People

O H Smith

O. H. Smith (born March 31, 1848, Cabot, Vermont) was a businessman of Carpentersville, Kane County, Illinois, active in the latter half of the nineteenth century. He was the son of Daniel Smith, a farmer and former county sheriff, and Fanny (Russell) Smith, and came from a large New England family with documented roots in the Revolutionary War era. He left home at age fifteen and eventually settled in Carpentersville, where his mother and at least one sister also came to reside. (Source: *Commemorative Portrait and Biographical Record of Kane and Kendall Counties, Illinois* (1888))

Known Activities

Smith is identified in an 1888 Kane and Kendall Counties commemorative record as a businessman of Carpentersville, Illinois. The record does not specify the precise nature of his commercial activities, but his inclusion in a commemorative biographical volume suggests he was considered a figure of some standing in the local community. (Source: Commemorative Portrait and Biographical Record of Kane and Kendall Counties, Illinois (1888))

His father, Daniel Smith, is described as a "prominent and influential man" who served as sheriff of his county in Vermont for several years before his death on April 8, 1884, at the age of approximately 76. At the time of publication in 1888, O. H. Smith's mother, Fanny (Russell) Smith, then reportedly aged 80, was living with her son in Carpentersville. His sister Jennie L. Smith — by 1888 known as Mrs. Malings — also resided in Carpentersville. (Source: Commemorative Portrait and Biographical Record of Kane and Kendall Counties, Illinois (1888))

Smith's maternal line reportedly included a great-grandfather Russell who served in the Revolutionary War. His paternal great-grandfather Smith is said to have served seven years in the Revolutionary War; according to the 1888 record, the musket he carried remained in the possession of family members in Vermont at the time of publication. (Source: Commemorative Portrait and Biographical Record of Kane and Kendall Counties, Illinois (1888))

Daniel and Fanny Smith had twelve children in total, all of whom reportedly reached maturity — an unusual circumstance noted in the biographical record. (Source: Commemorative Portrait and Biographical Record of Kane and Kendall Counties, Illinois (1888))

Timeline

DateEvent
March 31, 1848Born in Cabot, Vermont, to Daniel and Fanny (Russell) Smith
October 11, 1863Left home at age 15, reportedly with parental blessing and minimal possessions, to seek work
By 1888Established as a businessman in Carpentersville, Illinois; mother Fanny living in his household
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