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MISS MARY M. SMITH. There are few family names ia Independence Township, Washington Co., Pa., that are recalled
with more respect than that of Smith, the first bearer of the name here being Nathaniel Smith, who was the grandfather
of Miss Mary M. Smith, who owns and resides on the fine old homestead farm of eighty-seven acres. Miss Smith was
born on this farm, in 1847, and her parents were William and Mary (Creswell) Smith.
Nathaniel Smith was born in Ireland and he came to this section of Washington County when there were comparatively
few settlers here. He was a man possessing more education than his neighbors and also had the qualities which commanded
the respect and confidence of the community and he was frequently called on to write wills and deeds, to preserve
records, act as administrator and perform. other duties which usually fall to the leading citizen. He was a practical
surveyor and followed this profession in addition to cultivating his farm. This farm originally was a part of the
old Philip Doddridge tract, for which he obtained patent from the commonwealth. This farm subsequently came into
the possession of Miss Mary M. Smith, his only grandchild. She has sold that property, with the exception of the
old home and two acres of land, to a coal company.
William Smith, father of Miss Mary M., was a well known school teacher and there are many of the elder residents
of Independence Township who can recall him as such. He at that early day had to furnish the schoolhouse in which
he taught. His death occurred in 1855 and his burial was at Mt. Hope. He married Mary Creswell and they had two
children: Mary M. and Willlam Sidney, the latter of whom died in 1874. In 1857, Mrs. Smith was married (second)
to John H. White, and they had one daughter, Esther J., who resides with her sister, Miss Mary M. The mother survived
until 1891, and her burial was at Wellsville, Ohio.
John H. White was born in West Middletown, where his father, Thomas White was a blacksmith. The latter moved with
his family to what now is the Stewart farm in Independence Township, on which he burned the brick out of which
the house which now stands was built. When John H. White was first married he went to house keeping in a house
which stood where the Wabash road now runs. He later moved to West Virginia, and was a farmer there. After the
death of his first wife there, he was married to Mrs. Smith.
Miss Mary M. Smith attended school at Fallen Timber and then entered Muskingum College, Ohio, where she was subsequently
graduated. For two years afterward she taught school, in Delaware County, N. Y., and then returned to Wellsville,
Ohio, where her mother joined her after the death of Mr. White. In 1896, Miss Smith returned to take personal charge
of the old homestead, which she has capably managed ever since, raising cattle and hogs together with grain, hay
and fruit. Miss Smith and her sister are both members of the United Presbyterian Church of West Middletown and
both arc active workers in the Missionary Society. Miss Smith is very highly esteemed and is noted for her kindness
of heart and charitable impulses as well as for her excellent judgment in the management of her estate.
From:
20th Century History Of The City of
Washington and Washington County Pennsylvania
and Representative Citizens
By: Joseph F. McFarland
Richmond-Arnold Publishing Co.
Chicago, Illinois, 1910
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