Leander Smith was born the 29th of April, 1814 in Rutland County, Vermont, the fourth child of John Smith and Hannah Ingalls. Hannah was enumerated as head of household in 1830 with two males and a female living in Rutland County, Vermont. Their ages fit John, Leander, and Clarissa. Rebecca was enumerated with her husband in New York in 1830.
The Leander Smith family oral tradition is that Leander and his older brother, John Smith, worked in the granite pits in Vermont where they earned enough money to make their way to Cincinnati, Hamilton County, Ohio after 1830 and then to Ripley County, Indiana before 1836 when Leander purchased a quarter section of land from the government 14 Jun 1836.
A newspaper clipping about Leander says, "He came to Ripley County when a young man. He walked down from Cinncinati, carrying his wordly goods tied in a small red handkerchief. As soon as he came to the Stringtown neighborhood he espied Anna Cochran Sutton, who was born Nov. 15, 1812. She had red hair and Leander thought she was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen, so resolved to make her his wife."
Leander, John, and their mother, Hannah were all enumerated living in Indiana in the 1840 census. Leander's sister, Clarissa Smith married James Henry Walker 4 July 1830 in Rutland County, Vermont and James stated on the marriage record that he resided in Sparta, Dearborn County, Indiana. James and Clarissa Walker were living in Indiana by 1832 when their second son was born and were also enumerated there in 1840. Did Leander travel to Indiana before 1830 to scout the area and meet up with James before James' return to Vermont for his marriage or did he travel from Cinncinati to Indiana and travel with James Walker scouting out Indiana after his sister and James had moved to Indiana. It is unknown if the Smith Family went with James and Clarissa Walker when they moved to Indiana from Vermont or if they came later.
According to the James Henry Walker family oral history as told by one of his great grandchildren, James H. Walker left Rutland County, Vermont at the age of 15, about 1825 and started West where he made camp near the headwaters of the North Fork of the Ohio River in New York; he lived alone in the wilderness with his two dogs for about 3 years. He then floated down the Ohio on his raft to Aurora, Indiana and followed an Indian trail to Ripley County, Indiana. James then returned to Rutland County, Vermont where he married Clarisea/Clarissa Smith 4 July 1830.
The Walker oral history is that both James Walker and Leander Smith said "they started out for a new location that would suit them. They came to where East St. Louis is now. They built a shelter camp and stayed two weeks. (I heard them both tell this story. They told it the same.) Leander said he woke up about 4:00 and was studying over what he had seen. He concluded to go back to Lawrenceburg to take out papers on the piece of land where they built their shelter camp and left what they did not want to carry with them. They got up and fixed themselves something to eat through the day so they would not have to stop until night. As soon as it was light enough, James went up the Mississippi. Leander went for Lawrenceburg." James continued his journey for nearly a year more ending back in Rutland, Vermont where he married Leander's sister.
Leander bought his land at about $1.50 an acre in Ripley County, Indiana, south of Pierceville where they lived in a small log house. Here they cleared the land, farmed, and raised hay. In 1850 he and John built a large brick house above the little log house, on a hilltop on 450 E about one and half miles south of Pierceville; it became known as the Smith house, .
John Ingals Smith was killed by a falling tree 9 June 1851 and was buried in the Smith Universalist Cemetery in Stringtown (Milan), four miles south of Pierceville, Ripley County, Indiana. He never married.
Leander married 1) Anna Cochran Sutton the 26th of April, 1837 in Ripley County, Indiana. She was born the 15th of November, 1812 in Cleves, Hamilton County, Ohio to Reuben Sutton and Mary Eleanor Laentye/Laentje Miller. It is believed Reuben was Irish and Mary was perhaps of Dutch ancestry.
Leander and Anna lived the rest of their lives in the Smith house on their farm in Washington Township, Ripley County, Indiana raising eight sons and one daughter as evidenced by their census records in 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, and 1880.
