My Genealogy Hound

THOMAS SMITH, the subject of this biographical memoir, is one of the early settlers and most prosperous farmers of Kearney county, Nebr. He was born in England. October 22, 1844. His father, Nathan Smith, a farmer by occupation, was born in England in the year 1814, and is still living and is in good health. His mother, Sarah (Kent) Smith, also a native of England, was born October 6, 1817, and bore her husband thirteen children.

Thomas, our subject, came to America with his parents at the early age of eighteen months, and consequently has no recollection of his native country. The family settled on a farm in Clark county, Ind., where Thomas resided until twenty-three years of age. In early life he attended the district school during the winter months and worked on a farm during the summer. He began farming for himself at the age of twenty years, and two years later he went to Warren county, Ill., where he spent the next twelve years of his life, principally engaged in farming. In February, 1880, he immigrated West, and located in Kearney county, Nebr., buying southeast quarter of section 21, township 6, range 15, on which he still resides. The country, though new at that time, was fast settling up. There were a few antelope to be seen, but the rapid settlement of the country that and the following year caused them to disappear entirely. The first year Mr. Smith broke out forty acres of land and erected his present fine frame dwelling. In 1884, he purchased a homestead claim in section 22 and lived on it six months — long enough to prove up on it. He also purchased another eighty acre tract in section 15, and now has three hundred and twenty acres of fine land — — most of which is under a high state of cultivation.

Mr. Smith was married October 18, 1866, to Rebecca M. Ganote, who was born in Clark county, Ind., July 17, 1848, and is one of nine children born to John and Catherina (Greenlee) Ganote; the former of whom, a farmer by occupation, was a native of Kentucky, born in 1829; the latter was born in 1838. The union of Mr. and Mrs. Smith has been blessed with six children, as follows — Alberta, born December 5, 1868; Calvin T., born February 22, 1870; Alice, born May 30, 1875; Nathan G., born November l, 1876; Maggie E., born May 9, 1889; and one, Sarah C., who died in infancy. Mr. and Mrs. Smith incline religiously to the Methodist faith. Politically he is independent in county elections, but on national issues he is a republican. He was the first township treasurer in 1884, and also filled that office in 1886-90. He has ever held the respect of his fellow-citizens, and the confidence they have placed in him has never been betrayed, nor will ever be.