C. D. Smith Biography


	This biography is from "Memorial and biographical record; an illustrated
 	compendium of biography, containing a compendium of local biography,
	including biographical sketches of prominent old settlers and 
	representative citizens of South Dakota..." Published by G. A. Ogle & 
	Co., Chicago, 1899. Pages 663-664

	Scan, OCR and editing by Maurice Krueger,mkrueger@iw.net, 1998. 

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C. D. SMITH, who for seventeen years has been prominently identified 
with the agricultural interests of Jackson township Sanborn county, was 
born in Salem, Iowa, in 1853, and is the youngest in a family of three 
children. His father, E. B. Smith, was born in South Carolina of German 
ancestry and was a photographer by profession. Reared in Champaign, 
Illinois, our subject is indebted to the public schools of that place 
for his educational privileges, and at the age of fourteen he was bound 
out by his father to serve a four years' apprenticeship to the mason's 
trade. After thoroughly mastering the same he worked as a journeyman in 
different parts of Ohio and at Champaign, Danville, Rossville, 
Hoopeston and other towns in Illinois. 

At Danville, Mr. Smith was married, in 1874, to Miss Alonda Bell 
Teachner, who was born in Clayton county, Ohio, in 1855. Her parents 
were also natives of that state and her father was a plasterer and 
stone mason by trade. To our subject and his wife have been born five 
children who are still living, namely; E. M., R. M., Elmer F., Bessie 
C. and C. C. 

After his marriage, Mr. Smith continued his residence in Illinois for 
eight years, and while in Danville was foreman for a contractor, but in 
Rossville engaged in contracting on his own account. It was on the 9th 
of May, 1882, that he arrived in Sanborn county, South Dakota, with 
only five dollars in his pocket, which he was obliged to pay in advance 
for board. Fortunately he soon obtained work at his trade at five 
dollars per day, which was two dollars more than workmen ordinarily 
received, and he was very successful in finding plenty of employment. 
In this way he obtained enough money to file his homestead on the 
northwest quarter of section 4, Jackson township. Erecting a little 
shanty, 8 x 10 feet, which he now uses as a broom factory, he lived 
there alone until his family arrived the following September. After 
spending the winter in Huron, in the spring they located on a homestead 
he had taken up in Sully county, and this he proved up and sold. In 
1884 he located permanently upon his farm in Jackson township, Sanborn 
county, to the improvement and cultivation of which he has since 
devoted his energies with marked success. He has placed one hundred and 
twenty-five acres under the plow, has a good and substantial house, 15 
x 22 feet, a granary and other buildings, and a good well seventy-five 
feet deep, with a windmill attached. He has about -fifty acres in 
pasture, a nice little grove of forest trees covering about an acre, 
and has quite a number of fine plum trees upon his place. Considering 
the fact that he came to this state one hundred and fifty dollars in 
debt, he deserves great credit for -the success that he has achieved in 
spite of the many trials and difficulties with which he has had to 
contend. In 1898 the hail damaged his crops to the extent of one 
thousand eight hundred dollars. He conducts a broom factory on his 
farm, raising his own broom corn, but gives the greater part of his 
attention to the raising of grain and hogs. 

In his political views, Mr. Smith is a Republican, and is at present 
serving as a member of the township board. He has filled the office of 
township treasurer for three years, and postmaster of Medas for nine 
years, his duties being discharged in a most commendable manner.