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History
of Monona County, Iowa S Unless noted, biographies submitted by Dick Barton. In one of the pretty farm houses in Hartford County , Md. , was born January 1, 1831 , a child who received the name which stands at the head of this sketch, who in after years became one of the pioneers of Ashton Township , in this county, where he has made his home since 1865, on section 12. Mr. Smith is the son of Reuben and Nancy (Farmer) Smith, who were engaged in farming and fruit raising in that section of Maryland . His paternal grandfather was a Spanish creole, born in Louisiana , near New Orleans , and was one of the first that settled down on the Chesapeake Bay . His maternal grandfather, was a native of Shropshire , England , who came to America about the year 1800. John T. received a good common school education in the days of his youth and remained at home until attaining man's estate. Starting out in life for himself he came Westward, and located for sometime at McConnell's Grove, Ind., about twenty-five miles west of Lafayette . From there he went to Chicago , and thence to St. Louis , Mo. From the latter city, he came to Monona County , in 1865, and here took a homestead of eighty acres of land on section 12, Ashton Township , to which he has since added some forty acres on section 13. With him came a man by the name of James Williams, who soon became discouraged, and removed to Dubuque . Mr. Smith immediately broke about forty acres of land, and erected a log cabin, and commenced the development of his place. During the War of the Rebellion, Mr. Smith was in the employ of the Government, having charge of the corrall at Ridgeway , Kan. , during 1862. In 1863, he had charge of a government train, and in 1864, commanded the post train at Ft. Scott . In the spring of 1867, he crossed the plains for Denver , Col. , for B. Stratton, a freighter, in whose employ he continued about three months. The succeeding year he was engaged in the same line of business for himself, and then came back to the farm. His crop that year was considerably injured by the grasshoppers, so, renting his farm, he returned to Denver , and in that city and Omaha made his living for about a year and then returned to Monona County , where he has since made his home. John T. Smith was united in marriage in May, 1858, with Miss Lydia Taylor, a native of Blackhawk County , Iowa , who died in 1860, leaving one child, Charles O., who is engaged in farming in Wright County , Minn.
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