Frank J. Smith, mayor of the city of Le Mars and one of the best-known real-estate dealers in northwestern Iowa, is a native of Dominion of Canada, but has been a resident of Iowa since he was fourteen years of age.  He was born in Ontario on August 6, 1863, son of James and Sarah (McGilbery) Smith, the former a native of Canada and the latter of the Isle of Mull, Scotland, both of whom spent their last days in Iowa.  It was about the year 1877 that the Smiths moved from Canada to this state, locating on a farm in Buena Vista county, where James Smith died a few months later.  His widow survived him many years, her death occurring in 1913.  They were the parents of eight children, of whom Mrs. Mary Keller is the only one besides the subject of this sketch residing in Plymouth county.

As noted above, Frank J. Smith was about fourteen years of age when his parents moved to this state from Canada with their children and he grew to manhood on the home farm in Buena Vista county, completing his schooling in the schools of that county.  He remained in Buena Vista county for eight years, a part of the time farming and a part of the time engaged in the hardware business, and in 1893, about four years after his marriage, moved to Le Mars, where he ever since has made his home.  For some little time after locating at Le Mars Mr. Smith followed various pursuits, working at the Plymouth mills for a time and for eight years served on the police force.  He then took up the real estate business, in which he ever since had been engaged and in which he has been quite successful.  In the spring of 1915 Mr. Smith was elected, as the nominee of the Democratic party, mayor of Le Mars and is now serving as the city's chief executive.  In his fraternal relations he is a member of the Modern Woodmen.

It was on March 5, 1889, that Frank J. Smith was united in marriage to Lillian Lambert, of Le Mars, and to this union four children have been born, Vera, Maude, Florence and Ruth.

George Spies, a well-known and substantial farmer of Plymouth township, was born on the farm on which he is now living and has lived there all his life, having a very proper right therefore to regard himself as one of the pioneers of Plymouth county, though still a comparatively young man. He was born on April 28, 1874, son of Jacob and Caroline (Smith) Spies, pioneers of the county, who are now living comfortably retired in the city of Le Mars, the county seat, where they have been living since 1900 and where they are very pleasantly situated. In a biographical sketch relating to Jacob Spies, presented elsewhere in the volume, there is set out at some length something of the history of the Spies family in this county, to which the attention of the reader is invited for further information in this connection relating to the genealogy of the subject of this sketch. Suffice it to say here that Jacob Spies was born in Germany and lived there until fifteen years of age, when he came to this country and settled at Baltimore, where he followed the trade of tailor and where he married and made his home until he came to this county in the early seventies and settled on a farm in Plymouth township, where he lived until his retirement, as noted above. To him and his wife ten children were born, of whom but three are now living, those besides the subject of this sketch being Albert, who married Matilda Koenig and has seven children, and Reuben, who married Dora Sternburg and has seven children.

George Spies was reared on the farm on which he was born and received his schooling in the district school of that neighborhood. He grew up to the life of the farm and from the days of his boyhood was a valued assistant to his father in the labors of improving and developing the farm. He was married in 1899 and established his home on the old home place, his parents retiring from the farm at that time and moving to Le Mars. Mr. Spies is now farming one hundred and fifty acres and in addition to his general farming gives considerable attention to the raising of live stock, in which latter he had been quite successful. He is a Republican and takes an earnest interest in local civic affairs.

In 1899 George Spies was united in marriage to Kate Blecker, a daughter of August Blecker and wife, and to this union four children have been born, Fern, Earl, Dwight and Leland. Mr. and Mrs. Spies are members of the United Evangelical church and take a proper interest in church affairs. Mr. Spies is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, past noble grand of the local lodge, and takes a warm interest in the affairs of that order as well as in the general affairs of his community, helping in promoting all good causes thereabout.

Jacob Spies

Another of the enterprising Germans who left his native land with all its sacred associations and memories and traditions for a home in the New World, where better opportunities for the man of humble origin exist, is Jacob Spies, who, after a successful career as a tailor and farmer and stock raiser, is living in honorable retirement in his pleasant home in Le Mars. Mr. Spies was born in Westphalia, Germany, October 21, 1835, and is therefore now eighty-one years of age, but is still active and in possession of his faculties, as a result of a carefully spent life. He is a son of George and Catherine Spies, both natives of Germany, where they grew up, attended school, were married and established the family home; in fact, lived and died there, spending their active lives on a farm. They had only two children, Jacob and Catherine.

Jacob Spies spent his boyhood in Germany, where he worked on the farm with his father, and he attended the common schools there. When only fifteen years of age he came to the United States, locating in Baltimore, Maryland. Before leaving his native land he served an apprenticeship at the tailor's trade, and this trade he followed in the city of Baltimore for a period of twenty years, becoming a highly skilled workman. But finally, tiring of the confinement, he turned his attention to a more independent life in the West and came to Iowa, purchasing one hundred acres in Plymouth township, this county, for which he paid nine dollars an acre. It was all raw land, but he went to work with determination, broke up the prairie sod, erected buildings, set out a grove and soon had a very good farm, to which he added more land until he now owns a valuable and highly-improved farm of two hundred and twelve acres. Mr. Spies carried on general farming and stock raising with pronounce success until 1900, when he retired from active life and moved to Le Mars, where he owns a well-appointed residence. He landed on American soil without one cent and when he came to Plymouth county he had very little capital. He is therefore deserving of much credit for what he has accomplished, in the face of obstacles.

