The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-07-31
A FOUNDER OF Lawrence
Charles w. Smith. Douglas County
Pioneer, Dead.

Lawrence. Kan. July 31.-Charles w.
Smith, one of the Oldest undertakers in
Kansas, and a member of the second
EnligIant Aid party, which founded
! ening of asthma, complicated with
heart trouble. He had been Ill Tor more
than a year.
The funeral will be held tomorrow
afternoon at 8 o'clock from his own
church, the Congregational He select
ed his own pallbearers, knowing that
death was near. They are old friends
and neighbors.
For more than 80 years he had lived
at the house at 1904 Kentucky street.
A peculiar coincidence is that this mouse
was. yesterday removed from its site to
make room for the new CHRISTIAN
church. to be built this fall.
C w. Smith was past seventy-four
years of age, having been born on
December z 1882, in Portage county,
Ohio. In 1916, when but fourteen
years of age, he went into the world
for himself locating Mt Troy, n. Y.
There he learned the carpenters
trade. In 1850 he moved to Lowell,
Mass, where he became connected
with the business of cotton manufac-
turing, in which business he was en-
gs ged until 1854
In that year he came to Kansas, set
Ting on a farm in this county. in Sep
tember. He became a member of the
first town company, helping to lay out
the town and conduci the first sale of
lots. He also pre-empted a quarter
section of land. and farmed it until
after the Quantrell raid. He then
moved into the city and followed his
trade OF carpentry for short time I'M
til he and F. A. Bailey formed a part
nership, in S64, to engage in the I'M
dertakiEg and furniture business. Mr..
Bailey had esta blished this business
in 1887.
Mr.. Smith acquired his first knowl-
.
the time of Quantrelfs raid, having
assisted Bailey, the undertaken in,
charge. to lay out the bodies of the
victims of that terrible massacre. He
was one of the many who escaped the
ruffians from across the border, but
was SO intimately connected with the
horror that it was one of his most
deeply impressed rscollections of
early days in Kansas. During those
early troubles he was connected with
and was n conspicuous citizen of KAN
sas at that time.
He was married in Lawrence, April
IA. 1864 to Jane F. Walker, daughter
of Col Sam Walker of Lawrence.
Their children are five daughters He
church and was at one time, for many
years, a member of the city council.
At the time Quantrell's band
swooped down upon Lawrence, Mr.. |
o11llIn was MOTklIlS DIS d carpenter Oh ]
a school building that was being /
erected west of Lawrence He was
notified of the raid and kept out of
sight of the gang, but came to town |
as soon after they left as he consider |
ed. Ii safe to do so. 1t was then that |
he volunteered his services to help IN |
laying out the dead. and from that be- |
ginning started his career of half a |
century as an undertaken in Law
renee. About year ago he retired |
from active business, turning his /
trade over to two younger men, who
have been operating since then under |
the firm name of the c. w. Smith I'm
dertaking Co.
He was noted chiefly for a wonder
full memory. Lawrence reporters
have for years gone to him when
needing information about local hap
penings of long ago. and he was often
called upon to furnish information in
questions of title to property, the
making of abstracts and the like.