After an illness of about six weeks which, however, was but the culmination of ailments from which he has not been free for a number of years, Eugene Smith died at his residence in this city last Thursday morning. His last illness manifested itself in a derangement of the liver which sapped his strength and opened the way for an attack of pneumonia which was the final cause of his death. Up to the preceding day he retained full consciousness, and bore his suffering in an uncomplaining manner which had always been characteristic of him during his life. Mr. Smith was born at Amherst, Mass., July 26th, 1821, and came to St. Clair with his parents in 1836, a boy of 15 years of age. The family settled just below the present city limits and in the same year his father built a saw mill of which on his death nine years ago later Eugene, then 24 years of age, took the management. The responsibility of the business and the care of the family, consisting of his mother and seven children, now devolved upon him, and to this trust he proved faithful in a most praiseworthy manner, and always entertained for the younger children a regard more like that of a father than a brother. An instance of this interest was displayed in the construction for his sister Orra, then a remarkably successful teacher, of a building for a private school which however, she carried on but about a year when death terminated her useful labors. His disposition to be generous in all that he died, a characteristic for which he was always distinguished, showed itself in this building which must have been very pretentious in those days, and which was afterwards made over into the residence which he occupied himself after his marriage and continued to live in up to the time of his death. In 1855 Mr. Smith married Margaret R. Goffe, of Bedford, N. H., a niece of Mrs. Reuben Moore.
After discontinuing operations at the mill built by his father Mr. Smith continued in the lumber business in its various branches up to the year 1881, a portion of the time renting what was known as the Trusdail mill in this city. In carrying on his business he displayed an untiring energy and shrank from no hardship or exposure which seemed called for in the line of his duty. His arduous labors undoubtedly told upon his health and probably brought on a stroke of paralysis which he suffered in 1881. At about that time he retired from the lumber business and since then has devoted himself largely to farming, although he had always been interested in that occupation and for a number of years had had two large farms one near Smiths Creek, the other about three miles north of this city on the river. He was very fond of fine stock and had collected and bred quite a herd of fancy cattle and a number of blooded horses. For a good many years he had been more or less interested in vessel property and as long as twenty years ago had built two vessels in St. Clair, the M.. R. Goffe and Hemisphere. During the last two years he had taken an increased interest in this kind of property and owned a controlling interest in the Kaliyuga which was launched last year and in the barge designed for her consort now on the stocks at the shipyard here. Mr. Smith was a man of remarkable force of character and seldom failed to carry through any project which he undertook. He was independent in his views, tenacious of his opinions and could never be swerved from his course by a fear that he would sacrifice his property. On this account he frequently made enemies temporarily, but his honesty was so unquestioned and his judgement so reliable that he always exercised an unusually prominent influence in the community. During the years from 1857 to 1872 he was six times elected to the office of supervisor and was the third person elected to the office of mayor of this city.
Perhaps no where did his character show to better advantage than in his family life where he was a devoted husband and father, and the same interest extended even to his grand children of whom he was very fond. He left a wife, and three chidlren, Mrs. Capt. H. S. Dale, Geo. B. Smith and Frederick H. Smith. He had also four brothers, D. C. Smith and Wm. Smith, of Brockway in this county, Lyman B. Smith, of Tawas City, Geo. G. Smith of Spokane Falls, Washington territory and one sister, Mrs. Geo. W. Carleton, of Marysville. All these were at this bedside when he died except George G. Smith the distance of whose residence from here made it impracticable. The funeral services were conducted by Rev. W. B. Millard at the Congregational church, of which Mr. Smith had always been a faithful attendant, on Sunday afternoon in the presence of an audience which filled the room to overflowing, very many of whom had been the recipients of substantial favors at his hands and all of whom realized that the community had lost one who had contributed more than is ordinarily alloted to one individual toward the advancement of the place and the promotion of its interests. Mr. Smith left no will and his estate which is probably worth upwards of a hundred and fifty thousand dollars becomes the property of his wife and children according to the laws of the state.
Mrs. Smith and the other members of the family wish to thank their friends and neighbors for many acts of kindness and expression of sympathy so freely and cordially tendered them during the illness of Mrs. Smith and in connection with the funeral services.
