My Genealogy Hound

WILLIAM L. SMITH, a leading merchant and the present postmaster of Portland, was born in Mercer county, Pennsylvania, December 20, 1850, and is a son of George and Mary (Henderson) Smith. His paternal grandfather, George Smith, Sr., was of English descent and removed from his native county of Trumbull, Ohio, to Mercer county where he died in 1864, aged eighty-one years. He was a farmer and veterinary surgeon, and one of the sons born to him in his Mercer county home was George Smith, the father of William L. Smith. Geo. Smith learned the trades of carpenter and cabinet maker, which he followed until September, 1865, when he came to the town of Portland and engaged in farming. Within the last few years he has retired from active life and resides at Portland, although he still retains the supervision of his farm, on which is a good vineyard and several acres of small fruits. Mr. Smith was born in 1824, and is a republican in politics. He is a member of the Congregational church, the Knights of Honor, and the Chautauqua Mutual Insurance Order. He married Mary Henderson, a native of Crawford county, Pennsylvania, who was a member of the Congregational church and died in 1886, when in the sixty-fourth year of her age.

William L. Smith was reared in his native county until he was fifteen years of age, when he came to Chautauqua county with his father. He received his education in the common schools of Pennsylvania and New York and the Fredonia State Normal school. Leaving school, he learned blacksmithing and carriage-making, which he followed successfully at Portland from 1873 to 1883. In the fall of the latter year he formed a general mercantile partnership with G. D. Conner, under the firm name of Conner & Smith, which firm continued eighteen months, when Mr. Conner sold his interest to Mr. Smith’s father and the firm name then changed to W. L. Smith & Co. On April 30, 1889, Mr. Smith purchased his father’s interest and since that time has conducted a very successful and remunerative business. His general mercantile establishment is on Main street and is conveniently arranged for the large business which he does. He carries a widely varied and carefully selected stock of dry-goods, groceries, notions, clothing, shoes, hardware and lime, feed and everything else to be found in a first-class store. His stock, which is the largest in Portland, is worth over eight thousand dollars, and has been enlarged from year to year to meet the demands of a constantly increasing patronage.

On January 24, 1874, Mr. Smith married Hattie Springstead, daughter of Benjamin Springstead now of Missouri. To their union have been born two children, Julia Leona and Herbert G.

W. L. Smith is a member of the Knights of Pythias Lodge, No. 284, Knights of Honor Lodge, No. 461, Knights of Maccabees Lodge, No. 38. He has been active in political affairs, as well as in business circles, and has been an earnest worker for several years in the interests of the Republican party of his town and county. He has served as constable, collector and justice of the peace of the town of Portland and on May 21, 1889 was appointed by President Harrison, postmaster of the village of Portland, which position he has filled faithfully and efficiently ever since.