Sylvester Smith

As printed in 1906

SYLVESTER SMITH.

Sylvester Smith, deceased, who carried on general farming in Wayne township, was born March 7, 1831, in Lake county, Ohio, near Cleveland. His paternal grandfather was Edward Smith, a native of Xew England. The father, Sylvester Smith, was born in Massachusetts and married Lucretia Woodworth, a native of Franklin county, Massachusetts, and a daughter of James and Lucretia Woodworth, who were also natives of New England. The wedding was celebrated in the old Bay state and subsequently ]Mr. and Mrs. Smith removed to Warren county, Xew York, and afterward to Lake county, Ohio, where Mr. Smith purchased a tract of land, all of which was covered with timber. This he cleared away, transforming the tract into a good farm. On leaving Ohio he removed to Michigan, where he spent eighteen months, but returned to the former state. After a short period, however, he made his way to Monmouth, Illinois, where he engaged in farming for three years. In 1842 he brought his family to Iowa, having visited the state the previous year and purchased land on section 3, Wayne township. This was all wild and unimproved[ and he lived upon the place until his death, converting it into a valuable farm. He paid for it only three dollars per acre but at the time of his demise it was valued at a high price. In addition to this property he also owned forty acres of timber land. His birth occurred May 25, 1787, and his death on the 21st of December, 1863, when he was seventy-seven years of age. His wife w'as born March 13, 1793, and died on the 12th of October, 1875. They were married January 13, 1813, and unto them were born nine children, of whom two daughters died in infancy. The others were: Eliza Ann, who was born January 18, 1816, and died July 29, 1836; Dexter Church, who was born March 16, 1818, and died February 22, 1887; Edward, who was born June 10, 1820, and died February 26, 1882; John Livingston, who was born May 21, 1822, and died April 15, 1889; Elijah Parsons, who was born January 29, 1825. and died February 11, 1899; and Charles Alvord, who was born February 29, 1828, and died November 17, 1905. The father was instrumental in establishing the postoffice at Wayne in 185 1 and received the appointment to the position of postmaster in August, of the same year, at which time mail service was established between Iowa City and New London. The round trip was made once a week.

Sylvester Smith, whose name introduces this review, accompanied his parents on their various removals, being a youth of about eleven years when the family came to Iowa. He was reared to farm life, assisting in the arduous task of developing and cultivating new land. hen his father resigned as postmaster

Mr. Smith was commissioned on the loth of November, 1858, his papers being signed by Aaron V. Brown, then postmaster general. He held the appointment until July, 1885, when his son, H. K. Smith, became his successor.

On the 18th of February, 1857, Mr. Smith was united in marriage to Miss Delilah J. Coen, who was born in Washington county, Ohio, and attended the common schools of that state. Her parents were William and Rachel (Perry) Coen, the former a native of Wheeler county, Virginia, and the latter of Washington county, Ohio. The paternal grand parents, Isaac and Susan Coen, were also natives of Virginia, while the maternal grandparents were John and Delilah (Stephens) Perry, natives of Ohio. Mrs. Smith came to Henry county, October 5) 1855 and they were married here. She made the trip down the Ohio and up the Mississippi river to Burlington, being three weeks upon the way and throughout all the years of her married life she has lived upon the farm which is still her home, and here Mr. Smith resided since 1842. They became the parents of five children. Charles Sumner, born February 2, 1858, is now living in Mount Pleasant. Harry Kirk, born May 27, 1860, is engaged in the implement business at Mount Pleasant. William Edgar, born July 5, 1862, died in 1881, at the age of nineteen years. Francis Irving, bom September 19, 1865. died in 1888, at the age of twenty-three years. Rosa Justina, born October 19, 1870, is the wife of Christopher Berry and they reside upon the old homestead.

For almost a half century Mr. and

Mrs. Smith traveled life's journey together and their entire married life was passed upon the farm which is still the place of residence of his widow. He lived in the county for sixty-three years and was therefore a witness of almost its entire growth, while in the work of improvement and development he bore an active and helpful part. He was ever a champion of movements for the general good and stood for a high type of citizenship, for honor in business life, and for integrity in all man's relations with his fellow men. Mr. Smith died at the home place, February 8, 1904.

As printed in Biographical review of Henry County, Iowa, containing biographical and genealogical sketches of many of the prominent citizens of to-day and also of the past .. (1906). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.