James W. Smith

As printed in 1897

AMES W. SMITH, a retired farmer of Harrison township, was born within four miles of Dayton, on the Troy pike, north of the city, November 17, 1843. He is a son of Henry and Elizabeth (Deardorf) Smith, the former a native of North Carolina and the latter of Berks county, Pa. They were the parents of ten children, six sons and four daughters, as follows: Hannah, widow of James W. Lowry; Jacob, John; Margaret, wife of S. M. Foote; Benjamin, deceased; Mary J., widow of John S. Protsman; Martha, wife of S. W. Massey, of Osborn, Ohio;

Franklin, deceased; William H. and James W. Henry Smith was by occupation a farmer, and at an early day settled near Springboro, Ohio. After living there a short time he removed to Dayton, where he remained for several years, and then bought a farm four miles north of Dayton, to which he removed, and added to it until at the time of his death he had about 700 acres of land. He was largely engaged in hauling wood to Dayton, and thereby became widely known as “Wood Smith.” He and his wife were members of the Methodist Episcopal church; in fact, they were among the founders of Ebenezer Methodist church, which many remember to the present day. His death occurred January 14, 1861, in his sixty-sixth year, while Mrs. Smith died December 9, 1878, at the age of seventy-seven years.

The paternal grandfather of James W. Smith was a native of North Carolina. The maternal grandfather, Jacob Deardorf, was a native of Pennsylvania, came to Ohio in 1801, and settled near Springboro. He made the journey down the Ohio river by flatboat, landed at Cincinnati, and came thence direct to Springboro. Here he engaged in farming and in running a saw-mill for a number of years, reared a family of five children, and died upon his farm.

James W. Smith was reared on the farm in Harrison township, and received a good education in the common schools. At the breaking out of the war he enlisted in the Eighty-fourth Ohio volunteer infantry, and served three months. After the war had closed be began farming and has followed that calling ever since, with the exception of about two years spent in Osborn.

Mr. Smith was married March 5, 1872, to Miss Susanne Neff, daughter of John and Elizabeth (Doan) Neff. To them have been born no children. They are members of the First

Reformed church of Dayton, and Mr. Smith is a member of Reed Commandery, No. 6, K. T. He is also a member of the Old Guard post,

As printed in Centennial portrait and biographical record of the city of Dayton and of Montgomery County, Ohio, containing biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens, together with the biographi (1897). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.