BIO:  Jacob SMITH, New Oxford, Adams County, PA

Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Kathy Francis

Copyright 2005.  All rights reserved.
http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/adams/
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History of Cumberland and Adams Counties, Pennsylvania
Chicago:  Warner, Beers & Co., 1886
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Part III, History of Adams County, Page 503

JACOB SMITH, farmer, P. O. New Oxford, is descended from Charles Smith, who, in 
about 1766, with a brother, came from Germany, both of whom were sold to pay 
their passage, and parted never to meet again.  Charles was then eighteen years 
of age; subsequently he was married to Miss Spitler, and settled on a farm in 
Mountpleasant Township, this county, near the village of Bonneauville.  Eight 
sons and four daughters were born to this union, of whom the following named can 
be located:  Joseph, John, Jacob, Catherine, Andrew, Charles, Peter and Anthony.  
Of these, Joseph was the father of our subject.  The death of the mother 
occurred several years before that of the father, who lived to the ripe old age 
of eighty-six.  Joseph, at the age of twenty-seven, was married to Magdalene, 
daughter of Jacob Lawrence, and they commenced housekeeping on the Smith 
homestead.  He was given a part of that farm, and afterward purchased the 
remaining interests.  This farm he sold about 1832, and purchased another nearer 
Gettysburg.  Of the children born to this union, George, Jacob, Catharine, 
Marian, John, Joseph, Alloviece and Levi were born on the old farm, and Sarah, 
Louis, Pius and Cordelia on the subsequent purchase.  Joseph had reared his 
children strictly to the Catholic faith, and until his death, in 1859, was a 
regular attendant at church services.  Jacob Smith was born November 7, 1822.  
He learned the blacksmithing trade with John Felix, commencing the same at the 
age of eighteen years.  He has since worked at the trade in different parts of 
the United States, and during the Mexican war was employed as a blacksmith by 
the Government.  After peace was declared he traveled through Mexico, and sailed 
from the Gulf of California to San Francisco, returning home via the Isthmus of 
Panama.  In 1850 he was married to Mary A., daughter of John and Elizabeth 
(Hemler) Eckenrode.  During his wandering our subject secured money enough to 
procure a farm, which he now owns, and upon which he has since resided, with the 
exception of two years spent in Hanover, and on which were born the following 
named children:  Edward J., John F., William W. (deceased), Mary E., Laura 
(deceased), Maternus J., Emory N., Francis S. and Oliver A.  Two of their 
children were born - Josephine, at her grandfather’s home in Mountpleasant 
Township, and Henry I., in Hanover, York County.  Of this large family of sons 
and daughters all are living but two.