O. M. Smith

As printed in 1881

O. M. SMITH, merchant, was born in Maryland, September, 1836, and came to St. Joseph in 1860, where he at once engaged in mercantile business. He was very successful, gaining the confidence and good will of the people by his fair dealing and affable manners. He continued in business for seventeen years, being one of the few who did so uninterruptedly through the war. He sold out his business in 1878, since which period he has devoted his time to real estate transactions, the settling of states, as administrator, and various other kinds of business. He has accumulated a competency, has a fine house, hosts of friends, and enjoys the confidence and respect of his neighbors. He married Miss Jane E. Ivery, in St. Joseph, May 27, 1862. She was from Cambria County, Pennsylvania. They have one daughter, Mary C., born September 13, 1864.

was born in Virginia, April 22, 1807, and emigrated to Boonville, Cooper County, Missouri, in 1838, where he worked at tanning for two years. He then moved to the neighborhood of Otterville, where he carried on tanning, making a new and complete tan yard, which he operated for about twelve years. In 1856 he quit the tanning business and went to farming. He remained on a farm until 1869, when he sold out and moved to Otterville, where he lived with his son-in-law, Mr. T. V. Ellis, nearly twelve years. During 1861 he took to his bed with chronic rheumatism, and was not out of bed for three years. Ever since he has walked on crutches. He sustained loss by the war, in negroes and stock, to the amount of about $2,000. His son, C. Q. Smith, was in the Confederate service about two years, and was under General Cockerel, and taken prisoner and put in prison at St. Lous. His sister, Mrs. Ellis, secured his release. Mr. Smith was married November, 1835, to Miss Mary A. Thompson, a native of Virginia. She had seven children, one died in infancy. The others are alive and doing well, and all married except the youngest daughter. He is a member of the Missionary Baptist Church, and has donated toward building several churches. He has never regretted moving to Missouri, where he has had nothing to encounter except that which is incident to pioneer life. Mr. Smith, although a cripple, is cheerful and happy, truly resigned to his condition, and does not utter a single complaint.

As printed in The history of Buchanan County, Missouri (1881). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.