Grant County, West Virginia    Biography of Oceola M. Smith

**************************************************************************
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 Sue Schell, <ms_schell@hotmail.com>, March 2000
**************************************************************************


The History of West Virginia, Old and New
Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc.,
Chicago and New York, Volume II,
Pg.  393 & 394

BIO: Oceola M. Smith, Grant Co., WV

	Oceola M. Smith.  There are several reasons why Oceola M. Smith, proprietor 
of the reliable house of O. M. Smith, general hardware and implement 
merchant of Petersburg, has succeeded in life—energy, system and practical 
knowledge.  The range of his activities is now large, but from the beginning 
of his career Mr. Smith has sought to work steadily and well for ultimate 
results, and has never been content to labor merely for the present.  Since 
becoming connected with his present house Mr. Smith has largely contributed 
to its expansion until it is now one of the leading ones of its kind in this 
part of West Virginia.
	Oceola M. Smith was born in Pendleton County, West Virginia, November 5, 
1870, a son of Isaac D. Smith, grandson of Jacob Smith, and great-grandson 
of Henry Smith, who lived to be nearly one hundred years old.  During all of 
his active years he was connected with the farming interests of Pendleton 
County, and he is buried in the old cemetery below the mouth of Seneca 
Creek, in Pendleton County.  Jacob Smith was born in Pendleton County, where 
he lived and died, passing away early in the ‘80s, when about seventy years 
of age.  He never sought public honors, but was content to do his duty as a 
private citizen, and such won and retained the warm friendship of the people 
of his home community.  He married a member of the old Davis family, of 
South Fork, Pendleton County, and he and his wife became the parents of the 
following children: R. Calvin, S. Henry, Isaac D., Mrs. George Harmon and 
her sister Susan, who after her death, became the second wife of George 
Harmon.
	Isaac D. Smith was born in Pendleton County, and died in Grant County, West 
Virginia, October 5, 1889.  He was active as a farmer and stockraiser.  
While he did not serve in the war of the ‘60s, he furnished a soldier to the 
Union forces, and did everything within his power to assist the Federal 
Government, to which he remained consistently loyal throughout the great 
struggle.  He and his wife had ten children, of whom Oceola McClure Smith is 
the eldest.
	When his father died Oceola M. Smith was about nineteen years of age, and 
he continued to reside with his mother until he was married and established 
a home of his own.  Leaving the farm when about forty years old, he came to 
Petersburg and entered his present house, the name of which became Parker, 
Smith & Ours.  Mr. Parker subsequently died, and Mr. Smith purchased the 
interest of Mr. Ours, and now conducts his house under caption of his own 
name, which he has continued to use since 1911.  His trade is principally a 
retail one, and he handles a general line of light and heavy hardware and 
implements, and he also does a small jobbing business in heavy hardware and 
machinery.  His customers come to him from a wide area from Petersburg.  The 
financial strength of this house is equal to the volume of its business.
	Mr. Smith has always been intelligently interested in local affairs, and 
has served as a member of the City Council of Petersburg, and also spent 
several terms on the School Board.  As deputy sheriff under A. A. Parks and 
Isaac Lewis during their occupancy of the office of sheriff he made so 
excellent a record that he was chosen as the nominee of his party to succeed 
Mr. Lewis.  He was elected sheriff by a gratifying majority in 1904, and 
entered upon the discharge of his duties in January of the subsequent year.  
During his term in office he proved himself utterly fearless and 
incorruptible.  It was during his administration that so much trouble was 
experienced with the “moonshiners” in “Smoke Hole,” and he proved his 
efficiency and resoluteness in handling these cases as well as those 
involving capital offenses.  One of the dastardly deeds committed during 
that period, the murder of Mrs. Reed and her son at Medley, remains an 
unsolved mystery, as the guilty party was never found, but Sheriff Smith did 
everything possible to track down the miscreant and bring him to justice.  
So relentless and resourceful did he prove that his name became a dreaded 
one to offenders, and he succeeded in clearing the region of many old 
criminals who grew to recognize that he was not an officer who would 
overlook any infraction of the laws, but would pursue the suspect until he 
was captured, and then exert himself to the utmost to secure a conviction.  
When he retired from office Mr. Smith bent all his energies to 
merchandising, with the results recited above, although he had some 
previously entered his present business.  He is interested along other 
lines, and is a large stockholder in the Grant County Bank of Petersburg.
	On October 5, 1913, Mr. Smith married at Keyser, West Virginia, Miss 
Elizabeth W. M. MacDonald, a sister of William MacDonald, a prominent 
attorney of Keyser.  Mrs. Smith was born at Lonaconing, Maryland, in 
February, 1882, and is of Scotch descent.  A record of the MacDonald family 
is given in the sketch of William MacDonald elsewhere in this work.  Mr. and 
Mrs. Smith have a daughter, Elizabeth Wilson M., who was born March 4, 1920. 
  In politics Mr. Smith is a republican, and has always been very active in 
party work in both the city and county.  He is a Blue Lodge Mason, and 
zealous in behalf of his order.  He was reared in the faith of the Methodist 
Episcopal Church.  Mrs. Smith is an Episcopalian, and is active in church 
affairs, and during the late war took part in war work in connection with 
the Keyser Chapter of the Red Cross.  The Smith home at Petersburg is a 
delightful one, the house being of the bungalow pattern, brick in structure, 
and modern throughout.  It is one of the attractive residences of the city, 
and its tem rooms are tastefully furnished.  Here a genuine Southern 
hospitality is to be found, for both Mr. and Mrs. Smith are delightful 
entertainers, and welcome their many friends upon numerous occasions.
	A man of unusual business capacity, his years of orderly and abundant work 
have resulted in acquired wealth and the same enjoyment of it, and he has at 
the same time maintained his interest in securing and preserving the welfare 
of his community.  He has given strict attention to his business since his 
retirement from the office of sheriff, conducting it with a thoughtful and 
intelligent management which could not help but bring about satisfactory 
results.  Mr. Smith continues to keep himself thoroughly posted on public 
events and matters of general interest, and is highly esteemed as a 
forceful, substantial man and excellent citizen.