The money Leander and Anna made from the sale of hay was used to buy other land. They accumulated eight or nine farms, which they gave to all their children except Seth who received money instead since he was uninterested in farming. Leander also paid for substitutes to fight in the Civil War for both his two oldest sons, Martin and Seth since they had families at the time. All their offspring settled in Ripley County, Indiana. Anna died the 10th of October, 1885 in Stringtown, Ripley County, Indiana and is buried in the Smith Universalist Cemetery in Stringtown (Milan), Ripley County, Indiana.
After Anna's death, Leander married 2) Florence Belle Tucker the 19th of November, 1885 in Washington Township, Ripley County, Indiana. She was born the 15th of January, 1862 in Ripley County, Indiana. Leander died two years later, the 17th of February, 1887 in Stringtown, Ripley County, Indiana, at the age of 75 and is buried in the Smith Universalist Cemetery in Stringtown (Milan), Ripley County, Indiana. Florence died the 22nd of May, 1925 in Franklin Township, Ripley County, Indiana and is buried in Pleasant Hill Cemetery, Johnson Township, Ripley County, Indiana.
Written by Susan Kimes Burgess, July 16, 2003, edited and amended December 28, 2023
The Leander Smith family oral tradition is that Leander and his older brother, John Smith, worked in the granite pits in Vermont where they earned enough money to make their way to Cincinnati, Hamilton County, Ohio after 1830 and then to Ripley County, Indiana before 1836 when Leander purchased a quarter section of land from the government 14 Jun 1836.
A newspaper clipping about Leander says, "He came to Ripley County when a young man. He walked down from Cinncinati, carrying his wordly goods tied in a small red handkerchief. As soon as he came to the Stringtown neighborhood he espied Anna Cochran Sutton, who was born Nov. 15, 1812. She had red hair and Leander thought she was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen, so resolved to make her his wife."
Leander, John, and their mother, Hannah were all enumerated living in Indiana in the 1840 census. Leander's sister, Clarissa Smith married James Henry Walker 4 July 1830 in Rutland County, Vermont and James stated on the marriage record that he resided in Sparta, Dearborn County, Indiana. James and Clarissa Walker were living in Indiana by 1832 when their second son was born and were also enumerated there in 1840. Did Leander travel to Indiana before 1830 to scout the area and meet up with James before James' return to Vermont for his marriage or did he travel from Cinncinati to Indiana and travel with James Walker scouting out Indiana after his sister and James had moved to Indiana. It is unknown if the Smith Family went with James and Clarissa Walker when they moved to Indiana from Vermont or if they came later.
According to the James Henry Walker family oral history as told by one of his great grandchildren, James H. Walker left Rutland County, Vermont at the age of 15, about 1825 and started West where he made camp near the headwaters of the North Fork of the Ohio River in New York; he lived alone in the wilderness with his two dogs for about 3 years. He then floated down the Ohio on his raft to Aurora, Indiana and followed an Indian trail to Ripley County, Indiana. James then returned to Rutland County, Vermont where he married Clarisea/Clarissa Smith 4 July 1830.
The Walker oral history is that both James Walker and Leander Smith said "they started out for a new location that would suit them. They came to where East St. Louis is now. They built a shelter camp and stayed two weeks. (I heard them both tell this story. They told it the same.) Leander said he woke up about 4:00 and was studying over what he had seen. He concluded to go back to Lawrenceburg to take out papers on the piece of land where they built their shelter camp and left what they did not want to carry with them. They got up and fixed themselves something to eat through the day so they would not have to stop until night. As soon as it was light enough, James went up the Mississippi. Leander went for Lawrenceburg." James continued his journey for nearly a year more ending back in Rutland, Vermont where he married Leander's sister.
Leander bought his land at about $1.50 an acre in Ripley County, Indiana, south of Pierceville where they lived in a small log house. Here they cleared the land, farmed, and raised hay. In 1850 he and John built a large brick house above the little log house, on a hilltop on 450 E about one and half miles south of Pierceville; it became known as the Smith house, .
