Grundy County IL Archives Biographies.....Smith, Alanson D, M D 
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Deb Haines ddhaines@gmail.com May 13, 2006, 8:03 pm

Author: History of Grundy County, 1914

Smith, Alanson D., M. D., for many years a leading physician of Grundy and 
other Illinois counties, but now living retired at Morris, is proud of the 
fact that he comes of pure American stock, his ancestors having been 
passengers on the famous Mayflower, later developing into Colonists of note 
during the early history of the country. His grandparents on both sides of the 
house were soldiers of the Revolutionary struggle and men of distinction in 
New England, and in the family of his grandfather, Nathan Smith, was one son, 
Eleazer Smith, the father of Dr. Smith. Eleazer Smith married Maria Derby, and 
both were born in Vermont. They married in Jefferson County, N. Y., where 
their son, Dr. Smith, was born August 2, 1845. The family lived there until 
1854, when removal was made to Marseilles, Ill., where the father continued 
his farming operations until January 1, 1856, when he went to Morris. Once 
more he invested in farm land, buying in Saratoga Township, but sold this 
property in 1881 and returned to Morris, where he died in 1886, the mother 
surviving him until 1902. They were the parents of ten children, of whom Dr. 
Smith was the sixth in order of birth.

Dr. Smith was given the usual educational training accorded the farmer boy, 
and when only seventeen years old he began working in a telegraph office at 
Morris.  He was very ambitious, and while working in the day, studied at night 
to fit himself for the profession of medicine, thus continuing for four years. 
He then devoted himself to his medical studies under Dr. Freeman until 1869, 
when he entered the Long Island Hospital Medical College at Brooklyn, N. Y., 
and after one term there, entered the medical department of the University of 
New York, from which he was graduated in February, 1870. Following this, Dr. 
Smith went to Dwight, Ill., where he was associated with Dr. Keeley, and then 
came to Morris to take up the practice of Dr. F. C. White.  Until 1910 Dr. 
Smith continued in active practice and then retired. He built himself a 
residence at Morris, which he has disposed of, as well as a fine brick 
business block of two stores, with a brick barn in the rear. This building is 
62x120 feet and is a valuable piece of property.  The political convictions of 
Dr. Smith make him a Republican. During his many years of practice he won the 
confidence and friendship of all with whom he came in contact, and his ability 
was always unquestioned.

page 900

Additional Comments:
Source:  History of Grundy County, Illinois, Chicago: Munsell Publishing Co. 
Publishers; 1914

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