BIOGRAPHY - C. SMITH
C. P. Smith, who is the largest individual farmer in Ford county, is, moreover, a self-made man, owning his success entirely to his well directed energy and enterprise. He was born in La Salle county, Illinois, October 30, 1857, a son of Isam and Elizabeth Smith, but does not remember much about his parents, as the father was killed while serving as a loyal defender of the Union in the Civil war and the mother died a short time afterward. They had a family of four children, as follows: Mary, the wife of Albert Miller, of Piper City, Illinois; C. P. of this review; Harriet, who became the wife of John Madden and resides in Colorado; and Alice, the wife of Lon McCann, who lives in Forrest, Illinois.
C. P. Smith acquired his education in the public schools and after putting aside his text-books he worked at common labor until twenty-five years of age, when he rented a farm and has since followed agricultural pursuits, now operating six hundred and forty acres of land on section 31, Lyman township. Ford county. He also owns eighty acres on section 6, Wall township, this county; three hundred and twenty acres in lowa, and six hundred and forty acres in the state of Mississippi. He paid fifty dollars per acre for the latter tract, and now receives an annual rental of twenty-five hundred dollars therefrom. His extensive landed interests make him one of the prosperous and representative citizens of the county, and his success is all the more creditable by reason of the fact that it has been honorably gained, being entirely the result of his untiring industry and straightforward business methods.
On the 22d of February, 1882, Mr. Smith was united in marriage to Miss Elizabeth Phillips, a native of Philadelphia. Her parents, who are now deceased, had a family of four children. Unto our subject and his wife were born the following named: Charles, who is married and operates his father's farm of eighty acres in Wall township; James, Albert and Benjamin, all of whom have passed away; and Phillip, John and Verne, who are still under the parental roof.
In his political views Mr. Smith is a republican but has never sought office, preferring to give his undivided attention to his business affairs. Fraternally he is connected with the Woodmen camp at Melvin and with the Knights of Pythias at the same place, while his religious belief is indicated by his membership in the Methodist Episcopal church, to which his wife also belongs. They are well and favorably known throughout the community as people of genuine personal worth, and during the long period of their residence here have gained the respect and esteem of all with whom they have been associated. His life has been one of continuous activity, in which has been accorded due recognition of labor and today he is numbered among the substantial citizens of his county. Moreover, he is ready at all times to lend his aid and cooperation to any movement calculated to benefit this section of the country or advance its wonderful development.
Extracted 16 Oct 2016 by Norma Hass from History of Ford County, Illinois, From Its Earliest Settlement to 1908, author E. A. Gardner, Volume 2, pages 517-518.
