In the book's own words, not ours, with obvious scanning errors fixed. Families often supplied these stories to the publisher, so check key dates.
Born 1858
From Biographical review of Lee County, Iowa; (1905)
GEORGE W. SMITH.
George '. Smith, editor of the 'est Point Bee. of West Point. Lee county, Iowa, was born at Waterloo, Illinois, February 10. 1858. the son of George and Caroline Smith. He received his education in the common schools of St. Louis, having removed to that city in his early childhood. He remained a resident of St. Louis until 1871, during which time he learned the printing trade, which as a young man he followed for a number of years. After 1871 he worked at his trade in all the principal cities of the United States, his longest connection with any one publication being that with the Chicago Herald, which covered a period of fifteen years.
In 1894, ]Mr. Smith located in West Point, purchasing the Bee. a Democratic paper which had been established in 1892. At the time of the purchase the publication had but a small circulation, but under the thoughtful and enterprising management of ]\Mr. Smith has greatly improved in character and appearance, and now enjoys a circulation of more than one thousand copies per week, a remarkable achievement. This is the only newspaper in the northwestern part of the county, where it occupies a peculiarly influential position. Mechanically it is of a high grade of excellence, and consists of four pages of well-written articles of local and general interest.
In 1887 Mr. Smith was married to Miss Kate R. Carroll, a native of Chicago, and to them have been born two daughters. Ernestine and Consuelo.
Mr. Smith is at the present time director of the public school, and a new and modern brick building has been erected for the accommodation of the schools. He has no other outside interests, however, and devotes all his time to the newspaper, including job printing, and in this enterprise has met with financial and professional success of ver\' gratifying proportions. He is well known throughout Lee county, and his force of character and genial temperament have made him universally popular.
As printed in Biographical review of Lee County, Iowa; (1905). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.
The printed record stops around 1905. We trace your line from there down to you, with every source cited.