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Note: N66
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<I>Harrison News,</I> Thursday 18 Sept 1879, p. 2:
"David Smith, sr., died at his residence near New Haven, Hamilton county, Ohio, in Crosby township, on Thursday morning September 11, 1879, at 4:35 A.M., aged 70 years, 11 months and 18 days. The deceased has lived in Crosby township 56 years. He was a man that was well and favorably known throughout the entire county, and was a very industrious farmer, and had by hard work and close attention to his own interests, accumulated a vast amount of property. He was ever honest in all his dealings with his fellow men, and was kind and generous to all around him, especially his family. The funeral services took place at the U.B. Church on Sunday, September 14 at 11 o'clock A.M., and were conducted by Rev. B. W. Chidlaw, in the presence of five hundred persons, being the largest funeral audience ever held in this place. The remains were inclosed in a costly casket, furnished by undertaker Slete. The weight of the casket was five hundred pounds, taking ten pallbearers, whom [sic] were Messrs. T. E. Sater, J. J. Kelch, M. S. Bunnel, John Hyatt, Mathew Brown, R. H. Blackburn, James Williamson, W. G. Oyler, George Wabnitz and Michael Mann. The remains were placed in the vault at Harrison, to remain a short time, then they will be buried in the cemetery at New London. In attendance at this funeral were ninety-two vehicles that followed the corpse to the church. It took the vast audience thirty-five minutes to view the corpse. OBITUARY. "David Smith, sr., was born in Northampton county, Weisberry [Weisenberg?] Township, Pennsylvania, on the 23rd day of September, 1808. He was one of a family of nine children (four boys and five girls) of German extraction. He came to this State with his father's family in 1822, crossing the mountains in wagons, coming by the way of Wheeling, West Virginia, and settled on a farm near Millville, in Butler county, where he lived one year. In 1832 the family moved to Crosby township, Hamilton county, Ohio, where the deceased continued to reside up to the day of his death, September 11, 1879. In his infancy the deceased was baptized into the Lutheran Church, and was afterward received into the Presbyterian Church by the Reverend Mr. Descombs, a German minister, who had a congregation near New London. In the year 1832 the deceased and Susanna Wilkins were married. The result of this union is a family of eight children (four boys and four girls), who were present when the deceased passed away. He lived to see twenty-six grand-children and three great-greatgrandchildren. His life was devoted to the interests of his family and friends, exemplifying the axiom that 'An honest man is the noblest work of God.' After two years of almost continued suffering he died, trusting in Christ for salvation, and meeting the king of terrors without fear."
From Ford's HISTORY OF HAMILTON COUNTY, OHIO (1881), p. 288: "David Smith was born in Northampton county, Pennsylvania, September 23, 1808. He was of German extraction, and belonged to a family of nine children. He came to this State with his father in 1822, crossing the mountains in wagons. They settled on a farm in Butler county, near Mill creek. In 1832 the family moved to Crosby township, where Mr. Smith lived to the time of his death, which occurred September 11, 1879. His wife was Miss Susanna Wilkins, and they had born to them eight children, who were all present at the time of the death of their father. He was a man well and favorably known throughout the county honest, generous and kind."
From HISTORY OF CINCINNATI AND HAMILTON COUNTY, OHIO (1894): "David Smith was born in Pennsylvania, but came to Hamilton county when a boy, and was one of the sturdy pioneers of the Miami Valley. He married Susannah Wilkins, only daughter of Daniel Wilkins, a wealthy pioneer."
Letter from his granddaughter Coral Gwaltney Jerman, 12 March 1939, to her cousin (also his granddaughter) Hallie Stephens Caine: "Grandfather [David] Smith was one of a family of 9 children. I know of 5 sisters and one brother [, Great-] Uncle Sammie, who lived at Logansport, Ind. I met him and [Great-] Aunt Elizabeth and [two] of his children at Grandfather's. Mother [Elizabeth Smith Gwaltney, 1836-1908] told me there was a brother [who] died when they were coming over the mountains when they came from west Pennsylvania and was buried in the mountains. I remember going with Grandfather and Mother to see Great-Grandfather Smith when he was sick to Darrtown [near Oxford/College Corner in Butler Co] and he had on red flannel underwear. I was small but I never forgot it. I think Great-Grandfather Smith's name was Daniel [. . .].
"I have a picture of Great-Grandfather [Daniel] Smith. It's a daguerreotype. Aunt Matt [Martha Smith Carter] gave it to me. [. . .] They were great to keep family names. Every one of Grandfather [David] Smith's sisters had a Dan, Dave, Sarah, and Betsy in the family."
Last paragraph of a newspaper clipping from the 1920s headlined "CONGRESSMAN WILL ADDRESS APPLE SHIPPERS/Stephens Agrees With Them That Freight Rates Are Too High":
"[Congressman A.E.B. Stephens said:] 'I have a 60-acre farm, and know something of the difficulties confronting the farmers. It happens that the famous Johnny Appleseed, who went up and down the Ohio valley long ago planting apple seeds, stopped at my grandfather [David Smith]'s house in those early days, and he often told me of the pilgrimage of this real benefactor of humanity. He would plant apple seeds for the Indians as well as the whites, and a year or so later he would return on foot or horseback after a trip of hundreds of miles, and explain how the trees were to be cared for.' "
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