Contributor: AmyKey (49637826)
After discontinuing operations at the mill built by his father Mr. Smith continued in the lumber business in its various branches up to the year 1881, a portion of the time renting what was known as the Trusdail mill in this city. In carrying on his business he displayed an untiring energy and shrank from no hardship or exposure which seemed called for in the line of his duty. His arduous labors undoubtedly told upon his health and probably brought on a stroke of paralysis which he suffered in 1881. At about that time he retired from the lumber business and since then has devoted himself largely to farming, although he had always been interested in that occupation and for a number of years had had two large farms one near Smiths Creek, the other about three miles north of this city on the river. He was very fond of fine stock and had collected and bred quite a herd of fancy cattle and a number of blooded horses. For a good many years he had been more or less interested in vessel property and as long as twenty years ago had built two vessels in St. Clair, the M.. R. Goffe and Hemisphere. During the last two years he had taken an increased interest in this kind of property and owned a controlling interest in the Kaliyuga which was launched last year and in the barge designed for her consort now on the stocks at the shipyard here. Mr. Smith was a man of remarkable force of character and seldom failed to carry through any project which he undertook. He was independent in his views, tenacious of his opinions and could never be swerved from his course by a fear that he would sacrifice his property. On this account he frequently made enemies temporarily, but his honesty was so unquestioned and his judgement so reliable that he always exercised an unusually prominent influence in the community. During the years from 1857 to 1872 he was six times elected to the office of supervisor and was the third person elected to the office of mayor of this city.
Perhaps no where did his character show to better advantage than in his family life where he was a devoted husband and father, and the same interest extended even to his grand children of whom he was very fond. He left a wife, and three chidlren, Mrs. Capt. H. S. Dale, Geo. B. Smith and Frederick H. Smith. He had also four brothers, D. C. Smith and Wm. Smith, of Brockway in this county, Lyman B. Smith, of Tawas City, Geo. G. Smith of Spokane Falls, Washington territory and one sister, Mrs. Geo. W. Carleton, of Marysville. All these were at this bedside when he died except George G. Smith the distance of whose residence from here made it impracticable. The funeral services were conducted by Rev. W. B. Millard at the Congregational church, of which Mr. Smith had always been a faithful attendant, on Sunday afternoon in the presence of an audience which filled the room to overflowing, very many of whom had been the recipients of substantial favors at his hands and all of whom realized that the community had lost one who had contributed more than is ordinarily alloted to one individual toward the advancement of the place and the promotion of its interests. Mr. Smith left no will and his estate which is probably worth upwards of a hundred and fifty thousand dollars becomes the property of his wife and children according to the laws of the state.
Mrs. Smith and the other members of the family wish to thank their friends and neighbors for many acts of kindness and expression of sympathy so freely and cordially tendered them during the illness of Mrs. Smith and in connection with the funeral services.
Contributor: AmyKey (49637826)
After an illness of about six weeks which, however, was but the culmination of ailments from which he has not been free for a number of years, Eugene Smith died at his residence in this city last Thursday morning. His last illness manifested itself in a derangement of the liver which sapped his strength and opened the way for an attack of pneumonia which was the final cause of his death. Up to the preceding day he retained full consciousness, and bore his suffering in an uncomplaining manner which had always been characteristic of him during his life. Mr. Smith was born at Amherst, Mass., July 26th, 1821, and came to St. Clair with his parents in 1836, a boy of 15 years of age. The family settled just below the present city limits and in the same year his father built a saw mill of which on his death nine years ago later Eugene, then 24 years of age, took the management. The responsibility of the business and the care of the family, consisting of his mother and seven children, now devolved upon him, and to this trust he proved faithful in a most praiseworthy manner, and always entertained for the younger children a regard more like that of a father than a brother. An instance of this interest was displayed in the construction for his sister Orra, then a remarkably successful teacher, of a building for a private school which however, she carried on but about a year when death terminated her useful labors. His disposition to be generous in all that he died, a characteristic for which he was always distinguished, showed itself in this building which must have been very pretentious in those days, and which was afterwards made over into the residence which he occupied himself after his marriage and continued to live in up to the time of his death. In 1855 Mr. Smith married Margaret R. Goffe, of Bedford, N. H., a niece of Mrs. Reuben Moore.
After discontinuing operations at the mill built by his father Mr. Smith continued in the lumber business in its various branches up to the year 1881, a portion of the time renting what was known as the Trusdail mill in this city. In carrying on his business he displayed an untiring energy and shrank from no hardship or exposure which seemed called for in the line of his duty. His arduous labors undoubtedly told upon his health and probably brought on a stroke of paralysis which he suffered in 1881. At about that time he retired from the lumber business and since then has devoted himself largely to farming, although he had always been interested in that occupation and for a number of years had had two large farms one near Smiths Creek, the other about three miles north of this city on the river. He was very fond of fine stock and had collected and bred quite a herd of fancy cattle and a number of blooded horses. For a good many years he had been more or less interested in vessel property and as long as twenty years ago had built two vessels in St. Clair, the M.. R. Goffe and Hemisphere. During the last two years he had taken an increased interest in this kind of property and owned a controlling interest in the Kaliyuga which was launched last year and in the barge designed for her consort now on the stocks at the shipyard here. Mr. Smith was a man of remarkable force of character and seldom failed to carry through any project which he undertook. He was independent in his views, tenacious of his opinions and could never be swerved from his course by a fear that he would sacrifice his property. On this account he frequently made enemies temporarily, but his honesty was so unquestioned and his judgement so reliable that he always exercised an unusually prominent influence in the community. During the years from 1857 to 1872 he was six times elected to the office of supervisor and was the third person elected to the office of mayor of this city.
