Henry was the son of David Smalley and Hannah Roff of Warren Township, Somerset County, New Jersey. Henry married Phebe Hand, and the family moved to the town of Romulus, Seneca County, New York before 1820. They moved to the town of Friendship, Allegany County of that state before 1830. They moved to Lodi Township of Washtenaw County, Michigan, before 1840.
The following is from Portrait and Biographical Album of Ingham and Livingston Counties, 1891, page 786-87, a biography of John W. Smalley:
"The father of our subject (subject was John W. Smalley, John's father being David Smalley) was no politician, yet was deeply interested in public affairs and voted the Democratic ticket. He was a sincere and earnest Christian and a believer in the doctrines of the Seventh Day Baptists. His farming operations were unusually successful and he became a man of wealth. He accomplished much serious pioneer work and cleared and improved a large tract of land. His father, Henry Smalley, was a New Jersey man who came West with his son David and remained with him the remainder of his life. He was keenly interested in politics and was a worker for the Democratic party. His death took place on election day and his last words were 'how goes the election?' He had been a Revolutionary soldier and felt a keen interest in the welfare of the country he had helped to free from the British rule."
There is no evidence that Henry served in the Revolutionary War (he would have been too young), but records indicate that Henry's father, David Smalley, did serve in that war from New Jersey.
Election day in 1848 fell on November 7, and was the first time the country observed a uniform election date. Lewis Cass of Michigan (served as governor of the Michigan Territory and US Senator) was the Democratic candidate, and Zachary Taylor was the candidate of the Whig party. A third party, known as the Free-Soil party, nominated former president Martin VanBuren. Enough voters that may have voted for Cass went for VanBuren, costing Cass and the Democrats the election. It's probably a good thing that Henry Smalley did not live to hear the election results.
The following is from Portrait and Biographical Album of Ingham and Livingston Counties, 1891, page 786-87, a biography of John W. Smalley:
"The father of our subject (subject was John W. Smalley, John's father being David Smalley) was no politician, yet was deeply interested in public affairs and voted the Democratic ticket. He was a sincere and earnest Christian and a believer in the doctrines of the Seventh Day Baptists. His farming operations were unusually successful and he became a man of wealth. He accomplished much serious pioneer work and cleared and improved a large tract of land. His father, Henry Smalley, was a New Jersey man who came West with his son David and remained with him the remainder of his life. He was keenly interested in politics and was a worker for the Democratic party. His death took place on election day and his last words were 'how goes the election?' He had been a Revolutionary soldier and felt a keen interest in the welfare of the country he had helped to free from the British rule."
There is no evidence that Henry served in the Revolutionary War (he would have been too young), but records indicate that Henry's father, David Smalley, did serve in that war from New Jersey.
Election day in 1848 fell on November 7, and was the first time the country observed a uniform election date. Lewis Cass of Michigan (served as governor of the Michigan Territory and US Senator) was the Democratic candidate, and Zachary Taylor was the candidate of the Whig party. A third party, known as the Free-Soil party, nominated former president Martin VanBuren. Enough voters that may have voted for Cass went for VanBuren, costing Cass and the Democrats the election. It's probably a good thing that Henry Smalley did not live to hear the election results.
Henry was the son of David Smalley and Hannah Roff of Warren Township, Somerset County, New Jersey. Henry married Phebe Hand, and the family moved to the town of Romulus, Seneca County, New York before 1820. They moved to the town of Friendship, Allegany County of that state before 1830. They moved to Lodi Township of Washtenaw County, Michigan, before 1840.
The following is from Portrait and Biographical Album of Ingham and Livingston Counties, 1891, page 786-87, a biography of John W. Smalley:
"The father of our subject (subject was John W. Smalley, John's father being David Smalley) was no politician, yet was deeply interested in public affairs and voted the Democratic ticket. He was a sincere and earnest Christian and a believer in the doctrines of the Seventh Day Baptists. His farming operations were unusually successful and he became a man of wealth. He accomplished much serious pioneer work and cleared and improved a large tract of land. His father, Henry Smalley, was a New Jersey man who came West with his son David and remained with him the remainder of his life. He was keenly interested in politics and was a worker for the Democratic party. His death took place on election day and his last words were 'how goes the election?' He had been a Revolutionary soldier and felt a keen interest in the welfare of the country he had helped to free from the British rule."
There is no evidence that Henry served in the Revolutionary War (he would have been too young), but records indicate that Henry's father, David Smalley, did serve in that war from New Jersey.
Election day in 1848 fell on November 7, and was the first time the country observed a uniform election date. Lewis Cass of Michigan (served as governor of the Michigan Territory and US Senator) was the Democratic candidate, and Zachary Taylor was the candidate of the Whig party. A third party, known as the Free-Soil party, nominated former president Martin VanBuren. Enough voters that may have voted for Cass went for VanBuren, costing Cass and the Democrats the election. It's probably a good thing that Henry Smalley did not live to hear the election results.
The following is from Portrait and Biographical Album of Ingham and Livingston Counties, 1891, page 786-87, a biography of John W. Smalley:
"The father of our subject (subject was John W. Smalley, John's father being David Smalley) was no politician, yet was deeply interested in public affairs and voted the Democratic ticket. He was a sincere and earnest Christian and a believer in the doctrines of the Seventh Day Baptists. His farming operations were unusually successful and he became a man of wealth. He accomplished much serious pioneer work and cleared and improved a large tract of land. His father, Henry Smalley, was a New Jersey man who came West with his son David and remained with him the remainder of his life. He was keenly interested in politics and was a worker for the Democratic party. His death took place on election day and his last words were 'how goes the election?' He had been a Revolutionary soldier and felt a keen interest in the welfare of the country he had helped to free from the British rule."
There is no evidence that Henry served in the Revolutionary War (he would have been too young), but records indicate that Henry's father, David Smalley, did serve in that war from New Jersey.
Election day in 1848 fell on November 7, and was the first time the country observed a uniform election date. Lewis Cass of Michigan (served as governor of the Michigan Territory and US Senator) was the Democratic candidate, and Zachary Taylor was the candidate of the Whig party. A third party, known as the Free-Soil party, nominated former president Martin VanBuren. Enough voters that may have voted for Cass went for VanBuren, costing Cass and the Democrats the election. It's probably a good thing that Henry Smalley did not live to hear the election results.
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Henry Smalley Died November 2, 1848, aged 82 years
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