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File contributed to the Fulton County ILGenWeb Project
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Source: Portrait and Biographical Album of Fulton County
Biographical Publishing Co., Chicago, 1890

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The Biography of Capt. Charles A. SMITH 

Pages 698-699, transcribed in full by Karen CRANE Goggin 

[Surnames: BARNES, BEVERIDGE, BROWN, CONVER, CULLOM, INEZ, KNESS, MASON, NANCREEDE, RIDER, ROSS, SMITH, SNYDER] 

    
CAPT. CHARLES A. SMITH. Farmington has its full quota of live business men and the jewelry trade of this place is well represented by Capt. Smith, the enterprising jeweler and expert watchmaker. As his title denotes, Mr. Smith was a military man and was for a long time an officer in company C, of the Fourth Regiment of the Illinois National Guards. 
    
Mr. Smith was born on Miller Street, Philadelphia, Pa., August 12, 1851, his early home standing on the opposite side of the street from that of Charlie Ross, the boy who was so mysteriously kidnapped several years ago. His father, Andrew E. Smith, was born in Pennsylvania. He is a plasterer by trade, and although nearly seventy years of age is a man of exceptional activity and is still following his calling with the diligence of a man of thirty. He is a self-made man, a great reader, and what is more, remembers nearly everything that he reads. Our subject's mother was Mary Ann Nancreede. Her father was Sr. Nancreede, of Philadelphia, Pa., and he was of French extraction. The Smiths were of Swedish descent. The great-grandfather of our subject, Charles Smith, helped to build the first Swedish Church in America and was one of the Colonists who settled on the Delaware. 
    
When a lad of six years the parents of our subject brought him to Farmington, Ill. He attended the public schools of this place and also the High School for one year. He then began to learn the trade of a jeweler, being apprenticed to J. H. Snyder, who at that time was a jeweler in Farmington, and is now of Canton. He worked for him one year when his employer's health failed and he went to California, and our subject went to Elmwood and worked out a regular apprenticeship of two years under F. S. Brown. Mr. Smith then returned to Farmington and worked under Mr. Conver for one year and then went back to Elmwood to take charge of Mr. Brown's jewelry store while the latter took a journey in the East, and he managed it for about nine months. By this time he had acquired a thorough knowledge of his trade and was anxious to set out in the world and make his way for himself. He secured a position at Wyoming, this State, and remained there for some time. He next sought employment in Chicago, but failing in this, came back to Farmington and re-engaged with Mr. Conver. 
    
In the fall of 1872 Mr. Smith went to Wapello, Iowa, and obtained a situation in a jewelry store there. Two years later he left it to go to marble Rock, where he remained a short time and the next fall made his way to the southern part of this State and in Kirkwood was employed by D. K. Kness. By his faithfulness and efficiency he gained the confidence of his employer, and was sent by him to take charge of a branch store at Altoona. He managed it admirably for a period of five years. 
    
While at that place Mr. Smith enlisted in Company C, Fourth Regiment, Illinois National guards. From the rank of private he rose to be Second Lieutenant, holding his commission under Gov. Beveridge, and from Gov. Cullom received a commission as Captain of his company. He possesses fine qualifications for a military man, having a good physique, and has a resolute will, keen perception, a quick understanding and unflinching courage. When he was acting as captain of his company the great railroad strike at St. Louis occurred. The strikers had in view the destruction by fire of the East St. Louis stock yards, railway depot and yards, roundhouses, rolling mills and the bridge across the Mississippi river. Our subject was placed to guard the stock yards all day Sunday. The strikers became more enraged than ever and threatened immediate destruction. No train had crossed the bridge for days and the strikers swore that none should pass, and that in case a company should make an attempt, they said they would blow up the bridge with dynamite. In such an emergency nothing but absolute courage could save the city from destruction, and unless the reader be a military man, and a veteran at that, he will be unable to appreciate the unflinching bravery of Capt. Smith, as in accordance to orders he led his company right into the centre of the bridge, passing through the vast crowd of enraged men, whose oaths and threats filled the air with terror that might have cowed one less resolute. 
    
The St. Louis papers spoke of this daring act of bravery in the highest terms, but unfortunately it appears that the reporters' nerves were so far overcome as to prevent them from getting the correct facts as to the company and its valiant leader, so that their reports of the charge of the bridge and their descriptions of the men and companies engaged were all a sad conglomeration of confusion, and our subject did not get proper credit for what he had done. He remained in St. Louis until the riot was quelled and was next sent with his men to Galesburg to subdue the rioters at that place. Having settled the troubles there, his company and also the Altoona and Kewanee companies went to Kewanee, where an imposing reception was tendered the brave boys who had saved two of Illinois' municipalities from destruction and the State from anarchy. 
    
In the spring of 1879 Mr. Smith came back to Farmington, bringing with him a stock of jewelry, and in the month of June, 1879, opened a well-appointed jewelry store and has since built up a fine business in his line. In State and national politics our subject votes the Republican ticket, but for local offices he supports the man whom he judges to be best qualified for the position. He is prominently identified with the Masonic fraternity, and is at present a member of Farmington Lodge, No. 192, and has held various other important offices in that connection. 
    
Capt. Smith was married in 1876 to Miss Hattie Inez, daughter of Gaylord and Annette (Barnes) Rider. They came to Farmington about thirty years ago from their native Ohio. The father was a cabinet-maker and worked in a shop at Farmington at one time. He is now engaged in mining on the Pacific Slope.. His wife died in 1888, at the age of fifty-six years. They had the following children: Hattie, Sadie, Clara, Ida, Charles Lester, Minnie, who died in infancy Frank, George, Nettie, and Blanche who died when six years old. Clara is the wife of Martin S. Mason, of Farmington, and Charles is a horseman at Syracuse, N. Y. The rest are residing at Farmington. After two years of wedded life Mrs. Smith died at the age of twenty-four years. Mr. Smith subsequently married her sister Sadie, and they have one child--Albert Leon.