Boone County, West Virginia Biography of Edgar W. SMOOT, M. D. ************************************************************************** USGENWEB NOTICE: Material may be freely used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material, AND permission is obtained from the contributor of the file. These pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by other organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for non-commercial purposes, MUST obtain the written consent of the contributor. Submitted by Valerie Crook, , April 1999 ************************************************************************** The History of West Virginia, Old and New Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc., Chicago and New York, Volume III, pg. 119 EDGAR W. SMOOT, M. D., one of the skilled physicians and surgeons, and a member of the staff of the Danville Hospital and a veteran of the World war, is specializing with remarkable success in children's diseases, with offices at Madison. He was born in Boone County, March 29, 1870, a son of Daniel and Mary Alice (Atkins) Smoot, both of whom were born in West Virginia. Doctor Smoot comes of English and Dutch descent, the Smoot family be- ing an old one in Virginia and the Atkins family is also prominent in Virginia. D. J. Smoot, son of William and Martha Smoot, was born near Ballardsville, Logan County, Virginia, now Madi- son, West Virginia, November 10, 1843, and died February 7, 1918. He served in the Confederate Army in the com- pany known as the Logan Wildcats, was at Appomattox when Lee surrendered, and received an honorable discharge, which he prized very highly. He married Mary Alice At- kins on January 17, 1867. To this union were born five children, three sons and two daughters: W. W. Smoot, of Danville, West Virginia; Dr. E. W. Smoot, of Madison, West Virginia; D. A. Smoot, of Danville, West Virginia; Mrs. W. W. Hall, of Stallings, West Virginia; and Mrs. M. J. Hopkins, of Sumner, Ohio. There are nine grandchil- dren. Mr. Smoot was a democrat in politics, always active in support of the principles in which he believed, and was twice elected clerk of the County Court of Boone County. He was a member of the Baptist Church, having united with that organization thirty-five years ago, and lived a con- sistent Christian life. He belonged to the Order of Odd Fellows, American Mechanics and Improved Order of Red Men. He is survived by his wife and children, all of whom were with him at his death. From childhood Doctor Smoot possessed the ambition to fit himself for the medical profession, and in order to ob tain the money necessary for his long courses first pre pared himself for that of teaching by supplementing his common-school training with two terms at the State Nor- mal School at Athens, West Virginia. There he took a gen- eral academic course and secured his teacher's certificate. For four years he taught school in Boone County, and then, going to Louisville, Kentucky, took up the study of medicine at the Kentucky School of Medicine, from which he was graduated in 1897 with the degree of Doctor of Medicine. Immediately thereafter he established himself in a general practice at Madison, Boone County. Becoming interested in that branch of his profession which deals with children's diseases, he did post-graduate work in Louisville in 1899, and again in that city about 1909, and is now spe- cializing on the subject, although he still conducts his gen- eral practice, his former patients being unwilling to dis- pense with his services. During the late war Doctor Smoot enlisted in the Medi- cal Corps and was stationed in the Embarkation Hospital at Newport News, with the rank of first lieutenant. Here he spent seven months, receiving his honorable discharge in December, 1918, but was almost immediately stricken, was taken to Charleston, West Virginia, where he remained until July, 1919, when his health was sufficiently regained for him to return home. In 1913 Doctor Smoot married at Charleston, West Vir- ginia, Miss Rosalie Zinn, a daughter of James B. Zinn, of Spencer, West Virginia. Mr. Zinn and his wife were both born in West Virginia. He is a stone mason and farmer. Doctor and Mrs. Smoot have no children. He belongs to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Knights of Pythias, the Improved Order of Red Men and the Fraternal Order of Eagles. With the exception of three years in the coal fields of Blair and the period of his war service Doc- tor Smoot's professional life has been spent at Madison, and his is a familiar figure in Boone County. Both as a physician and personally he has won the warm friendship of all classes, and is recognized as a skillful practitioner and an expert in his specialty. As a citizen he has never shirked his duty, but striven to give to his community a loyal service, and has always placed his professional skill and knowledge at the disposal of the officials whenever necessary. He is an honor to his calling and his state, and there are many of the veterans of the World war, now scattered all over the country, who have cause to remember with grateful appreciation his efficient service at the time this country was at war.