BIO:  J. C. SMITH, York County, PA

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History of York County, Pennsylvania.  John Gibson, Historical Editor.
Chicago: F. A. Battey Publishing Co., 1886.
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Part II, Biographical Sketches, York Borough, Pg 45

REV. J. C. SMITH, of York, is now the oldest itinerant minister in the 
Pennsylvania Conference of the church of the United Brethren in Christ.  He was 
born in Franklin County, Penn., January 22, 1819.  His grandparents came from 
Switzerland in 1730, and settled near Chambersburg.  Mr. Smith is next to the 
youngest of eight children.  He attended the schools of his native section 
first, and afterward entered an academy at Uniontown, Md.; then engaged in 
teaching, and was licensed to preach February 28, 1843, and ordained February 
26, 1846.  His first circuit in Franklin County had twenty-six appointments, 
each of which he visited every four weeks, by traveling 150 miles.  The first 
year of Mr. Smith’s labors brought 100 members into the church, among them John 
Dickson, now bishop of the Pennsylvania Conference.  He next went to the 
Harrisburg circuit, then to Littlestown circuit, during which time through his 
preaching Revs. J. S. Wentz, L. W. Craumer and W. B. Raber became members of the 
church and afterward successful ministers of the Gospel.  His next appointment 
was at York, where he served several different times.  He is now a highly 
respected and honored citizen of the town.  Few itinerant ministers of the 
Gospel have had so varied an experience as Rev. Mr. Smith.  He has been an 
earnest, faithful and devoted worker in the cause of the church, and has served 
many other appointments, the work of which our limited space here cannot 
describe.  He has been presiding elder of York for several years, was a member 
of the board of education in York, and filled many other positions of trust.  
His reminiscences, published in the church journals, are read with great 
interest.  He was unceasing in his interest to furnish facts and statistics of 
church history for this work.