From Beers, 1880, History of Darke Co., Ohio, p. 658. Brother to John Smith, Smith General Store.
William M. Smith, miller, grain and tobacco dealer, also dealer and shipper of live stock, Arcanum, Ohio. We could hardly do justice to the business interest of Arcanum without devoting a brief space of this work to the gentleman whose name heads this sketch, as we consider that the local interest of the town as well as the surrounding country owe a debt of gratitude to Mr. Smith supplying a market for the productions of the surrounding country. He was born in Adams Co., Penn., Nov. 16, 1829, and in the sketch of his brother, John Smith, will be found a more extended genealogy of the family. The subject of our sketch came to Ohio about the year 1836, and located in Preble Co.; here he was raised to and followed agricultural pursuits until 1858, when he came to this place and clerked in the store of his brother one year. For the next ten years he was engaged in the general merchandise and grains trade, disposing of the same in 1869; he then devoted one year to the real-estate business, the three years succeeding being agent of the D. & U. R. R.; about the year 1872, he erected his present warehouse, since which time he has successfully followed the above business, his shipments of grain in a season to the Eastern markets being upwards of 200,000 bushels, his purchases of tobacco being disposed of for export; his mill has a capacity of from 400 to 500 bushels a day, the production of which is shipped largely in car-load lots to the New England States; his shipments of live stock will exceed fifty car-loads yearly; and, as stated above, we consider the business as conducted by the above gentleman of great importance to the interests of Arcanum and the surrounding country. Upon the 16th of February, 1852, he was united in marriage with Maria Keltner; she was a native of Indiana, but came to Montgomery Co. with her parents when quite young. They are the parents of four sons and two daughters, viz. John W., Seges, Jesse C., Charles E., Daisy and William R.
We are looking into where his home was; if it was where the old Smitty’s Restaurant was? Anyone have old photos or information about this location?
From the Find-a-Grave family trees, we find William Martin Smith son was J W Smith married to Ida Smith. He died young but the same year as his father, William. From the deed records of Bill Gunder, we find that JoAnne Hill’s home was once the property of J W Smith who would be a nephew to John Smith, of the Smith General Store.
thanks to cellis https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/72234949/william_martin-smith
AWTHS is looking for photos of the family or home for our archives. Please email or contact Annette Stewart at awthsresearch@gmail.com or through Messenger if you have additional information, photos, newspaper clippings, or stories.
Please follow AWTHS blog guidelines and credit is to be given to Beers History and Find-a-Grave.