Smith, John M.

Farmer, Postmaster

Birth: December 29, 1844, Clarion County, Pennsylvania
Death: ?

Published Biography

From Harriet Taylor Upton, A Twentieth Century History of Trumbull County, Ohio, A Narrative Account of its Historical Progress, Its People, and Its Principal Interests (Chicago: Lewis Publishing Company, 1909), Volume 2, pp. 235-236.

JOHN M. SMITH, postmaster at Tyrrell, Vienna township, Trumbull county, Ohio, was born in Clarion county, Pennsylvania, December 29, 1844, a son of William and Sarah (Logue) Smith. The father was born in Butler county, Pennsylvania, and the mother in Clarion county, that state. The father went to Ohio about 1888, resided there five years, then retraced his steps to Pennsylvania and was a farmer by occupation as well as the owner of much real estate in Clarion county. He also had valuable property in Trumbull county, Ohio. He started life as a wood chopper and served as a constable several years. His death occurred about 1891. The mother died about 1870. The maternal grandfather, John Logue, served eight years in the United States army, all through the Revolutionary struggle, and also fought in the Indian wars.

John M. Smith attended school at the district school at Prospect and other districts in Clarion County, Pennsylvania. He remained at home with his parents until 1861, and when his mother sent him to Sunday school he ran away to enlist in the army of the Union forces. He was not allowed to enlist, but remained with the One Hundred and Third Pennsylvania Regiment, under Captain Laughlin, returning under Captain Alvin H. Alexander. He continued with the regiment until it was reorganized in February, 1864, when he enlisted, on February 23, at Plymouth, North Carolina, and served until June 19, when he was mustered out of service, being discharged at Harrisburgh, Pennsylvania. He was in twenty-eight engagements and saw much real warfare. After his return from the war, he purchased a small farm, which was in Clarion County, Pennsylvania, and continued on the same until 1878, when he removed to Ohio, settling in Trumbull County. After two years he bought a farm in the same township and continued to reside on rented land another year, then purchased another farm adjoining the first mentioned; also still another farm in Johnson township. He was a resident of Gustavus township from 1878 to 1895, then sold all of his land and moved to Warren, Ohio, where he engaged in the dairy business and shipped milk to Pittsburg, in which place he lived for a time, looking after the sale of his product of the dairy. He sold his interests in 1898, then engaged in the real estate business in Pittsburg, remaining there until 1903, when he went to Tyrrell and engaged in farming, following this until his appointment as postmaster at Tyrrell, which office he took possession of December 11, 1907.

He is a member of the Odd Fellows order, Mahoning Lodge No. 29, belonging to the Encampment degree also. Politically, he is a supporter of the Republican party.

Mr. Smith was united in marriage, the first time, June 12, 1867, to Elizabeth L. Graham, who was born in Clarion County, Pennsylvania, in 1842 and died February 22, 1899. She was the daughter of James and Elizabeth (Miller) Graham, both natives of Clarion county, and farmers by occupation. The father died about 1866 and the mother in 1894. The children born of the union of Mr. and Mrs. Smith were as follows: The first child died in infancy; Ala, born June 6, 1869, died June, 1895; Sarah, June 9, 1870, died at the age of eleven months; William E., June 16, 1872, residing at Gary, Indiana, foreman and electrician in the steel mills; Charles S., November 20, 1875, residing also at Gary, a machinist and electrician; twins, born in January, 1877, named Harry and Ada; Ada died in 1895 and Harry resides in Warren, Ohio, and is a foreman in a machine shop for an electric plant.

For his second wife Mr. Smith married, October 11, 1904, Mrs. Alice L. Greenwood, the widow of Corydon Greenwood. Her maiden name was Vaughn. (See sketch of Carlos Greenwood.) By his first marriage Mrs. Smith had three children: Lillie, born October 16, 1872, deceased; Clayton B., born May 13, 1875, residing at Youngstown, an engineer in a steel plant; and Grave, now Mrs. J. A. Tully, of Youngstown, Ohio, her husband being a machinist in the steel mills.