Mason County, West Virginia Biography of ERWYN ALBERT SMITH This file was submitted by Valerie Crook, E-mail address: The submitter does not have a connection to the subject of this sketch. This file may be freely copied by individuals and non-profit organizations for their private use. All other rights reserved. Any other use, including publication, storage in a retrieval system, or transmission by electronic, mechanical, or other means requires the written approval of the file's author. This file is part of the WVGenWeb Archives. If you arrived here inside a frame or from a link from somewhere else, our front door is at http://www.usgwarchives.net/wv/wvfiles.htm The History of West Virginia, Old and New Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc., Chicago and New York, Volume III, pg. 635-636 ERWYN ALBERT SMITH for a quarter of a century has had increasing responsibilities in the management of the primary industry at Hartford, the Liverpool Salt & Coal Company, Incorporated, of which he is now general manager. This is one of the industries contributing to West Virginia's large production of salt. The owner of the industry is Albert Edward Smith of Cincinnati. He was born at Sunderland, Massachusetts, September 2, 1843, but from early childhood has lived at Cincinnati. He graduated from Obarlin College of Ohio, and for a number of years was a Cincinnati pork packer. His interests subsequently took a wide range, and for some years he was a commission broker in handling salt. In 1880 he began the manufacture of salt at both Hart- ford and Mason City, West Virginia, but a number of years later sold the latter plant. The Hartford business is the Liverpool Salt and Coal Company, Incorporated, and the plant is in Valley City, a portion of Hartford. About 125 persons find employment in this local industry. The salt brine is pumped from the ground and refined, the plant having a capacity of 300 barrels per day. The corporation also owns and conducts a coal mine, and Albert E. Smith is president of the Jackson Coal Mining Company of Hart- ford. He is one of the big business men of Cincinnati, where he owns a large amount of real estate. In politics he is a republican, and is a member of the Baptist Church and the Masonic fraternity. Albert Edward Smith married at Cincinnati Harriet L. Ferris, who was born in that city September 20, 1847. Their family consists of the fol- lowing children: Fannie, wife of George B. Goodhart, an attorney at Cincinnati; Horace F., secretary and treasurer of the Liverpool Salt & Coal Company, living at Hartford, West Virginia; Clara May, who died at Cincinnati in 1898, wife of Dr. C. Davis, a physician and surgeon; Erwyn Albert; H. Raymond, who is in the insurance business at Cincinnati. Erwyn Albert Smith was born in Cincinnati February 26, 1876. He graduated from the Cincinnati High School in 1896, and soon afterward came to Hartford, West Vir- ginia, and has been continuously identified in some capacity or other with the Liverpool Salt & Coal Company. For a number of years he has been general manager of this cor- poration, and has full direction of its affairs. Mr. Smith regards himself as a permanent fixture in this section of West Virginia, and has interested himself in local affairs. For several terms he was a member of the Hartford School Board, has a modem home in Hartford, is a republi- can, a past master of Clifton Lodge No. 23, F. and A. M., at Mason City, a member of Point Pleasant Chapter No. 7, R. A. M., a charter member of Point Pleasant Com- mandery No. 17, K. T., a member of Beni-Kedem Temple of the Mystic Shrine at Charleston, West Virginia Con- sistory No. 1 of the Scottish Rite at Wheeling, a past chancellor of Banner Lodge No. 22, Knights of Pythias, at Hartford, and a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. During the war he was deeply interested in the success of all local drives for the sale of Liberty Loan bonds and the Red Cross and other causes. In 1899, at Cincinnati, Mr. Smith married Miss Bettie Smith, daughter of L. H. and Alice (Marsh) Smith. Mrs. Smith is a graduate of the Kentucky College of Music and Art at Newport, and is a skilled elocutionist. Three child- ren were born to their marriage: Albert Donald, born Sep- tember 9, 1900, is a junior in the Ohio State University at Columbus and is also taking military training there. Dorothy Marsh, born November 22, 1901, is in the first year at Dennison University at Greenville, Ohio. Ferris, born November 26, 1903, is in the senior class of the Pomeroy High School.