John Ingals Smith was killed by a falling tree 9 June 1851 and was buried in the Smith Universalist Cemetery in Stringtown (Milan), four miles south of Pierceville, Ripley County, Indiana. He never married.
Leander married 1) Anna Cochran Sutton the 26th of April, 1837 in Ripley County, Indiana. She was born the 15th of November, 1812 in Cleves, Hamilton County, Ohio to Reuben Sutton and Mary Eleanor Laentye/Laentje Miller. It is believed Reuben was Irish and Mary was perhaps of Dutch ancestry.
Leander and Anna lived the rest of their lives in the Smith house on their farm in Washington Township, Ripley County, Indiana raising eight sons and one daughter as evidenced by their census records in 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, and 1880.
The money Leander and Anna made from the sale of hay was used to buy other land. They accumulated eight or nine farms, which they gave to all their children except Seth who received money instead since he was uninterested in farming. Leander also paid for substitutes to fight in the Civil War for both his two oldest sons, Martin and Seth since they had families at the time. All their offspring settled in Ripley County, Indiana. Anna died the 10th of October, 1885 in Stringtown, Ripley County, Indiana and is buried in the Smith Universalist Cemetery in Stringtown (Milan), Ripley County, Indiana.
After Anna's death, Leander married 2) Florence Belle Tucker the 19th of November, 1885 in Washington Township, Ripley County, Indiana. She was born the 15th of January, 1862 in Ripley County, Indiana. Leander died two years later, the 17th of February, 1887 in Stringtown, Ripley County, Indiana, at the age of 75 and is buried in the Smith Universalist Cemetery in Stringtown (Milan), Ripley County, Indiana. Florence died the 22nd of May, 1925 in Franklin Township, Ripley County, Indiana and is buried in Pleasant Hill Cemetery, Johnson Township, Ripley County, Indiana.
Written by Susan Kimes Burgess, July 16, 2003, edited and amended December 28, 2023
Leander Smith was born the 29th of April, 1814 in Rutland County, Vermont, the fourth child of John Smith and Hannah Ingalls. Hannah was enumerated as head of household in 1830 with two males and a female living in Rutland County, Vermont. Their ages fit John, Leander, and Clarissa. Rebecca was enumerated with her husband in New York in 1830.
The Leander Smith family oral tradition is that Leander and his older brother, John Smith, worked in the granite pits in Vermont where they earned enough money to make their way to Cincinnati, Hamilton County, Ohio after 1830 and then to Ripley County, Indiana before 1836 when Leander purchased a quarter section of land from the government 14 Jun 1836.
A newspaper clipping about Leander says, "He came to Ripley County when a young man. He walked down from Cinncinati, carrying his wordly goods tied in a small red handkerchief. As soon as he came to the Stringtown neighborhood he espied Anna Cochran Sutton, who was born Nov. 15, 1812. She had red hair and Leander thought she was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen, so resolved to make her his wife."
Leander, John, and their mother, Hannah were all enumerated living in Indiana in the 1840 census. Leander's sister, Clarissa Smith married James Henry Walker 4 July 1830 in Rutland County, Vermont and James stated on the marriage record that he resided in Sparta, Dearborn County, Indiana. James and Clarissa Walker were living in Indiana by 1832 when their second son was born and were also enumerated there in 1840. Did Leander travel to Indiana before 1830 to scout the area and meet up with James before James' return to Vermont for his marriage or did he travel from Cinncinati to Indiana and travel with James Walker scouting out Indiana after his sister and James had moved to Indiana. It is unknown if the Smith Family went with James and Clarissa Walker when they moved to Indiana from Vermont or if they came later.
According to the James Henry Walker family oral history as told by one of his great grandchildren, James H. Walker left Rutland County, Vermont at the age of 15, about 1825 and started West where he made camp near the headwaters of the North Fork of the Ohio River in New York; he lived alone in the wilderness with his two dogs for about 3 years. He then floated down the Ohio on his raft to Aurora, Indiana and followed an Indian trail to Ripley County, Indiana. James then returned to Rutland County, Vermont where he married Clarisea/Clarissa Smith 4 July 1830.
