The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-08-31
Pioneer of Jefferson County
Passes Away Peacefully
At Home
FIRST WHITE CHILD
BORN IN COMM UNITY
Funeral VIII Be Conducted This After
noon at q O'clock From Residence
In Elyton-Intermen In
Elmwood Cemetery.


is a part of the history of Birmingham
and the Birmingham district died at 100
o'clock yesterday afternoon at the home
OF his son, Col. T. o. Smith, in Elyton
in the eighty-eighth year of his age.
Though he had been in falling health
some time and his death was not unex-
pected, yet to his relatives, friends and
acauaintances the announcement that he
was no more came as a shock, keenly
and deeply felt.
The funeral will be held at o'clock
this afternoon from the Smith residence
at Elyton. The interment will take place
at Elmwood cemetery.
The. honorary bearers at the funeral
will be: Col. j. F. b. Jackson, W. T.
Hickman, NJ. T. Porter, Rufus w. Cobb,
T. L. Robertson, DR.. f. ID. Napers,
e. w. JONES' w. s. Brown, John C. Hem
ley and NJ H. Motion.
The active bearers will be: Robert A.
Terrell. Judge Samuel E. Greene, Dr.
Alfred Eubank. T. H. Motion, w. A. Por-
ter. Arthur w Smith, Robert Jemison,
Sr., and R. G. Hewett.
Sketch of His Career.
Joseph Riley Smith, the oldest native
citizen of what is now Jefferson county
and In many respects the most prominent,
influential and widely known man or the
Birmingham district, was born eighty
seven years ago at the old Smith home
stead which stood in what is now the
city of Bessemer. 1t is said that he was
the first white child to be born In this
community, and 1t is known that through
out more than four score years his life
was a part, and from many points of
view notable part. of the history of this
section of the state.
In ancestry he was Welsh-lrish, his
grandparents on the paternal side having
migrated from Wales to South Carolina
in the middle of the eighteenth century
His father, John Smith, was born in the
Union district of South Carolina, moved
to Tennessee when young man and
soon after arriving there welded Miss
Sallie Riley a native of Rockcastle coun-
ty, Kentucky. The wedding took place
in Lincoln county, in Tennessee In 1914.
soon IleTedlttft LIt yOulib NVuPiV, At'hi
ing of the attractions of Jones valley,
moved hither and settled upon large
tract of land near Elyton and there res
sided until their deaths.
John Smith, the father of Joseph Riley
Smith, was a prominent figure In the
life of the state for sixty years, being
large land owner before the war, sue
cessful planter, and an active influence
in the politics of the community. He
served as magistrate and county commits
sioner and at his death left an estate
of, 1000 acres of land which has since be-
come the most valuable in the state. He
died In 1875, his wife having passed away
thirteen years earlier.
Ten Children Born.
From their union were born ten child
ren-David, who lived at Crawfordville.
Miss; Joseph r., who died yesterday;
John B., who, as lieutenant colonel of the
Thrtieth Alabama regiment, was killed
at the battle of vicksburg in 1861 Thorn
as, who moved to Texas and made there
an excellent military and political record;
George W., of Jefferson county; Susan
Weaver, who lived near Columbus, Miss. /:
Sarah ]. Baird, who died in 1885, and
Lucy.
Joseph Riley Smith, the subject of this
sketch, was educated at Union seminary
in Murray county, Tennessee. Return
ing home in 1888, he began the study OF
medicine In Elyton under DR.. James KEEL
ly, a noted physician of his day, and
later attended the medical college at
Louisville. He graduated from the
Pennsylvania university In 1S4 and re-
turned to Elyton where he began the
practice of his profession which he con.
tinued almost uninterruptedly until 1870
In that year he retired from active prac-
tice to engage in mercantile business, es-
tablishing branch office in Birmingham
and prosecuting his business successfully
till 1888. In that year, Dr. Smith retired
from business-a man of lage wealth.
and spent the last score of years of his
life removed from the rush and flush of
commercial activity.
Was Twice Married,
DIR. Smith was twice married. When a
medical student in Kentucky in 1910, he
met young lady of wondrous personal
beauty, character, allure and charm. Her