Fielding W. Smith

As printed in 1882

FIELDING W. SMITH.

Boone county has been blessed by nature with almost every variety of soil from the richest and most sightly to the roughest and most romantic. Rich pasture land is not the rule, but there are many thousands of acres of blue grass not excelled on the continent. The subject of this sketch owns over 300 acres of grass land situated in one of the richest and most beautiful sections of country west of the Mississippi. That this is no exaggeration, one need but visit the farms in this section to be convinced. Mr. Smith is a practical farmer and delights in his avocation as much as it is possible for a man to delight in his business. He is the youngest son of Capt. William Smith, one of the earliest settlers of Boone county, a man of superior intelligence and sterling worth. He came to Boone county a poor man, but by industry, prudence and energy accumulated a fortune, bequeathing to his sons not only a handsome legacy but a thorough education. Capt. William Smith was a native of Madison county, Kentucky. He was born in 1794, and emigrated to Boone county in 1819. He was of Irish extraction and possessed many of the characteristics of that race. He was jovial and witty, and loved a joke for its own sake. Possessing a fair education and excellent judgment, his services were urgently sought for in public life, but with the single exception of representing his county once in the legislature, he steadfastly refused all offers of promotion. BLis colleagues in the legislature were Dr. Matt. Arnold and William Rowland. Claib. Jackson and Sterling Price were ako members of the same general assembly. The latter was speaker of the house. Captain Smith resided on a farm five miles west of Columbia from 1819 to 1862, removing in that year to the farm now occupied by his son Fielding W. Smith. Here he died in 1875, at the age of 81.. He was a man of sterling worth, moral, upright and dignified, commanding the esteem of all who knew him. Fielding W. Smith was born April 17, 1846. He was educated at the liijUissouri State University. He was married in 1867 to Miss Mattie A. Mc- Kinney, of Boone county, daughter of John C. McBanney. Their union has been blessed by four sons. Their model home is noted (bt and wide for generous hospitality dispensed by Mr. and Mrs. Smith to all who pass the portals of their happy, well-ordered home. Mr. Smith makes a specialty of breeding thoroughbred stock, especially Cots wold sheep and Hereford cattle. He owns the only herd of Hereford cattle in the county, and the second herd in the State. His fine bull, Dictator," number 1989, weighs 2,000pounds. He took the sweepstake premium at St. Louis in 1881; first premium at Eausas City in 1881, and the first prize at the Western National Fair at Lawrence, Kansas. Of this stock he has six females and two males. Three of his cows are imported from England. His herd is managed by W.J. Downing, an Englishman, from Hereford. He knows the name of every Hereford breeder in England and America and can tell the pedigree of every animal of the Hereford stock. Mr. Smith owns 900 acres of land, one-third of which is in blue grass. His farm is known as Greenwood." He is well supplied with all sorts of machinery, in fact there seems to be nothing wanting that heart could wish for. Mr. Smith is a member of the Baptist church at Walnut Grove. He is in the prime and vigor of young manhood, with, evidently, a bright future before him.

As printed in History of Boone County, Missouri (1882). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.