In the books' own words, not ours, with obvious scanning errors fixed. The later printing (1909) is folded below the first. Families often supplied these stories to the publisher, so check key dates.
Born 1828
From History of the city of Dayton and Montgomery County, Ohio (1909), 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)
OHN A. SMITH, house over and raiser, Dayton, Ohio, was born in Lancaster, Pa., August 22, 1828. He is a son of Richard and Catherine (Allbright) Smith, the former of whom was a native of London, England, coming to the United States when he was seven years old, and the latter was a native of Pennsylvania. They were the parents of six children, four sons and two daughters, four of the six still surviving, as follows: John A., Isaac M., Jacob A., and
David. Richard Smith was a teamster by occupation, driving a six-horse team between Philadelphia and Pittsburg before there was any railroad in that part of the country. His death occurred in Lancaster when he was thirty-eight years of age. His wife survived him until 1880, and died at eighty-one years of age. Both were members of the Dunkard church, and both were people of excellent character and disposition. Richard Smith's father lived to a good old age, dying in England. Richard was his only son.
The maternal grandfather of John A. Smith was named Jacob Allbright. He was a native of Pennsylvania and married Miss Rebecca Moon. Both died near Efferty, Lancaster county, Pa. He was a brushmaker by trade and died when about eighty-seven, she dying when about sixty.
John A. Smith was reared on a farm in Lancaster county, Pa., and when seven years of age his parents hired him to a Mr. Jacob Bolinger, a Dunkard preacher, for seventy-five cents per month. He remained with Mr. Bolinger for seven years, in the meantime attending school to some extent. When he was fourteen years of age he removed to northern Ohio, and went to work for an uncle in Seneca county, remaining with him for about five years. At the end of this period he entered the employment of Mr. Wallace, superintendent of the Mad River railroad, the first road built from Sandusky to Springfield, Ohio, his work being to measure the wood and timber for the road. He then served a three years’ apprenticeship at the carpenter’s trade, after which he dealt for some time in horses. In 1851 he went to Marshall, Ill., and assisted in building there the Presbyterian college, and while thus engaged was married, June 27, 1852, to Miss Amelia C. Boyer, daughter of Rev. Joshua and Susannah Boyer of that place. To this marriage there have been born five children, as follows: Frances Loretta, Amanda Alfaretta, Dora Ellen, Dayton Wilbert and Hattie May. Frances Loretta married Jacob Haynes and with her husband lives in Dayton. Amanda Alfaretta died at the age of thirteen years. Dora Ellen married Martin Messier, and they have five children, viz: Grace, Edward, Harry, Martha and John. Dayton Wilbert married Miss Emma Bartel; they live in Dayton, and have four children, as follows:
Mabel, Harry, Richard and Bessie. Hattie May married Otto Jones. They had two children. Mrs. Jones was killed by the cars in 1894 while driving across the railroad.
Mr. and Mrs. Smith are members of the United Brethren church, he being a trustee and treasurer of the congregation. He was a member of the Sixty-third Ohio volunteer infantry, company F, and served in the late Civil war for over three years. At the battle of Vicksburg he was wounded in the left arm. He was also in the battles of Nashville, Corinth and Parker’s Cross Roads. Having acquired some knowledge of medicine, he was engaged in the dispensary at Nashville twenty-one months, and it was while in that city that he received his discharge.
The war having come to an end, Mr. Smith returned to Dayton and began building houses, continuing thus engaged for a few years, but for the last twenty years he has given his attention exclusively to moving and raising houses, having filled contracts on a large scale in various cities — in Cincinnati, Springfield, Troy, Piqua, Hamilton, and elsewhere, as well as in Dayton.
After his marriage Mr. Smith in 1852 came to Dayton and has lived in this city ever since — thirty-five years in his present home. Politically he is a republican, but is in no sense a politician or office seeker.
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.
JOHN A. SMITH.
John A. Smith, the superintendent of Greencastle cemetery, Harrison township, and the owner of several pieces of property in the city of Dayton, is one of the oldest settlers in his part of the township. He was born in 1828 and is the son of Richard and Catherine (Albrecht) Smith. The father was born in England and went to Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, when he first came to the United States. Subsequently he came to Ohio, where he made his home until his death. He had devoted his life to farming and was a man active and prominent in all affairs.
John A. Smith made the best use he could of such educational facilities as the schools of this county afforded in that early period of formation. Upon the completion of his education he entered the railroad business, although he had worked somewhat at the carpenter’s trade, subsequently abandoning the former occupation in favor of the latter. After a few years he undertook numerous building contracts in connection with which he finally engaged in house moving. This period of his activity in the world of labor was broken by his participation in the great war that threatened to disrupt the Union. When the call for men to fight in its defense spread through the country, Mr. Smith was among the first to respond and enlisted in the Ninety-third Ohio Volunteer Infantry. He saw three years of active service and took part in several battles that have been regarded as important in the history of the war. In one of these he was disabled by having his arm broken. He was a valiant man and a good soldier and bears a record of which no one need be ashamed. After the war he took up carpentering and housemoving which he followed until about 1875, and then followed house-moving alone until 1906.
On the 27th of June, 1852, Mr. Smith married Miss Amelia C. Boyer, the daughter of Joshua and Susanna (Buck) Boyer. Her father was a plasterer by trade and came to Ohio from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, where he was born. During his life he was a man well known and respected in the community where he lived. Mr. and Mrs. Smith had a family of five children. Frances, the eldest of the family, is the wife of Jacob Hains,of Dayton. Amanda has passed away. Dayton W.,a carpenter by trade, married Miss Emma Barthel and is the father of five children, Mabel, Martha, Robert, Bessie and Elwood. Of these Mabel is married to Harvey Deeter, and is the mother of one child. Ellen, the fourth child of the family, married Martin Messier and is the mother of eight children and the grandmother of two. Her eldest daughter, Grace, married Alanda Hart and has one son, Howard, a great-grandchild to the subject of this sketch. Edward and Harry follow in the Messier family, and Martha comes next. She married John Dishong and is the mother of Eugenia, another great-grandchild. Maud, Irvins, Roy, Fay and Richard are the other members of this family. Hattie, the fifth child born to Mr. and Mrs. Smith, was married to Otto Jones, and they are survived by two sons, John J. and Smith E.
Mr. Smith belongs to the United Brethren church in Dayton and is one of its oldest members, besides being among those most zealous in the propagation of its doctrines by silent example. His life, of a span of years more numerous than are allotted to the majority of mankind, has been filled with earnest endeavor, and he is reluctant to give up active duties even at his advanced age. A life such as his cannot but have its lessons for the younger generation, though perhaps its greatest influence rests in his blue soldier’s uniform that serves as a constant reminder of what every citizen should be willing to endure for the land to which they owe allegiance.
As printed in History of the city of Dayton and Montgomery County, Ohio (1909). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.
The printed record stops around 1909. We trace your line from there down to you, with every source cited.