The Walker oral history is that both James Walker and Leander Smith said "they started out for a new location that would suit them. They came to where East St. Louis is now. They built a shelter camp and stayed two weeks. (I heard them both tell this story. They told it the same.) Leander said he woke up about 4:00 and was studying over what he had seen. He concluded to go back to Lawrenceburg to take out papers on the piece of land where they built their shelter camp and left what they did not want to carry with them. They got up and fixed themselves something to eat through the day so they would not have to stop until night. As soon as it was light enough, James went up the Mississippi. Leander went for Lawrenceburg." James continued his journey for nearly a year more ending back in Rutland, Vermont where he married Leander's sister.
Leander bought his land at about $1.50 an acre in Ripley County, Indiana, south of Pierceville where they lived in a small log house. Here they cleared the land, farmed, and raised hay. In 1850 he and John built a large brick house above the little log house, on a hilltop on 450 E about one and half miles south of Pierceville; it became known as the Smith house, .
John Ingals Smith was killed by a falling tree 9 June 1851 and was buried in the Smith Universalist Cemetery in Stringtown (Milan), four miles south of Pierceville, Ripley County, Indiana. He never married.
Leander married 1) Anna Cochran Sutton the 26th of April, 1837 in Ripley County, Indiana. She was born the 15th of November, 1812 in Cleves, Hamilton County, Ohio to Reuben Sutton and Mary Eleanor Laentye/Laentje Miller. It is believed Reuben was Irish and Mary was perhaps of Dutch ancestry.
Leander and Anna lived the rest of their lives in the Smith house on their farm in Washington Township, Ripley County, Indiana raising eight sons and one daughter as evidenced by their census records in 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, and 1880.
The money Leander and Anna made from the sale of hay was used to buy other land. They accumulated eight or nine farms, which they gave to all their children except Seth who received money instead since he was uninterested in farming. Leander also paid for substitutes to fight in the Civil War for both his two oldest sons, Martin and Seth since they had families at the time. All their offspring settled in Ripley County, Indiana. Anna died the 10th of October, 1885 in Stringtown, Ripley County, Indiana and is buried in the Smith Universalist Cemetery in Stringtown (Milan), Ripley County, Indiana.
After Anna's death, Leander married 2) Florence Belle Tucker the 19th of November, 1885 in Washington Township, Ripley County, Indiana. She was born the 15th of January, 1862 in Ripley County, Indiana. Leander died two years later, the 17th of February, 1887 in Stringtown, Ripley County, Indiana, at the age of 75 and is buried in the Smith Universalist Cemetery in Stringtown (Milan), Ripley County, Indiana. Florence died the 22nd of May, 1925 in Franklin Township, Ripley County, Indiana and is buried in Pleasant Hill Cemetery, Johnson Township, Ripley County, Indiana.
Written by Susan Kimes Burgess, July 16, 2003, edited and amended December 28, 2023
The Leander Smith family oral tradition is that Leander and his older brother, John Smith, worked in the granite pits in Vermont where they earned enough money to make their way to Cincinnati, Hamilton County, Ohio after 1830 and then to Ripley County, Indiana before 1836 when Leander purchased a quarter section of land from the government 14 Jun 1836.
A newspaper clipping about Leander says, "He came to Ripley County when a young man. He walked down from Cinncinati, carrying his wordly goods tied in a small red handkerchief. As soon as he came to the Stringtown neighborhood he espied Anna Cochran Sutton, who was born Nov. 15, 1812. She had red hair and Leander thought she was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen, so resolved to make her his wife."
