THE SMITH FAMILY
First Generation in America
Unknown
married Unknown
Second Generation
Unknown (Maryland?)
married Unknown (Virginia?)
Third Generation
Lewis Smith (1805, VA - ?, KS? )
married Elizabeth (1802, PA - 1857, OH)
Lewis Smith reported his birth as about 1805 in the state of Virginia. His first known residence was recorded in the census of Monroe, Richland County, Ohio, in 1850.
Although his family is unknown, there is one potential family I am investigating. There was a man who lived in Pennsylvania named Lodowyck Smith / Ludovig Schmidt, who had a son named Lewis Smith (born about 1786). This Lewis in turn had a son named Lewis Smith, who should be about the same age as our Lewis Smith.
The interesting possible connection is that Lodowyck's daughter Margaret (Smith) Zediker and her husband moved to Richland County, Ohio, the same county in which our Lewis Smith lived.
The Lewis Smith of this family must have been born in Pennsylvania, where his father lived and died, and that doesn't jive with our Lewis Smith who was born in Virginia. Additionally, on the 1880 census, Lewis stated that his father was born in Maryland and his mother in Virginia. Still, I am keeping this information for further investigation.
Lewis Smith's wife was named Elizabeth. They had several children who are listed in the 1850 census. Our ancestor is their third child, Hester Smith.
Monroe Township, Richland County, Ohio:
The Isaac Kennedy listed with them is almost certainly Hester's future father-in-law. Hester married Isaac Kennedy, Jr. in the fall of 1850.
Lewis' wife, Elizabeth, died in 1857. Her gravestone was located in Monroe, Ohio, by Billie Blodgett. Some family trees on Ancestry.com list Elizabeth's maiden name as Hoyer, and give her parents as George Jacob Hoyer and Catherine Bortz. I haven't found any evidence to confirm this.
Shortly after his wife's death, Lewis and his family left Ohio. They first went to Missouri, and then moved West. Our ancestor Hester stayed in Kansas, while others in the family went farther west to Colorado.
Daughter Elizabeth Jane Smith married Samuel Brantner in Shelby County, Missouri, and then moved to Colorado shortly thereafter. Daughter Margaret Anne Smith married Jonas Brantner in Denver, Colorado, and daughter Sarah Emily Smith married William Murphy in Colorado a few years later. ("Baker-Brantner Tree," Ancestry.com)
A book from 1898 called Portrait and Biographical Record of Denver and Vicinity, Colorado offers an interesting tidbit about the Smith's trip:
"December 10, 1863, Mr. Murphy married Sarah E. Smith a native of Ohio. She moved from the Buckeye state to Missouri and thence to Colorado in 1859 with her father. She was only twelve years of age when she crossed the plains with her father. They were only a small party and in constant danger of the Indians."
Lewis Smith must have remarried, because census records show he had three sons born in Colorado: Francis M. Smith (born 1865), James M. Smith (born 1867), and Madison Smith (born 1868).
The next record we have for Lewis Smith is in the 1870 census. In 1870, he lived in Colfax County of the New Mexico territory. This was just south of the Colorado border. Lewis is listed as a farmer, with property valued at $2000.
He is listed with his three youngest sons and a "Mary E. Smith," age 32. This is possibly his second wife, but more likely, it is his daughter Mary. The 1850 census says she was born in Ohio, whereas this Mary is said to have been born in Indiana. However, Mary's sister Elizabeth was also said to have been born in Ohio in the first census, while later census records say Indiana.
In 1880, Lewis is in McPherson County, Kansas, where his daughter Hester was living with her husband. He is listed as widow. Two sons, Francis and James are living with him. Madison must have died, or perhaps, he was living with another family member because he was so young and his father was very elderly.
Fourth Generation
Hester Smith (1834, OH - 1902, KS)
married Isaac John Kennedy (1827, PA - 1921, OR)
The following is excerpted from Billie Blodgett's 2012 article called "Isaac Kennedy and Hester Smith":
"Hester Smith was born May 24, 1834 in Ohio. Her birth date is corroborated by the remembrance card that was printed for her funeral....We find Hester’s name spelled various in census records, Esther, Ester, Hester and Hettie. Her funeral remembrance card and her gravestone use ‘Hester’ so I also use that spelling.
"....On November 2, 1850, Lewis Smith applied for a marriage license for Isaac Kennedy, who was 'over twenty-one years of age,' and 'Esther' Smith, who was 'over eighteen years of age.'
"....our Hester and Isaac named their first son, Lewis. At that time, couples often named their first son after the mother’s father. Hester and Isaac’s first daughter was named Mary Elizabeth, perhaps after Hester’s mother, Elizabeth...."
To read more about the life of of Isaac Kennedy and Hester Smith, please go to the Kennedy page.
First Generation in America
Unknown
married Unknown
Second Generation
Unknown (Maryland?)
married Unknown (Virginia?)
Third Generation
Lewis Smith (1805, VA - ?, KS? )
married Elizabeth (1802, PA - 1857, OH)
Lewis Smith reported his birth as about 1805 in the state of Virginia. His first known residence was recorded in the census of Monroe, Richland County, Ohio, in 1850.
