Ezra H. 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 987-988

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

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EZRA H. SMITH, deputy register of deeds of McCook county, whose home is 
at Salem, county seat of that county, is one of that city's ablest and 
most popular business men. He is probably of Irish descent. His 
parents, Wells and Catherine (Towner) Smith, were both natives of 
Connecticut and are both now deceased. They were the parents of a 
family of ten children, and our subject,who was the youngest of the 
family, was born April 16, 1840. The father earned a livelihood by 
working in a quarry. 

The subject of our sketch, while not in school, spent his youth in the 
ivory cone factory at Deep River, Connecticut. In 1857, the parents, 
with four of the children, migrated to Wabasha county, Minnesota, and 
here Master Ezra received his elementary training in practical farming. 
About the year 1867 the father died and our subject continued to 
operate the farm until 1878, and then drove west from Minnesota and 
arrived in Canistota township, McCook county, Dakota, with little 
capital except his team and wagon and the few household goods that he 
was able to bring from Minnesota in his wagon. He at once erected a 
little shanty, 12 x 14 feet, sodded on the outside, and began the work 
of improving and cultivating his two quarter-sections of prairie land. 
In 1882, he disposed of his farm land and his property now consists of 
Salem City real estate. 

Politically Mr. Smith uses his elective franchises in the support of 
the candidates of the Democratic party, and voices high license and 
anti-suffrage. He is a man of influence in the community and his 
standing as a good citizen is irreproachable. Several important offices 
have been entrusted to his care, and he has never failed to justify the 
confidence placed in him by the people. He was register of deeds during 
the years 1885-86 and 1893-94, and has also been deputy register during 
1888-89, 1890-91 and 1897-98; and is also a member of the city board of 
education. 

In 1870, Mr. Smith was united in marriage to Miss Samantha Bartlett, 
and to them was born one daughter, Clara, now Mrs. Rowle, of Spokane 
Falls. Mrs. Smith died in 1879, and in the year 1887 Mr. Smith married 
Miss Lydia Smith.