My Genealogy Hound

Mrs. Emeline W. Smith, one of the highly esteemed residents of Clarkston, Independence township, Oakland County, belongs to one of the old and prominent families of this county. She is the widow of the late Nicholas B. Smith, long a leading citizen. Mrs. Smith was born in Onondaga County, New York, August 23, 1836, and is a daughter of Jacob and Sarah (Clark) Walter, the former of whom was a son of Samuel Walter, who was a silversmith in England.

Mrs. Smith was a babe three weeks old, when the family, in 1836, started on what was then a very long and arduous journey from New York to Michigan. The father settled on land three miles north of Clarkston, in Independence township, Oakland County, and she has always lived in this township. In girlhood she attended the district schools and also a private school taught by Professor Cochran, following which she became a teacher in a school conducted by Professor Bellows at Constantine, Michigan. Mrs. Smith was 21 years of age when she married Nicholas B. Smith, then a widow with two children, — Ann Eliza (Clark), of Independence township, Oakland County, and Samuel W., of Pontiac, a Member of Congress from the Sixth Congressional District of Michigan. Two sons and two daughters were born to this union, namely: Charles M., a traveling salesman for a Detroit drug house and the owner of two stores in Pontiac, one in Warren and one in Royal Oak, who was married to Josephine Vliet of Clarkston, resides in Detroit and has two children, Walter and Josephine; John T. P., the present postmaster of Clarkston, who was married to Charlotte D. Johnson of Oakland County, and has five children, — Melvina E., Sidney S., Julia, William D. and Leda; Nellie Laura, the wife of Charles L. Mitchell, of Detroit; and Zoea D., who is a stenographer for her brother, the Congressman.

Nicholas B. Smith was born May 22, 1817, at Chili, New York, and died July 3, 1895, in Clarkston. He attended school at Rochester, New York, and in 1840 came to Michigan, buying a farm in Independence township, Oakland County. For eight consecutive winters he taught school in Independence township and worked at the clearing of his 150-acre farm, which task he finally accomplished and had the satisfaction of having his land in a good state of cultivation. Some 10 years later he removed to Clarkston and entered the employ of John G. Owen, who conducted the first drug store and produce business in that village. Mr. Smith later owned his own establishment, and was in the drug business 20 years, after which he retired to private life.

Mr. Smith’s first marriage was to Mary A. Phillips, who was a daughter of Eldad Phillips, an early pioneer and at one time supervisor of Independence township. Mr. Smith was a very ardent Republican and most acceptably filled a number of the responsible local offices, being township clerk and for many years a member of the School Board. He was a Royal Arch Mason and for 11 years was master of the Clarkston Lodge. His religious membership was in the Methodist Church, but he was a liberal minded man and was ever ready to assist any religious work, irrespective of creed. He was naturally kind and generous and is recalled by those who knew him best with feelings of respect and esteem.