The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1883-11-07
JOHN SMITH
The First Treasurer Of Highland
County.
An Interesting Chapter in "PlOneer's"
Sketches Of Early Highlandcrs,

who figured prominently as leading
/ citizens, without presenting to your
readers the marked and modest
worth of this well-known and popu-
/ lar citizen and merchanl-the man
to whom the people gave the life
time tenure Of their most important
office, custodian of the public funds,
which were safely collected kept,
and faithfully disbursed. He was, I
| believe, native of Carlisle, Pa, Of
English ancestors, a halter by trade,
and accompanied his friend VIM.
| Russell Of the same occupation, to
/ West Union, where they settled at
an early period Russell remained
at his posi-, AID the people put the
. finishing nap On his beaver hat by
sending him TO Congress to succeed
Hon. John w. Campbell Nj. Smith
struck out for the new county of
Highland and located among the
| first colony at the then cOunty-seaJ,
/ laid out by Gen. Massie ia 1903. He
employed a jOurneyman, who sup
piled the settlers with hats, and
| opened the first store in the county,
ioDtaining his supplies from John
Armstrong, the prosperous merchant
of MaysviIIe, who married a sister Of
Mr. Smith. A few years later he
married the belle aa& beauty Of TIE
county, the youngest daughter of
lanes Wadman, an English emigrant,
| who with large family Of handsome
| daughters settled in the vicinity of
the early projected capital"
My first recollection Of NLr. Smith
was about 1907, when he came to
our farm Heas EtilisborO (where he
had iuss opened a store) on the i'm
l lporf&nt mission to procure a license
not to sell goods, but to marry
! Miss Salie Wadman. Allen Trimble
was the Clerk of the Court and the
Office was kept temporarily in the
/ country. Mr.. Smith was riding a
fine horse with 3 handsome outfit,
. thya gh0 style for a fashionable
|young man, and wearing his prOfu-
sion of dark hair in a queue, laced
with ribbon and reaching down the
shoulder-the old Continental style
which he adhered TO through life
1t was becoming to a man of fine
personal appearance, Of medium size,
with ruddy complexion, and Of pleas
ling manners and address.
The opening Of the first store in
( Hillsboro in 1903 by Mr.. Smith was
a great attraction to the scattered
villagers and settlers in the vicinity,
and he soon had an active trade
Iwith customers from the extreme
| verge of the county. His store and
/ dwelling, a frame, was first on High
. street, at the present Lilly block; he
afterward removed to q twO-stOry
brick, corner Of Main and High
/ street, erected in 1910 by John
| Shields, the eccentric Methodist
preacher, who with Thomas Pye
built the old Court House the same
year
Mrs. Smith, the attractive and
beautiful young wife Of the leading
merchant Gor he soon had a bust,
ness competitor in B. II. Johnson,
was very much admired and es.
teemed for her many virtues. Often
during a busy time she would be
found behind the counter waiting or
customers. Court days and "com
pauy" or general musters" wouIC
often bring large asscmblages Of the
Z men, who would linger late at nigh
3 shopping and trading, and forming
acauaintanCes with the new settlers
p who were coming in by-paths anC
+ blazed ways through the dense for
ests.
, Mr.. Smith was strictly merChan
= and business man, and pursued
Z through life the steady, even teno
of his way-active, methOdiCal ant
correct in all his habits. He 500
u secured the esteem and respect of a
l. who knew him, While conductin
the store the hat shop was not neg
"a lected, and old George Parkinson
N the veteran foreman, with Alexande
Fullerton and Paxton Johnson wer
a.. kept in active employment for man
Is years. In my outfit for school nes
d Philadelphia in 1910 fur hat irol
Smiths store was highly priced f,
NJ its fine finish and glossy fur. lev,
s- paid for in part with hickory broom
he sticks, which had occupied N
.e. brother Cyrus and myself many
lg winter night in shaping out of Il
Va young sapHngs. Going to mark
r on horseback with them tied in
re bundle behind me, my young hor
,fs took fright and gave me a wild an
q. dangerous ride Of half a mile 1 hs
ne to throw my package away, an
Te Alex Montz, a neighbor pickC
ok them up and carried them to tow
imis Montz was the shoemaker of Il
ng settlement, and piled his trade fro
IFS house to house.
iS In Mr.. Smiths annual trips