Leander, John, and their mother, Hannah were all enumerated living in Indiana in the 1840 census. Leander's sister, Clarissa Smith married James Henry Walker 4 July 1830 in Rutland County, Vermont and James stated on the marriage record that he resided in Sparta, Dearborn County, Indiana. James and Clarissa Walker were living in Indiana by 1832 when their second son was born and were also enumerated there in 1840. Did Leander travel to Indiana before 1830 to scout the area and meet up with James before James' return to Vermont for his marriage or did he travel from Cinncinati to Indiana and travel with James Walker scouting out Indiana after his sister and James had moved to Indiana. It is unknown if the Smith Family went with James and Clarissa Walker when they moved to Indiana from Vermont or if they came later.
According to the James Henry Walker family oral history as told by one of his great grandchildren, James H. Walker left Rutland County, Vermont at the age of 15, about 1825 and started West where he made camp near the headwaters of the North Fork of the Ohio River in New York; he lived alone in the wilderness with his two dogs for about 3 years. He then floated down the Ohio on his raft to Aurora, Indiana and followed an Indian trail to Ripley County, Indiana. James then returned to Rutland County, Vermont where he married Clarisea/Clarissa Smith 4 July 1830.
The Walker oral history is that both James Walker and Leander Smith said "they started out for a new location that would suit them. They came to where East St. Louis is now. They built a shelter camp and stayed two weeks. (I heard them both tell this story. They told it the same.) Leander said he woke up about 4:00 and was studying over what he had seen. He concluded to go back to Lawrenceburg to take out papers on the piece of land where they built their shelter camp and left what they did not want to carry with them. They got up and fixed themselves something to eat through the day so they would not have to stop until night. As soon as it was light enough, James went up the Mississippi. Leander went for Lawrenceburg." James continued his journey for nearly a year more ending back in Rutland, Vermont where he married Leander's sister.
Leander bought his land at about $1.50 an acre in Ripley County, Indiana, south of Pierceville where they lived in a small log house. Here they cleared the land, farmed, and raised hay. In 1850 he and John built a large brick house above the little log house, on a hilltop on 450 E about one and half miles south of Pierceville; it became known as the Smith house, .
John Ingals Smith was killed by a falling tree 9 June 1851 and was buried in the Smith Universalist Cemetery in Stringtown (Milan), four miles south of Pierceville, Ripley County, Indiana. He never married.
Leander married 1) Anna Cochran Sutton the 26th of April, 1837 in Ripley County, Indiana. She was born the 15th of November, 1812 in Cleves, Hamilton County, Ohio to Reuben Sutton and Mary Eleanor Laentye/Laentje Miller. It is believed Reuben was Irish and Mary was perhaps of Dutch ancestry.
Leander and Anna lived the rest of their lives in the Smith house on their farm in Washington Township, Ripley County, Indiana raising eight sons and one daughter as evidenced by their census records in 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, and 1880.
The money Leander and Anna made from the sale of hay was used to buy other land. They accumulated eight or nine farms, which they gave to all their children except Seth who received money instead since he was uninterested in farming. Leander also paid for substitutes to fight in the Civil War for both his two oldest sons, Martin and Seth since they had families at the time. All their offspring settled in Ripley County, Indiana. Anna died the 10th of October, 1885 in Stringtown, Ripley County, Indiana and is buried in the Smith Universalist Cemetery in Stringtown (Milan), Ripley County, Indiana.
After Anna's death, Leander married 2) Florence Belle Tucker the 19th of November, 1885 in Washington Township, Ripley County, Indiana. She was born the 15th of January, 1862 in Ripley County, Indiana. Leander died two years later, the 17th of February, 1887 in Stringtown, Ripley County, Indiana, at the age of 75 and is buried in the Smith Universalist Cemetery in Stringtown (Milan), Ripley County, Indiana. Florence died the 22nd of May, 1925 in Franklin Township, Ripley County, Indiana and is buried in Pleasant Hill Cemetery, Johnson Township, Ripley County, Indiana.
Written by Susan Kimes Burgess, July 16, 2003, edited and amended December 28, 2023
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