My Genealogy Hound

NATHAN J. SMITH. One of the best known, prominent and progressive agriculturists of the town of Virgil, Cortland County, is the gentleman named above, whose life from his birth has been spent in the county, and has been devoted to that most independent of callings, farming. He was born on the farm that is now owned by N. L. Shevalier, which was then his father’s farm, January 10, 1847, and is a son of Nathan and Lucy (Mallery) Smith, grandson of Abraham and Nancy (Hunt) Smith, and great-grandson of Henry Smith.

The latter, a miller by trade, moved from Coxsackie, N. Y., to Killawog, Broome County, and there carried on his trade and engaged to a considerable extent in agricultural operations. The last years of his life were spent in peace and comfort with his son, Abraham, in the town of Virgil, this county, where his decease took place at the age of eighty-two. His wife’s life spanned a period of eighty-four years. Their children were: Jennie; Jalamia; Abraham; and Ellen. Henry Smith fought for independence and liberty in the Revolutionary War.

His son, Abraham, was born at Coxsackie. Upon leaving the parental roof to do for himself, he made his first home in Marathon, this county, where he settled on the farm, where C. Hammond now lives. He then bought the farm, that is now owned and lived on by our subject, and with his own exertions cleared the 102 acres, which comprised the property. He built a house and commodious barns, set out two orchards, one of which is still in bearing, and in many other ways showed his ability to keep up the farm in the best shape, and to obtain uniformly successful results. He departed this life at the age of eighty-five. His first wife died young, leaving three children Betsey ; Cyrus; and Nathan. The second wife was Hannah Van Buskirk.

Nathan Smith, our subject’s father was born near Marathon, and his first purchase for a home was the property that is known to-day as the Mrs. D. Robinson place. After farming it for five years, he moved to Marathon, and later bought what is now called the N. L. Shevalier farm. The house and barns of the estate were erected by him. Later he bought the farm now occupied by the subject of this sketch, on which he built a home. After six years’ residence on the farm, he moved to Cortland village, and retired from active labor, dying there in 1884 at the age of seventy-six. His wife, Lucy, was a daughter of Patrick Mallery, and was born in Marathon, Cortland County, N. Y., November 5, 1809, and still survives. They reared a family of seven children, all of whom reflected great credit on their parents. The family record furnishes these details: Hon. A. P., ex-judge, now deceased, whose life history appears on another page; Mallery, deceased; Nancy A., whose first husband was I. Shevalier, and her second, C. Cummings; Angeline, who became the wife of C. H. Homer, and after his death united in marriage with N. Spencer; Harriet, deceased; Elvira, deceased; and Nathan J. Besides attending to all the work incident to the raising of so large a family, our subject’s mother was a true helpmeet and adviser of her husband, and with her intuitive tact and knowledge of what should be done was able to render valuable assistance in the management of the farm. She is still hale and hearty, and to all appearances would be thought a lady of only sixty summers. She reads with very little difficulty, writes with a firm and steady hand, is never troubled with her hearing powers, and is a very entertaining conversationalist. Old age has been robbed of its terrors and drawbacks, with the result that Mrs. Smith is enjoying those years of the sunset side of life, when in the most of cases there is nought but weariness and disease.

Our subject passed his boyhood days in much the same way as boys brought up on the farm do to-day. He attended the district school near his home, and gave about as much attention to his books and studies as the average youth, preferring at all times and hours to go fishing, hunting, swimming, or to indulge in the score or more of sports so dear to the heart of a school-boy. With all his readiness to indulge in play, he knew when to work, and with his readiness to learn, it was no hard matter to stand at the head of his class. From the district school he passed to the Cortland Academy, where his education, so far as it related to set lessons in books, terminated. On the farm he was gradually introduced to larger duties and severer work, as his size and strength would permit, that made a man of him before he had in fact reached the point, where he legally became his own master. He began farming for himself on the homestead, which he purchased, and improved. He later moved to his present property, where he has all the facilities for carrying on very extensive agricultural operations. He enlarged the barns, and added immensely to their capacity by putting in basements. He keeps fifteen head of Jersey cows, and makes dairying one of the chief features of his work.

Mr. Smith was joined in marriage with Luricia Adell Angell, daughter of Erasmus D. and Sarah (Lake) Angell. Erasmus D. Angell was born in Otsego County, N. Y., December 2, 1816, and was a son of James Angell and Polly Crandall, the former an early school-teacher of the Empire State. Mrs. Smith’s father settled in the town of Lapeer, this county, and later bought the old hotel stand at East Virgil, and ran the hotel a number of years. He then engaged in the grocery business and in milling. He is now retired, and lives in East Virgil. His wife, who was a daughter of Jedediah Lake, died in 1894, at the age of sixty-six years. Their children were: Luricia A., our subject’s wife; Sarah L.; Julia L.; Erasmus D.; Jedediah L.; and James W. Our subject’s only daughter, Mary Louise, married Herbert Widger of the firm of Widger Bros., mill operators and lumbermen. Wilmer Abraham, the only son, and younger of the two children, resides at home with his parents. In their religious views, the family are Methodists. Mr. Smith is a stanch adherent of the Republican party, and as a progressive and leading agriculturist he is a member and past master of the local Grange. Portraits* of Mr. and Mrs. Smith, executed from a photograph taken in the spring of 1898, appear on a page in proximity.

*Portraits were included in the original printed volume.