Although his family is unknown, there is one potential family I am investigating. There was a man who lived in Pennsylvania named Lodowyck Smith / Ludovig Schmidt, who had a son named Lewis Smith (born about 1786). This Lewis in turn had a son named Lewis Smith, who should be about the same age as our Lewis Smith.
The interesting possible connection is that Lodowyck's daughter Margaret (Smith) Zediker and her husband moved to Richland County, Ohio, the same county in which our Lewis Smith lived.
The Lewis Smith of this family must have been born in Pennsylvania, where his father lived and died, and that doesn't jive with our Lewis Smith who was born in Virginia. Additionally, on the 1880 census, Lewis stated that his father was born in Maryland and his mother in Virginia. Still, I am keeping this information for further investigation.
Lewis Smith's wife was named Elizabeth. They had several children who are listed in the 1850 census. Our ancestor is their third child, Hester Smith.
Monroe Township, Richland County, Ohio:
- Lewis Smith, 48, farmer, born Virginia
- Elizabeth Smith, 48, born Pennsylvania
- May C. Smith, 16, born Ohio (This name looks like Mary in the original record, but Billie Blodgett records it as 'May," which is likely accurate, since there is already another daughter with the name Mary.)
- Hester Smith, 14, born Ohio
- Mary Smith, 11, born Ohio
- Isaac W. Smith, 8, born Ohio
- Elizabeth J. Smith, 5, born Ohio
- Margaret A. Smith, 2, born Ohio
- Sarah E. Smith, 23, born Ohio (Some trees say Sarah was three years old at the time, instead of 23)
- Isaac Kennedy, 61, laborer, born Pennsylvania
The Isaac Kennedy listed with them is almost certainly Hester's future father-in-law. Hester married Isaac Kennedy, Jr. in the fall of 1850.
Lewis' wife, Elizabeth, died in 1857. Her gravestone was located in Monroe, Ohio, by Billie Blodgett. Some family trees on Ancestry.com list Elizabeth's maiden name as Hoyer, and give her parents as George Jacob Hoyer and Catherine Bortz. I haven't found any evidence to confirm this.
Shortly after his wife's death, Lewis and his family left Ohio. They first went to Missouri, and then moved West. Our ancestor Hester stayed in Kansas, while others in the family went farther west to Colorado.
Daughter Elizabeth Jane Smith married Samuel Brantner in Shelby County, Missouri, and then moved to Colorado shortly thereafter. Daughter Margaret Anne Smith married Jonas Brantner in Denver, Colorado, and daughter Sarah Emily Smith married William Murphy in Colorado a few years later. ("Baker-Brantner Tree," Ancestry.com)
A book from 1898 called Portrait and Biographical Record of Denver and Vicinity, Colorado offers an interesting tidbit about the Smith's trip:
"December 10, 1863, Mr. Murphy married Sarah E. Smith a native of Ohio. She moved from the Buckeye state to Missouri and thence to Colorado in 1859 with her father. She was only twelve years of age when she crossed the plains with her father. They were only a small party and in constant danger of the Indians."
Lewis Smith must have remarried, because census records show he had three sons born in Colorado: Francis M. Smith (born 1865), James M. Smith (born 1867), and Madison Smith (born 1868).
The next record we have for Lewis Smith is in the 1870 census. In 1870, he lived in Colfax County of the New Mexico territory. This was just south of the Colorado border. Lewis is listed as a farmer, with property valued at $2000.
He is listed with his three youngest sons and a "Mary E. Smith," age 32. This is possibly his second wife, but more likely, it is his daughter Mary. The 1850 census says she was born in Ohio, whereas this Mary is said to have been born in Indiana. However, Mary's sister Elizabeth was also said to have been born in Ohio in the first census, while later census records say Indiana.
In 1880, Lewis is in McPherson County, Kansas, where his daughter Hester was living with her husband. He is listed as widow. Two sons, Francis and James are living with him. Madison must have died, or perhaps, he was living with another family member because he was so young and his father was very elderly.
Fourth Generation
Hester Smith (1834, OH - 1902, KS)
married Isaac John Kennedy (1827, PA - 1921, OR)
The following is excerpted from Billie Blodgett's 2012 article called "Isaac Kennedy and Hester Smith":
"Hester Smith was born May 24, 1834 in Ohio. Her birth date is corroborated by the remembrance card that was printed for her funeral....We find Hester’s name spelled various in census records, Esther, Ester, Hester and Hettie. Her funeral remembrance card and her gravestone use ‘Hester’ so I also use that spelling.
"....On November 2, 1850, Lewis Smith applied for a marriage license for Isaac Kennedy, who was 'over twenty-one years of age,' and 'Esther' Smith, who was 'over eighteen years of age.'
"....our Hester and Isaac named their first son, Lewis. At that time, couples often named their first son after the mother’s father. Hester and Isaac’s first daughter was named Mary Elizabeth, perhaps after Hester’s mother, Elizabeth...."
To read more about the life of of Isaac Kennedy and Hester Smith, please go to the Kennedy page.