In the book's own words, not ours, with obvious scanning errors fixed. Families often supplied these stories to the publisher, so check key dates.
Born 1829
From A Biographical Record of Clark County Ohio (1902)
WILLIAM R. SMITH.
William R. Smith was one of Springfield's pioneer railroad men. He was associated with George Wallace in railroad building. He was born in the city of Glasgow in 1829. He came to Brockville, Canada, at an early age and joined a surveying expedition and assisted in making a preliminary survey through the northern portion of the states of New York and Pennnsylvania of the Buffalo & State Line Railroad, now the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern. Mr. Smith afterward entered the employ of the Mad River Railroad ‘Company at Sandusky, under the direction of Mr. Wallace. In October, 1851, he came to Springfield and became connected with the construction department of the lines between Springfield and Delaware and Springfield and Loudon.
In the summer of 1854 he visited his native land, Scotland. Returning to Springfield, he soon became ticket agent of what was then the Mad River & Lake Erie Railroad Company at this point and later took the agency of the Springfield & Delaware road. He af-. terward became connected with the Little Miami road. In 1881 Mr. Smith entered the employ of the Springfield Water Works Company, and ultimately became secretary and superintendent, a post which he filled for many years with great fidelity to his duties and with great acceptance to the. general public. os
As printed in A Biographical Record of Clark County Ohio (1902). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.
The printed record stops around 1902. We trace your line from there down to you, with every source cited.