My Genealogy Hound

Below is a family biography included in the book, The History of Lewis County, Missouri published by Goodspeed Publishing Company in 1887.  These biographies are valuable for genealogy research in discovering missing ancestors or filling in the details of a family tree. Family biographies often include far more information than can be found in a census record or obituary.  Details will vary with each biography but will often include the date and place of birth, parent names including mothers' maiden name, name of wife including maiden name, her parents' names, name of children (including spouses if married), former places of residence, occupation details, military service, church and social organization affiliations, and more.  There are often ancestry details included that cannot be found in any other type of genealogical record.

* * * *

Peter Smith, farmer and stock raiser, was born in Hamilton County, Ohio, in November, 1837, the son of Peter and Mary (Staub) Smith, natives of Germany, the former born in Bavaria in 1809. The father was an overseer of a German estate, and in 1836 came to near Cincinnati, Ohio. Three years later he went to Decatur County, Ind., and in 1840 moved to Burlington, Iowa, where he remained eight years. After two years as a merchant in Van Buren County, he sold out and bought a farm near Keosauqua, consisting of 320 acres. In 1850 he returned to Burlington, whence his eldest son went to California, where he was engaged in furnishing provisions to miners, but he returned home two years later. He bought a farm of 320 acres near Burlington, and was extensively engaged in stock dealing until the opening of the war. In 1864 he filled out a wagon train, and made a trip of three months to Montana Territory, where he speculated in stock. After about eighteen months’ absence he came to this county, where he owned an estate of 400 acres, now occupied by his son, Stephen. For the past twenty years his home has been in Burlington. The mother died in August, 1807, at the age of sixty-nine years. Our subject, the fourth of nine children, was about three years old when they came to Iowa. March 18, 1863, he married Charlottie A. Coad, who was born in Pennsylvania June 16, 1841. Their children are Susie B., Clarissa and Frank L. In 1863 our subject went to Idaho on a four months’ overland trip. After two and a half years of mining he came to this county, and for the eight following years was farming with his brother, Stephen. Since 1874 he has lived on his present estate of 400 acres, on which his residence is situated, erected in 1881 at a cost of $1,000. He is a Democrat, and he and his wife are Missionary Baptists.

* * * *

This family biography is one of 293 biographies included in the Lewis County, Missouri portion of the book,  The History of Lewis, Clark, Knox and Scotland Counties, Missouri published in 1887.  For the complete description, click here: Lewis County, Missouri History, Genealogy, and Maps

View additional Lewis County, Missouri family biographies here: Lewis County, Missouri Biographies

Use the links at the top right of this page to search or browse thousands of other family biographies.