F. Esbin Smith

As printed in 1910

F. ESBIN SMITH.

F. Esbin Smith, superintendent of the Bettendorf Axle Company and a young man of more than usual ability, was born in Lima, Ohio, April 2, 1880, a son of Frank C. and Jennie (Fox) Smith, also natives of that state. As the father was made general foreman of the Fort Wayne car shops and continued in that position many years, the family removed to Fort Wayne when F. Esbin Smith was a boy. No longer filling that position, the elder Mr. Smith now resides in Cleveland, Ohio, and is connected with the New York Central lines.

After taking a public-school course, F. Esbin Smith entered the employ of S. F. Bowser & Company, of Fort Wayne, as an apprentice machinist and later as special apprentice in the car department of the Pennsylvania road. After learning his trade the young man remained with the Pennsylvania people working up to assistant general car inspector of the northwest system in which position he had charge of the inspection of all new passenger and freight cars built at car manufacturing companies. However, he was very ambitious, and in 1906 he secured a position of chief inspector of the Bettendorf Steel Car Company, and located in Davenport. Early in 1908 he became assistant shop superintendent of the Bettendorf Axle Company and in 1909 was promoted to superintendent.

In December, 1907, Mr. Smith married EHzabeth Graper, a member of a cultured Kentucky family. Mr. and Mrs. Smith have a pleasant home here where their many friends are sure of being suitably entertained.

So many of the men in charge of various departments in Davenport are still young in years, although thoroughly experienced. It appears to be the desire of the heads of the various institutions to secure young men, believing that their energy, enthusiasm and new ideas will inject fresh blood and work out for ultimate good. There are few men of his age who have accomplished more in their appointed lines than Mr. Smith, who not only is fulfilling every expectation of his company but has won the friendship of his men and obtained from them the best results.

During 1910 the Bettendorf Company did some extensive building, among which is the new erecting shop, a building having three hundred and sixty thousand square feet floor area. This building and the steel materials therein was superintended by Mr. Smith and stands as the largest single building in the world and is one of the sightseeing points of Davenport.

As printed in History of Davenport and Scott County Iowa : Illustrated (1910). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.