Perhaps no where did his character show to better advantage than in his family life where he was a devoted husband and father, and the same interest extended even to his grand children of whom he was very fond. He left a wife, and three chidlren, Mrs. Capt. H. S. Dale, Geo. B. Smith and Frederick H. Smith. He had also four brothers, D. C. Smith and Wm. Smith, of Brockway in this county, Lyman B. Smith, of Tawas City, Geo. G. Smith of Spokane Falls, Washington territory and one sister, Mrs. Geo. W. Carleton, of Marysville. All these were at this bedside when he died except George G. Smith the distance of whose residence from here made it impracticable. The funeral services were conducted by Rev. W. B. Millard at the Congregational church, of which Mr. Smith had always been a faithful attendant, on Sunday afternoon in the presence of an audience which filled the room to overflowing, very many of whom had been the recipients of substantial favors at his hands and all of whom realized that the community had lost one who had contributed more than is ordinarily alloted to one individual toward the advancement of the place and the promotion of its interests. Mr. Smith left no will and his estate which is probably worth upwards of a hundred and fifty thousand dollars becomes the property of his wife and children according to the laws of the state.
Mrs. Smith and the other members of the family wish to thank their friends and neighbors for many acts of kindness and expression of sympathy so freely and cordially tendered them during the illness of Mrs. Smith and in connection with the funeral services.
Contributor: AmyKey (49637826)
After discontinuing operations at the mill built by his father Mr. Smith continued in the lumber business in its various branches up to the year 1881, a portion of the time renting what was known as the Trusdail mill in this city. In carrying on his business he displayed an untiring energy and shrank from no hardship or exposure which seemed called for in the line of his duty. His arduous labors undoubtedly told upon his health and probably brought on a stroke of paralysis which he suffered in 1881. At about that time he retired from the lumber business and since then has devoted himself largely to farming, although he had always been interested in that occupation and for a number of years had had two large farms one near Smiths Creek, the other about three miles north of this city on the river. He was very fond of fine stock and had collected and bred quite a herd of fancy cattle and a number of blooded horses. For a good many years he had been more or less interested in vessel property and as long as twenty years ago had built two vessels in St. Clair, the M.. R. Goffe and Hemisphere. During the last two years he had taken an increased interest in this kind of property and owned a controlling interest in the Kaliyuga which was launched last year and in the barge designed for her consort now on the stocks at the shipyard here. Mr. Smith was a man of remarkable force of character and seldom failed to carry through any project which he undertook. He was independent in his views, tenacious of his opinions and could never be swerved from his course by a fear that he would sacrifice his property. On this account he frequently made enemies temporarily, but his honesty was so unquestioned and his judgement so reliable that he always exercised an unusually prominent influence in the community. During the years from 1857 to 1872 he was six times elected to the office of supervisor and was the third person elected to the office of mayor of this city.
Perhaps no where did his character show to better advantage than in his family life where he was a devoted husband and father, and the same interest extended even to his grand children of whom he was very fond. He left a wife, and three chidlren, Mrs. Capt. H. S. Dale, Geo. B. Smith and Frederick H. Smith. He had also four brothers, D. C. Smith and Wm. Smith, of Brockway in this county, Lyman B. Smith, of Tawas City, Geo. G. Smith of Spokane Falls, Washington territory and one sister, Mrs. Geo. W. Carleton, of Marysville. All these were at this bedside when he died except George G. Smith the distance of whose residence from here made it impracticable. The funeral services were conducted by Rev. W. B. Millard at the Congregational church, of which Mr. Smith had always been a faithful attendant, on Sunday afternoon in the presence of an audience which filled the room to overflowing, very many of whom had been the recipients of substantial favors at his hands and all of whom realized that the community had lost one who had contributed more than is ordinarily alloted to one individual toward the advancement of the place and the promotion of its interests. Mr. Smith left no will and his estate which is probably worth upwards of a hundred and fifty thousand dollars becomes the property of his wife and children according to the laws of the state.
Mrs. Smith and the other members of the family wish to thank their friends and neighbors for many acts of kindness and expression of sympathy so freely and cordially tendered them during the illness of Mrs. Smith and in connection with the funeral services.
Contributor: AmyKey (49637826)
Family Members
Siblings
Advertisement
Advertisement
