas City High School. Mr. Smith is a Democrat and one of Butler county's most progressive citizens.

I. Y. Smith, the father of Albert E., was a Civil war veteran. He was born in Armstrong county, Pennsylvania, and was reared and educated in his native State. When the Civil war broke out he enlisted in a Pennsylvania regiment and served three years. He took part in some of the most important battles of that great conflict. He was wounded on the head at the battle of Malvern Hill and at the battle of Gettysburg was wounded in both legs. His last wounds being very severe, he was afterwards discharged for disability as a result of these wounds. He then returned to his Pennsylvania home and shortly afterwards went to Michigan, where he was engaged in the lumber business, where he and his wife resided for two years before coming to Kansas. His wife bore the maiden name of Serepta Ellenberger, and was also a native of Pennsylvania. She now resides at 329 Sherman avenue, Wichita, Kans.

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