Smith Wix Pickard was born September 27, 1795, in Ovid, Cayuga (now Seneca) County, New York, the son of Nicholas and May Linn (Lynn) Pickard. In his youth he learned the Blacksmith trade. He served in the War of 1812 with the 159th Regiment New York Militia. He was ordained about 1814.

Smith married Affa Skeel on November 21, 1816, in Camillus, Onondaga County, New York. Affa was born January 1, 1797, in Warrenburg, Warren County, New York, the daughter of Reverend Abiram and Lydia (Prentice) Skeel. Smith and Affa had the following known children:

1. Jonas L. Pickard (1817-1875)
2. Palmer Pickard (1820-1896)
3. Edwin Eugene Pickard (1821-1907)
4. Lorenzo Dow Pickard (1822-1859)
5. Franklin Pickard (1824-1891)
6. Rachel Amelia (Pickard) Rosenstiel (1827-1907)
7. Jane (Pickard) Rosenstiel (1829-1913)
8. Unknown daughter (1831-?) may have died young
9. Sarah Marie "Sallie" (Pickard) Fowler (1832-1922)
10. Albert Pickard (1836-?)
11. Daniel O. Pickard (1837-1892)
12. Ira O. Pickard (1839-1924)
13. Harlow Simpson Pickard (1842-1888)

In 1821 Smith and Affa bought 50 acres from her parents in Cayuga County, New York. In 1830 they were in Camillus, Onondaga County, New York. In 1838 they left New York traveling for 5 weeks to Lucas County, Ohio where they wintered. In the spring they moved to Stephenson County, Illinois, settling nine miles west of Freeport near Lena. Smith and Affa divorced in 1853 and Smith moved to Wisconsin and settled in Richland County in 1855 where he was a steward of the Richland Center Methodist Society.

Smith then married widow Margaret C. (Grey) McGay in 1853. She was the widow Luke McGay. Margret had a son from her first marriage, J. W. McGay whom was either adopted by Smith or J. W. just assumed the last name of Pickard. He was only 6 years old when Smith and Margaret married.

Smith and Margaret had one son born December 17, 1855. Unfortunately this son was accidentally killed by Smith when he was felling a tree and didn't realize his son had followed him.

According to biographies written on Smith, had always expressed a wish to die while in church just as his mother had. He did just that on October 18, 1874, during the service at the local Presbyterian Church in Richland Center, Richland County, Wisconsin.