Harrison Smith

As printed in 1902

HARRISON SMITH.

Few employes of the Pittsburg, Fort Wayne & Chicago Railroad have been longer in the service of the company than Harrison Smith, a well-known and popular conductor living in Crestline. He was born in Holmes county, Ohio, December 20, 1841. His father, Jonathan Smith, also a native of the Buckeye state, was a farmer by occupation, born in 181 5. He is still living, his home being now on Turman's creek, in Sullivan county, Indiana. He married Miss Sarah Slagie, a native of Ohio, born in 1817, and she is also living. This worthy couple became the parents of eleven children, of whom ten reached years of maturity, while eight still survive.

Harrison Smith, of this review, was the third child and was reared upon the old homestead farm in his native county his time being devoted to the work of the field and meadow and in mastering the branches of English learning, as taught in the schools near his home. He assisted his father on the farm during the summer time until twenty years of age, but not desiring to follow the plow as a life work, he then made other arrangements, becoming a brakeman on the Pittsburg, Fort Wayne & Chicago Railroad, running between Crestline and Alliance. He was upon that train from 1865 until 1869, when he was promoted to the position of conductor, and thus served until 1885. His run was then changed from Crestline to Conway, Pennsylvania, and on that route he remained for four years, when he was sent through to the outer depot in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. However, he was afterward returned to the Conway run and since that time has been continued upon the road between Crestline and Pittsburg. He is the oldest conductor on the road, having been in the employ of the company for forty years.

In 1867 occurred the marriage of Harrison Smith and Miss Emma Wiggins, who was born near Loudonville, Ashland county, Ohio. They had eight children, of whom seven are yet living, namely: Mattie, wife of G. O. Davis, of Crestline, Ohio; Roy, who married Laura Smetzer and is living in Crestline; Xettie; Archie; Lewis; Otto; and May. Of this number Otto is a clerk in the railway office. Archie is a boilermaker for the Pittsburg, Fort Wavne & Chicago Railroad Company. Lewis is a fireman in the employ of the same company; and Roy is airbrake inspector on the Pittsburg, Fort Wayne & Chicago road.

Mr. Smith has made Crestline his home since 1861, the year in which he entered the railway service. Fie is a Republican in politics and carried Major McKinley in his caboose from Alliance to Canton when the Major was governor of this state. Mr. Smith tells how the president took his razor and shaved himself when the train was running at twenty miles an hour. Mr. Smith is a member of the Volunteer Relief Association and the Order of Railway Conductors. In all of his long and varied experience on the road he has never had a collision. He has run on one caboose for twenty-one years and is still in charge. He is most painstaking and reliable in the performance of his duties and enjoys the unqualified confidence and trust of his superior. All who know him entertain for him high regard, for he possesses many excellent characteristics and is truly worthy of the friendship and esteem of his fellow men.

As printed in A centennial biographical history of Crawford County, Ohio .. (1902). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.