The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1925-02-12
REUNION CALLS
FIFTY SMITHS
Nearly Half Hundred are
Present at Golden Ami
versary of [. Smith


their fiftieth anniversary last Sum
day in Kennewick. The event consum-
ed the entire day and evening. Forty
four members of the family were
present.
The dinner was served at the home
of L. Smith, forty-four covers being
laid for the occasion. At the dinner
toasts were given to old times and old
incidents and talks were given by
those relatives who attended the we'd
ding fifty years ago. An invitation
was extended to the guests to attend
the golden anniversary of H. Smith
in Moscow which will occur in the
early fall.
Rev. FOSSIL managed the presenta-
ton of the gifts and read kilograms
of congradulation from those of the
Smiths that found it impossible to
attend the gathering.
With the coming of evening the re-
ception took place at the home of
/. Smith and the evening was spent
in chatting of things that happened
in the earlier days. Among the most
interesting subjects was the diary
of incidents kept by /. Smith on his
first trip to this country. 1t tells of
the conditions of travel at that time
and many more interesting events.
I. Smith was born in Bergen, Nor
way, March 10, 1852. At the age of
fourteen, on the eleventh day Of May
he crossed the ocean which took twen-
ty-two days. He shipped with sail
ing vessel and went via Quebec to
Hamilton, Ontario and from there to
Strengthen, Wisconsin. From there
he left in September for Story City,
Iowa.
Mrs. l. Smith crossed the ocean in
one of the first steamers that nav
igated the seas. She left her home in
Kristianica in April, 1869, making the
trip across in fourteen days. She went
directly to New York and from there
to Story City, Iowa.
The two were married Februal v
8, 1875 in Story City. After living in
that city for five years they moved to
Idaho. They made this trip in COW
cred wagon. From there they journey
ed to Omaha, Nebraska. From Oma-
ha they went by rail to Ogden which
trip took a whole week. From that
point the two proceeded to Black
foot, Idaho by rail and from there
by covered wagon via Boise, Baker
and Fort Walla Walla, to Genesee,
Idaho where they homesteaded. In
1904 they moved to Kennewick where
they have-been living since that time.
Mr.. and Mrs. Smith, all their child
rem and all their grandchildren are
still here and residents of this place.
D. Smith and B. Bergen left Nor
way in 1877 for Idaho to pick out a
suitable place for the family to To-
cate. H. Smith followed in 1882. The
latter rode the Bakers raw hide rail-
road from Walla Walla to Wallula
in 1882 and states that the road was
in excellent condition accept when
coyotes came from the hills and
chewed the, rails or when rain made
the rails so slippery that it became
necessary for the passengers to get
out and push at every slight incline.
There are twenty-six in the l. Smith
family, twenty-four in the H. Smith
family and seventeen in the d. Smith
family making sixtey-seven Smiths al
together. Mr.. H. Smith, Mr. and Mrs.
d. Smith and Mr.. and Mrs. c. Smith
were down from Moscow, Idaho to
attend the anniversary
Marriage cermonies have been eel
ebrated by l Smith, golden; L. Smith,
silver; L. Tweedt, crystal; Ole Brew,
crystal and Fred Mills and wife who
have been married five wears.