MARK A. SMITH
Page 191

Second son of Amos Smith, Sr., was born August 11, 1811, in Hancock, Addison county, Vermont; was married October 15, 1837, to Eliza A. Wait; September 12, 1839, started with his family from their native home in the Green Mountains, for the grand old prairies and beautiful groves and rivers of Central Illinois, and landed at Moscow on the 15th of October, making the journey in five weeks, via. New York and Erie canal, Lake Erie, the Ohio canal from Cleveland to the Ohio river, then by steamer to St. Louis, and up the Illinois river to destination. Their oldest child was taken sick during the journey, and died Dec. 12th, 1839. At the time of landing at Moscow, his earthly wealth and entire fortune, aside from his own strong arm and will, consisted of thirty-seven cents, in silver comfortable clothing, and a very few household goods. Dependent on him was the nursing and care of a wife and sick child. When landed, the family and goods were left on the bank of the river, and he went to explore the town, and for a team. The town consisted of two log cabins, very open; two sacks of corn were in the loft of one of them, and the squirrels were performing their morning gymnasium exercises on the roof. These were the only inhabitants that could be found. He traveled about six miles to a Mr. Abbey's, procured a team and returned about three o'clock for his family and goods, who, like good soldiers, had held their position on the river bank, during his six hours' absence. Arrived at Mr. Abbey's, three families were domiciled in one room till more cabins could be built. The next two years were spent in the diversified employments of earning a living, earning a team, and shaking with the ague, principally the latter, which engaged a large share of the attention of the early settlers. At the end of two years he "squatted" on a quarter section of land, three-fourths of a mile south of the present site of Sny Carte, and began improving it, and at the end of another two years borrowed a hundred dollars and purchased from government eighty acres of the land. He retained the money borrowed for nine years, when the interest (12 per cent) amounted to one hundred and eight dollars. At the end of that period he owned six hundred acres of land in the vicinity, and had one hundred and sixty in cultivation. In 1852 he was elected one of the justices of the peace in Lynchburgh precinct, which office he filled with great acceptance for four years, and, though strongly solicited to be a candidate for re-election, he declined that honor. In 1853 he built a warehouse, and engaged in the grain trade, and has since been in dry goods and groceries in connection therewith, but always in grain, and has been quite successful, and has all the time been engaged in farming. He has four children-Henry, now living at Sny Carte; Mrs. Emily Sweney, proprietoress of the Metropolitan Hotel, Jacksonville, Illinois; Irving, living on a farm near Sny Carte; and Albert F., Attorney at Law, Virginia, Illinois. In 1870 his wife, the companion of his pioneer lie and early successes, died of lung fever. He was married again in 1871. In 1872 the second wife died of typhoid fever. In 1873 he was married to Mrs. Mary A. Butler, of Bath. The death of his first wife was the first in the family for a period of over thirty years. Mr. Smith has served almost continually in township and school offices, and has been school treasurer for over thirty successive years. An amiable, pleasant, genial gentleman, enjoying the confidence of his numerous friends.

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