My Genealogy Hound

Below is a family biography included in the book, The History of Putnam County, Missouri published by Goodspeed Publishing Company in 1888.  These biographies are valuable for genealogy research in discovering missing ancestors or filling in the details of a family tree. Family biographies often include far more information than can be found in a census record or obituary.  Details will vary with each biography but will often include the date and place of birth, parent names including mothers' maiden name, name of wife including maiden name, her parents' names, name of children (including spouses if married), former places of residence, occupation details, military service, church and social organization affiliations, and more.  There are often ancestry details included that cannot be found in any other type of genealogical record.

* * * *

William T. Smith was born in Urbana County, Ohio, September 14, 1851, and is a son of Henry and Rebecca J. (Harbert) Smith, natives of Virginia and Ohio, respectively. The father settled in Ohio when a young man, and was there married. About 1854 he purchased raw land in Putnam County, Mo., in the southern part of Sherman Township, which he improved, and upon which he lived a number of years. He is a tanner by trade and erected a tanyard and buildings at West Liberty, and engaged in business there for several years, after which he returned to farm life. In the early part of 1864 he enlisted in Capt. Thompson’s Company, Forty-second Missouri Infantry, for one year, and went to the front with his regiment. He was mustered out in the summer of 1864. He moved to Unionville in 1880. He has been twice married, his first wife having died in February, 1885. He raised a family of three sons: William T., James H. and John H., all of whom are living, and the two eldest married. William T., our immediate subject, grew to manhood upon the Putnam County farm, and received a good common-school education; having a taste for literature he continued to apply himself to the acquirement of knowledge, and at the age of twenty commenced to teach in the Putnam County schools, which he continued during the winter months for some six years, spending the summer months in farming. He married, in Putnam County, December 21, 1873, Miss Izorah H. Skinner, daughter of S. E. Skinner, of Illinois. Mrs. Smith was born in Lee County, Iowa, October 7, 1853, near Sandusky City, but was raised mostly by an uncle (John Bonebright) of Putnam County, where she was a schoolmate and pupil of her husband. This marriage has been blessed by three children: Leslie Harbert, born August 29, 1875; Altha M., born June 9, 1880, and Goldie E., born July 30, 1884. Mr. Smith is a Republican in politics, and was nominated and elected township collector in the spring of 1887, for a term of two years. He is a well-to-do farmer, and owns 160 acres of meadow and plow land, upon which is a comfortable house, good outbuildings, etc. Mrs. Smith is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church.

* * * *

This family biography is one of 139 biographies included in the Putnam County, Missouri portion of the book,  The History of Adair, Sullivan, Putnam, and Schuyler Counties, Missouri published in 1888 by Goodspeed Publishing Co.  For the complete description, click here: Putnam County, Missouri History, Genealogy, and Maps

View additional Putnam County, Missouri family biographies here: Putnam County, Missouri Biographies

Use the links at the top right of this page to search or browse thousands of other family biographies.