Lake County Ohio GenWeb

Dr. Samuel Mills Smead

This biography is taken from Biographical History of Northeastern Ohio, Embracing the counties of Ashtabula, Geauga and Lake; Lewis Publishing Company, 1893.

Transcribed and submitted by Becky Falin, 1996.

Dr. Samuel Mills Smead, deceased, was a brother of James P. Smead, of Madison, and was for many years a prominent and highly respected citizen of this place.

He was born in Greenfield, Massachusetts, September 18, 1830, and was eighteen years old when he came with his parents, in 1848, to Lake county, Ohio. At Greenfield he distinguished himself as being the best student in the school, and after coming to Ohio he entered the Madison Seminary, where he also stood well to the front of his classes. He began studying medicine under the instruction of Dr. Plympton, of Madison, and subsequently took a course in the Ohio Medical College at Cleveland, of which institution he was a graduate. Returning from college, he formed a partnership with Dr. Plympton, with whom he was engaged for a number of years. In 1869, on account of ill health, he was compelled to give up country practice, and, finally, continued poor health necessitated his retiring from practice altogether. Before entirely giving up his professional duties he spent thirteen years in Cleveland, during which time he was Deputy United States Marshal. For some years he ran a drug store in Madison, and was Postmaster here during President Lincoln's administration. His death occurred in Madison, June 30, 1888. Few men in this vicinity had a warmer place in the hearts of the people than did Dr. Smead. He was for many years a Congregationalist, but during his residence in Cleveland was a member of the Third Presbyterian Church. In politics he was a strong Republican. During the war he was determined to enter the service of the Union cause. Upon examination, however, he was rejected on account of his health. With the Masonic fraternity he was actively identified. In business, political, professional, social and religious circles he was well known as a man whose character was above reproach. He was the personification of generosity. The cry of the widow and orphan, the call of want, and the wail of sorrow, from whatever cause it might be, ever found in him a responsive hearer.

Dr. Smead left a widow but no children. Mrs. Smead is a lady of culture and refinement, and is still residing in her comfortable and attractive home in Madison, surrounded by her many friends. She was born in Dalton, Berkshire county, Massachusetts, her maiden name being Miss Harriet Weston. Her marriage to Dr. Smead occurred October 15, 1857, since which time she has been a resident of Madison, with the exception of the years they lived in Cleveland. Her parents, Colonel G.D. and Sarah (March) Weston, were natives respectively of New Bedford and Dalton, Massachusetts. Her father was a Colonel in the State militia, and was a merchant and also had farming interests; personally, he was a man of fine physique, weighing 250 pounds. He died December 3, 1866, aged sixty-nine years. His wife passed away at the age of forty-one. Both were members of the Congregational Church. They reared three children, viz: Mrs. Sarah Dayton, of Hudson, Michigan; Grenville, who died at St. Paul, Minnesota, in 1890; and Mrs. Smead.