BIOGRAPHY: Andrew Smith; Spring Valley, Rockland co., New York

transcribed by W. David Samuelsen for USGenWeb Archives

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Portrait and Biographical Record of Rockland and Orange Counties New York
Containing Portraits and Biographical Sketches of Prominent and Representative
Citizens of the Counties.
Together with Biographies and Portraits of all the Presidents of the United
States.
New York and Chicago; Chapman Publishing Co., 1895

ANDREW SMITH, one of the enterprising and substantial business men of Spring
Valley, is well and favorably known within and beyond the borders of Rockland
County. He is the senior member of the firm of Smith & Burr, dealers in
groceries, lumber, coal, hardware, lime, and almost everything wanted in this
part of the country. It is largely due to his active and judicious management
that the concern is known as one of the successful enterprises of the village,
and he is recognized as a man of excellent business qualifications.

The family of which our subject is a member is of Dutch and Scotch extraction.
His paternal grandfather, Andrus Smith, married Elizabeth Neafie, a lineal
descendant of Johannes Nevius, the second Secretary of the Board of Aldermen
of New York City. He emigrated from Holland in 165o, and his descendants early
occupied this country and built for themselves homes in this locality. The
father of our subject, Peter A. Smith, was born at Upper Nyack, and for many
years was engaged as a boatman on the Hudson River, making his home at Nyack,
where he died at the age of seventy-three. His wife was of Scotch descent, and
bore the maiden name of Sarah Graham.

Of three children born to his parents, Andrew is the sole survivor He was born
two miles below Nyack, January 29, 1834, and remained in his native place
until twenty-two years old, in the mean time receiving a fair education in the
common schools. For about two years he followed the river, but not caring to
continue that occupation he went to Nyack, where he clerked for a lumber
company and in a general store for five years. He then went to Monsey, where
for one year he carried on a lumber and coal business, under the firm name of
Van Wagen & Smith. Later the was engaged in the manufacture of shoes at Nyack
for one year, and in 1858 he came to Spring Valley and for four years was a
mem-ber of the firm of Van Wagen & Smith, later forming the firm of Smith &
Burr. By careful, systematic efforts, he has made the business profit-able,
and receives a good income from its management.

On the 16th of January, 1856, Mr. Smith married Miss Abbie Jane Burr, daughter
of Daniel Burr, of Nyack, and they became the parents of one daughter, Maggie
G., horn August 5, 1859. She was an accomplished young lady, and lived to the
age of twenty, dying March 22, 1880. Well informed in everything connected
with politics, Mr. Smith gives his allegiance to the Democratic party and is
active in local affairs. In 1865 he served as a member of the Board of
Supervisors, and for seven years he was Trustee of schools. Socially he is
connected with Wawayanda Lodge No. 315, F. & A. M. He is an Elder in the
Reformed Church and has served as Superintendent of the Sunday-school almost
continuously for sixteen years.