JAMES E. SMITH, a prominent farmer of West Pike Run township, is a son of Henry Smith, who was born in 1806, in Washington county, Penn., and was a farmer. In early life Henry Smith was married to Nancy Norris, a native of this county, who was born in 1816, and they were the parents of thirteen children, namely: Mary A., wife of John Hilton, of Monongahela; Henderson; James E.; Nancy, married to John Reed, of Lucyville, Penn.; Hannah B., wife of Joseph Bell, a Methodist minister located at Hamilton, Ontario, Canada; Joseph H.; Lydia, wife of George Flood; Roxanna, married to Edwin Sutton, of Chillicothe, Ohio; Tilly, wife of Nathan Thomas; Howard, living in Uniontown, Fayette county; Lizzie; Harrison and an infant, of whom the latter three are deceased. The father was a member of the M. E. Church, with which his widow is yet associated. He died May 10, 1880, and Mrs. Smith, aged seventy-six years, is now residing on the home place. James E. Smith was born November 27, 1838, on the home farm in West Pike Run township, and grew to manhood with but few opportunities for securing au education. He was married on October 21, 1877, to Aquilla Palmer, a native of this county, daughter of Ephraim and Hannah (Brenton) Palmer, natives of Fayette county, Penn., the father being born in 1817, and the mother in 1818. Their children were Aquilla, wife of James E. Smith; Sarah W., married to William Johnston, of Fayette county, Penn.; Addison R., a Methodist minister of Champaign county, Ohio; Ephraim; Hannah P., wife of Daniel Moore, a Baptist minister of Washington county, Penn.; James; Sabria (deceased) and Cornelius (deceased). Mr. Palmer learned the trade of barber at Brownsville, Penn., and continued to follow same during most of his life; he died in 1890, followed by his wife in April, 1892. Mr. and Mrs. James E. . Smith are residing on a pleasant, well-cultivated farm of thirty-seven acres. He is a member of the F. & A. M. at West Brownsville.

Text taken from page 472 of: Beers, J. H. and Co., Commemorative Biographical Record of Washington County, Pennsylvania (Chicago: J. H. Beers & Co., 1893). Transcribed March 1997 by Donald Ackley of Santa Ana, CA as part of the Beers Project. Published March 1997 on the Washington County, PA USGenWeb pages at http://www.chartiers.com/.

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