Howard-Vermillion-Warren County IN Archives Biographies.....Smith, George W. 1838 - 
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Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com April 15, 2006, 5:16 pm

Author: Jackson Morrow

GEORGE W. SMITH.

   This sterling citizen and popular business man is one of the most progressive
and highly honored residents of Jackson township, Howard county, Indiana, where
he maintains an excellent, modern and elegant home, the owner of one of the
best, most valuable and well-nigh model farms in the locality, being influential
in local affairs and his character stands unblemished, without the shadow of
wrong or suspicion of evil, so that to him is accorded the fullest measure of
popular confidence and esteem. Owing to these commendable personal traits and
the fact that he is one of the brave sons of the North who offered their
services and lives, if need be, in defense of the Union when its integrity was
threatened, he is eminently entitled to representation in this work, which aims
to give all worthy citizens of Howard county due credit for their praiseworthy
lives and commendable deeds, for such men as our subject are not frequently met
with, as we shall see by a study of his life.

   George W. Smith was born in Vermilion [sic] county, Indiana, December 9,
1838, the son of James W. and Eliza (Pugh) Smith. The Smith family was from Ohio
and the father came to Warren county, Indiana, in 1835, settling on a farm near
West Lebanon. Later he went to Vermilion county. He was married when he was
eighteen years old and became one of the successful farmers of the early days,
being honest and sturdy. He was a great student of the Bible and a devoted
member of the Church of God, in which faith he died. George Pugh, the maternal
grandfather, was reared in Tennessee and Kentucky. He went from there to
Illinois in an early day, and about the year 1828 came to Warren county. Indiana.

   George W. Smith, our subject, was the oldest of eight children, of whom four
are living in 1908, all boys. Our subject remained a member of the family circle
until he was twenty-one years old, assisting in the farm work, having attended
the country schools in the meantime, but his education was somewhat limited.
However, he has since become a well informed man by home reading and coming- in
contact with the world. His father not being especially prosperous, our subject
was compelled to work most of his youthful years in helping support the family.
In the fall of 1859 he began to work for a farmer at the rate of fifteen dollars
per month, working for one year and saving money which he invested in farm
implements with which to begin farming. He commenced farming on his own account
in the spring of 1861. After harvesting his crop, being of a patriotic nature
and believing that it was his duty to sever home ties and defend the flag, he
enlisted in Company K, of the Thirty-third Indiana Volunteer Infantry, in
September, 1861, having joined this regiment at Lexington, Kentucky. His captain
was Levin T. Miller and the first battle in which this company was engaged was
at Hoosier Knob, the first battle in Kentucky. The subject, while on a foraging
expedition, took part in the battle of Richmond, Kentucky, in which he was
wounded in his right hand and as a result was away from his company for some
time, having been confined in the hospital at Lexington; later he was a prisoner
but was soon released, having been first taken to Cincinnati, then to
Indianapolis, where they were exchanged in about three months. Mr. Smith then
returned to his regiment. From Danville, Kentucky, they went down the Ohio until
they came to the mouth of the Cumberland river, and finally arrived at Fort
Donelson in time for the second fight. From there they were sent to Nashville.
Next they were engaged at Thompson's Station. The subject veteranized. Then he
took part in the engagement at Buzzard Roost. His regiment was in the Atlanta
campaign, having fought at the fierce battle of Peach Tree Creek and others. The
subject was in the Second Army Corps under General Joseph Hooker. He was with
Sherman on his march to the sea, also went to Washington City and took part in
the grand review. He was mustered out at Louisville and received his pay at
Indianapolis.

   After his career in the army Mr. Smith returned to Warren county, Indiana. He
had saved all his money. He would loan money to his comrades, buy and sell
things for a profit and at the close of the war he had saved enough money to
purchase one hundred and sixty acres of land in Vermilion county, Illinois. He
soon had the farm all paid for and began to improve and cultivate it, developing
it into an excellent and highly productive farm.

   Mr. Smith was married in the spring of 1867 to Julia A. Jones, who has proved
a most worthy helpmeet, being a woman of culture and refinement. Two children
have been born to this union, namely: Ashley R. and Nettie J., both living in
this state.

   Our subject sold his farm in Illinois and returned to Warren county, Indiana,
in 1876, and later became the owner of eighteen hundred acres of land in that
county, all well drained and well improved. J. Frank Hanly, the present governor
of Indiana, did the ditching on his farm. This land is worth one hundred and
twenty-five dollars per acre, and the subject also owns five hundred and four
acres in Howard county. Mr. Smith is not only a modern, progressive and
up-to-date farmer, skillfully rotating his crops and handling large numbers of
excellent stock of all kinds to advantage, but he has a wonderfully fertile
executive brain and turns everything into money that he has to deal with. He is
today worth three hundred thousand dollars. A large part of this was made in
legitimate trading, for he knows the "ins and outs" of trading perhaps better
than any man in Howard county, having at the same time established a reputation
for square dealing. Since coming to this county in February, 1904, he has become
known throughout the locality and is universally regarded as one of the foremost
and leading citizens of the county.

   In politics Mr. Smith is a Republican, being well grounded in his political
beliefs and ever ready to lend his assistance in the furthering of his party's
principles, always using his influence, which is of much weight, in local
conventions and elections, standing for the best men possible in the county
offices. Being possessed of a laudable ambition for political preferment and
constantly sought by his political friends, who at once recognized his superior
attainments, our subject was induced to serve two terms as county commissioner
of Warren county, the duties of which he discharged with credit to himself and
to the satisfaction of all concerned. When Governor Hanly was a candidate Mr.
Smith backed him in several of his campaigns, not only lending his moral
support, but financial. In 1907 the governor appointed Mr. Smith a delegate to
the Farmers' National Congress, which was held at Oklahoma City, and in 1908 the
governor again extended the honor to our subject, the meeting being held at
Madison, Wisconsin.

   Mr. Smith is vice president of the First National Bank at Swayzee, Indiana,
and is the largest stockholder in the bank, which is capitalized at twenty-five
thousand dollars. This is one of the soundest and most popular institutions of
its kind in this part of the state., largely due to the subject's prestige in
the business world, for those who know him are not afraid to place their funds
in any institution or enterprise with which he has any connection, knowing his
unusual business ability and his clean record for integrity and uprightness. He
is a member of the Church of God, having his membership in Warren county. He is
a man whose word is regarded by every one who knows him best as being as good as
his note. In all the relations of life he has been found faithful to every trust
imposed on him and because of his sterling worth, courteous manners, liberality,
public-spirited nature, pleasing address, commanding personal appearance and his
honesty he has won and retained the friendship of the people of Howard county
during his brief residence here. and they are unstinted in their praise of his
splendid business ability and reproachless character. His home is a model of
cheerfulness, refinement, hospitality and wholesome atmosphere, and Mr. and Mrs.
Smith are often hosts to the best people of the country and always pleasant and
kindly disposed to the less fortunate with whom they come in contact, thus
meriting, winning and retaining the good will and admiration of all classes.



Additional Comments:
From:

HISTORY OF HOWARD COUNTY INDIANA
BY
JACKSON MORROW, B. A.
ILLUSTRATED
VOL. II
B. F. BOWEN & COMPANY
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA

(circa 1909)

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