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Smith, George Birdsall
George Birdsall Smith, retired soldier, and banker, was born in Warrensburg, Missouri, August 19, 1873, son of
Joseph Wilson and Mary Jane (Lobban) Smith. Joseph Wilson Smith, a farmer and stockman, was born in St. Catherine,
Ontario, Canada, February 12, 1846, and died at Bennington, Kansas, in March, 1920. Mary Jane Lobban was born in
Charlottesville, Virginia, about 1853, and died at Warrensburg, Missouri, July 29, 1879.
George Birdsall Smith was graduated from public school at Bennington in 1890, and from May 18, 1898, until August
14, 1899, served as a private in Company G, 23rd United States Infantry, in the Spanish American War and Philippine
Insurrection, under Colonel Ovenshine.
From February 9, 1901, until July 15, 1902, he was in the recruiting service in the United States Army, serving
as a private, corporal, and sergeant in Kansas City, Missouri, and outlying districts. From July 15, 1902, until
June 21, 1921, he was a private, second class, private, corporal, sergeant, first class sergeant, and master signal
electrician with the Signal Corps of the United States Army.
Commissioned a captain in the Signal Officers Reserve Corps in June, 1917, he was promoted to major, Signal Officers
Reserve Corps, in January, 1918, holding that rank until the end of the World War.
Between July, 1902, and October, 1906, Major Smith served two tours of duty in the Philippines in the Signal Corps
on military telegraph and telephone lines. He served two tours duty in Alaska in the Signal Corps in construction
and operation of a radio station at Nome, Alaska, from June, 1908, until July, 1910, and from June, 1912, until
August, 1916. Between November, 1916, and June, 1917, he served in the Signal Corps on the Mexican border at Laredo,
Texas, engaged in the construction and operation of a radio station.
During the World War, Mr. Smith commanded Company C, 8th Field Signal Battalion, at Monterey, California, with
the rank of captain; served as captain, Company B, 401st Telegraph Battalion, Camp Devens, Massachusetts; held
the rank of major, 319th Field Signal Battalion, Camp Sherman, Ohio, and in the field in France; held the rank
of major, 32nd Field Signal Battalion, in France five days only; the rank of major signal officer, Army Artillery,
Second Army of the American Expeditionary Forces; major, 312th Field Signal Battalion in France, and returning
to the United States, and to Camp Dix, New Jersey; and received his honorable discharge at Camp Dix in August,
1919. Immediately re-enlisting there in the Signal Corps and was retired as master sergeant, June 21, 1921.
Major Smith has to his credit a total service of 21 years and 7 months, of which 12 years and a half were served
outside the United States. He possesses the following medals: Spanish American War; Philippine War; Philippines
Congressional; Mexican Border Service; Victory Medal (World War) with battle clasps, Aisne Marne, St. Mihiel, Meuse-Argonne,
and Defensive Sector.
On May 2, 1908, Major Smith was married to Della Nelson at Bennington. She was born at Eureka, August 29, 1876.
Major Smith is a member of the First Presbyterian Church.
Residence: Bennington
Swayze, Addison W.
During the working out of an honorable and worthy career Addison W. Swayze has been the master of his own destinies.
When he started life independent of family connections or influences he has only the capital with which nature
had endowed him, but his self reliance was of such a sturdy nature that it enabled him to develop to the utmost
his native talents, which included the characteristics of determination, enterprise and practical ambition. His
inherent judgment pointed out the way for him to succeed, his keen insight discerned opportunities, his native
powers developed new fields, and the ability which he possessed has allowed him to make each venture a profitable
one. Today he is president of the First National Bank of Barnard and occupies an established position in banking
and business circles of his community.
Mr. Swayze belongs to a family that, originating in Switzerland, immigrated to Massachusetts prior to the Revolutionary
war, and from that locality went as pioneers to the Western Reserve of Ohio. He was born on a farm near Robinson,
Brown County, Kansas, September 17, 1861, a son of S. W. and Louisa (Compton) Swayze. His father, who is now a
resident of Willis, Kansas, was born in 1839, at Zanesville, Ohio, but as a child was taken to Columbia City, Indiana,
where he was reared, educated and married, and where he engaged in farming until 1860. In that year he became a
pioneer of Brown County, where he homesteaded 160 acres of land, and throughout the remainder of his active life
devoted his energies to agricultural work. He became successful and substantial, and when he reached advanced years
was able to retire upon the competence which he had gained by a long period of well directed labor. Mr. Swayze
is a republican, a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church and a Mason, while his military record is found in
his captainey of an infantry company in the Kansas Home Guards during the Civil war, when he succeeded in assisting
the repel Price's raid into the state. Mr. Swayze married Louisa Compton, who was born in 1841, at Churubuseo,
Indiana, and died at Willis, Kansas, in 1898, and they became the parents of children as follows: Addison W.; Alice,
who is the wife of Edward B. Stewart, a carpenter and contractor of Hiawatha, Kansas; David M., who is a railroad
conductor residing at Salt Lake City, Utah; Libbie E., the wife of J.M. Crowdus, a fruit grower of Long Beach,
California.
Addison W. Swayze attended the rural schools of Brown County, Kansas and graduated from the schools of Hiawatha
in 1878, following which he remained in agricultural pursuits on the home farm until he was twenty-one years old.
At that time he began traveling for an implement company of Kansas City. In 1884 he removed to Ottawa County, Kansas,
where he resided until 1907. During this time he served two terms as sheriff of Ottawa County. From 1907 until
1917 he made his home at Bonner Springs, (in Missouri) although he continued to travel for his company, his territory
being the northern half of Kansas, and in the latter year came to Barnard and became associated with the First
National Bank in the capacity of president, an office which he has retained to the present time. This institution
was established in 1890 as the Bank of Barnard, and became nationalized in 1916, its present capital being $25,000
and it surplus $16,000. The bank building is situated on Main Street, and the officers at this time are: President,
A. W. Swayze; vice president, W. R. Blanding; and cashier, B. E. White. Mr. Swayze is widely and favorably known
in financial circles of Lincoln County and belongs to the Kansas Bankers Association and the National Bankers Association.
He is essentially a man of business, with large interests which make heavy calls upon his time and attention. However,
he has been unselfish; he has appreciated the needs of his community, and has not been slow to answer the demands
that are always made upon prominent men for the display of good citizenship. Politically a republican, he is one
of the strong men of his party here. He is a member of the Commercial Club, and his standing in business circles
may be deduced from the fact that he is now serving in the capacity of president of this body. Mr. Swayze is also
well known in fraternal life, being a member of Saltville Lodge No. 59, Ancient Free and Accepted Mason; Minneapolis
Chapter, Royal Arch Masons, and Salina Commandery, Knights Templar; Abdallah Temple, Ancient Arable Order Nobles
of the Mystic Shrine, of Leavenworth; and Barnard Lodge No. 374, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, of which he
is past noble grand. His commodious home is located on Smith Street.
Mr. Swayze married, in 1901, at Delphos, Miss Dora G. Welsh, daughter of George W. and Louisa (Stout) Welsh,
both deceased, who were farming people of that community. One child has been born to this union: Boyd W., born
March 4, 1903. A son of Mr. and Swayze by a former marriage, Fred C., is engaged in merchandising at Barnard.
A Standard History of Kansas and Kansans, by William Elsey Connelly, Pages 2596
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