Aaron Smith - Biography
Surnames: Caple, Curtis, Dennie, Hickathier, Knapp, Milks, Rodgers, Shepardson
Regions: Adams, Jefferson Co., NY; Rensselaer Co., NY;
Albany, Green Co., WI; Janesville, Rock Co., WI
Source: Commemorative Biographical Record of the Counties of Rock, Green,
Grant, Iowa and Lafayette Wisconsin, publ. 1901 - page 400-401
AARON SMITH. Among the prominent residents of Albany, Green County, Wisconsin, who assist in making up the substantial framework of social and commercial life in the pleasant village, is Aaron SMITH, the subject of this sketch, who is also a veteran of the Civil war. He was born in Adams, Jefferson Co., N.Y., on Dec. 17, 1826.
The paternal grandfather was Aaron SMITH, a native of Vermont, of English descent, who took an honorable part in the war of 1812, was a farmer by occupation, and reared a family of six children. The maternal grandfather was named Isaac RODGERS, who was a native of Rhode Island, who combined the trades of farmer, blacksmith, shoemaker, miller and general mechanic. His death occurred in Jefferson county, N.Y., at the age of eighty-eight, having reared a family of eleven children.
Lewis SMITH, son of Adam, and father of our subject, was a native of Vermont. He married Olive RODGERS, of Rensselaer county, N.Y., and they had one son and three daughters, two of whom are still living. Caroline, the wife of Silas CURTIS, of Jefferson county, and Aaron, our subject. Lewis SMITH was always a farmer, but served his country during the war of 1812, dying in Jefferson county, N.Y., on March 30, 1872, at the age of seventy-five. His wife died in April, 1876, aged sixty-nine, both of them have been devoted members of the Methodist Church for many years.
Aaron SMITH, our subject, was reared on the farm in Jefferson county, and lived at home, attending the common schools, maturing into a fine specimen of young manhood. On his twentieth birthday, Dec. 17, 1846, he was married to Miss Helen M. DENNIE, a daughter of Michael and Catherine (KNAPP) DENNIE, and six children were born of this union: Josephine, who married Edward SHEPARDSON, now deceased, resides in Bellevue, Ohio; Charles, who died aged seven; Olive, who married the late William CAPLE, lives in Magnolia, Rock Co., Wis., and has three children, Elma, Helen and John; Florence, who married Henry HICKATHIER, resides at Evansville, Wis.; Kate, who died, aged a little over two; Lewis A. married Ida MILKS, resides on the old home farm at Magnolia, and has two children, Neva and Sarah.
In 1860 Mr. SMITH, with his wife and all the children except one, came West to Wisconsin, landing at Milwaukee. The same day they started for Janesville, soon after deciding to buy a farm in Rock township, Rock county, where they remained only a short time. Mr. SMITH then bought a farm of eighty acres in Magnolia township, to which he added, as his mean permitted, until he owned an estate of 240 acres, upon which he lived until March, 1897, when he removed to the village of Albany, selling the farm, with the exception of eighty acres, to his son Lewis.
On Dec. 18, 1861, Mr. SMITH enlisted in Company E, 3d Wis. V.C., in which he served through the Civil war, until February, 1865, when he was mustered out in Madison. Mr. SMITH entered the army as a private, but was promoted to sergeant. One of the greatest battles in which he was engaged was that of Prairie Grove, Ark. After the war he returned to the paths of peace, although the events of those years can no more be effaced from memory than can a grateful country forget her defenders.
The parents of Mrs. SMITH were natives of New York. Eight children were born to them, the mother dying in her native State about 1848, her father surviving for seven more years. Mr. and Mrs. SMITH are firm believers in the Methodist faith, and their lives are as their profession, charitable, honest, upright, with an unwavering faith in the Bible as the Book of Books. Formerly Mr. SMITH was a Whig, but has been a Republican since the formation of that party. He has been prominent in all things beneficial to the community, and has been called upon to serve as justice of the peace, performing the duties of that office in the quiet, conscientious way that has characterized every act of his life.
Submitted by Carol