In 1857 Mr Spies was married to Caroline Smith, a daughter of Christian and Catherine Smith, and to that union ten children were born, only three of whom are now living, namely; Albert L., who married Matilda Koenig and has eight children; Reuben J., who married Dora Sternburg and has seven children, and George F., who married Kate Blecker and has four children. Following the death of the mother of these children, Jacob Spies married Mrs. Augusta Huesbsch, widow of Andrew Huebsch and daughter of Gottlieb Wolkow and wife, and who by her first marriage was the mother of seven children, six of whom are still living, Annie, Rosa, Lena, Ella, William and George.

Mr. Spies is a Republican and has served on the school board and as assessor of Plymouth township. He belongs to the United Evangelical church and has held all the offices in the same having long been active in church work. 

Reuben J. Spies, a native of Baltimore, Maryland, and now one of the substantial and leading farmers and stockmen of Plymouth township, Plymouth county, was born on December 22, 1860, the son of Jacob and Caroline (Smith) Spies.

Jacob Spies has long been known as one of the enterprising citizens of Plymouth county. He was born in Germany on October 21, 1835, and as a lad learned the tailor trade. He was the son of George and Catherine Spies, both of whom were natives of Germany, and there received their education in the public schools. They were later married and established their home in Germany, where they continued to reside until the time of their deaths. They were the parents of two children Jacob and Catherine.

Jacob Spies remained a resident of his native land until he was fifteen years of age, when he came to the United States. He resided in Baltimore, where he worked at the tailor trade for two years, during which time he became a skilled workman. Becoming tired of the confinement, he came to Plymouth county, where he purchased one hundred acres of land in Plymouth township, for which he paid nine dollars per acre. The tract at that time was all wild prairie land, but he went to work with determination, broke the tough prairie sod, built a house and a barn, planted a grove, and soon had a well-developed farm. He later added to his farm until he is now the owner of two hundred and twelve acres. Here he engaged in the active work of the farm until 1900, when he retired to Le Mars, where he has an attractive home. When he came to Plymouth county he had but little capital; when he landed in the United States he had but one cent.

Jacob Spies was united in marriage in 1857, to Caroline Smith, the daughter of Christian and Catherine Smith, and to this union ten children were born, only three of whom are now living, Albert, Reuben and George. Albert married Matilda Koening and they are the parents of seven children; George married Kate Rhickn and they are the parents of five children; Reuben is the subject of this sketch. Mr. and Mrs. Spies are members of the United Evangelical church, in which Mr. Spies has held all the offices of the local organization.

Reuben J. Spies attended the common schools of Plymouth township and has always made his home on the old homestead, and is now the owner of one hundred and six acres of the same. On March 17, 1885, he was united in marriage to Dora Sternberg, a native of Germany and the daughter of Charles and Mary Sternberg, both of whom were natives of the fatherland. Mr. Sternberg learned the shoemaker's trade, and this work he followed after coming to Le Mars, until the time of his death, some years ago.

To Reuben and Dora Spies have been born the following children; William, Albina, Carrie, Philip, Esther, Milton and Fred. William married Blanche Green, and they are living on a farm in Washington township, and are the parents of two children; Albina is the wife of Charles Denler, a farmer of Liberty township and they are parents of one child; Carrie has been teacher in the county for a number of years, and she and the other children are at home. They have all attended the common schools of the township and the high school at Le Mars.

Reuben J. Spies has devoted his life to general farming and stock raising and is recognized as one of the successful and progressive men of the township. For the past few years he has met with much success in raising and developing a high grade of seed corn. He has always taken an active interest in local affairs, and has served his township as road boss, assessor and was for eighteen years a member of the school board. He is identified with the Republican party, and is recognized as one of the leaders of the local organization. He and his wife are members of the Evangelical Lutheran church and are prominent in the social and religious life of their township.

A. J. Stang

One of the best-known citizens of Plymouth county is A. J. Stang, formerly county treasurer and for many years a progressive merchant, who is now living in retirement in Le Mars. He is a public-spirited man, who has long had the interests of his county at heart and has not withheld his support from any laudable movement looking toward the betterment of the same.

A. J. Stang was born in Benton county, Iowa, February 27, 1865, and there he grew up and was educated, later attending school in Plymouth county. He lived at home until he was twenty-one years old, then rented his father's farm for two years, after which he engaged in the grain and implement business at Remsen seven and one-half years; then traded for land, but had charge of another implement stock for eighteen months. In the fall of 1897 he was elected treasurer of Plymouth county, serving three terms with credit to himself and satisfaction to all concerned. Later he was in the employ of the International Harvester company for three years, and since then he has lived retired in Le Mars. He owns three hundred and twenty acres in Lyon county and one hundred and sixty acres in Plymouth county, all valuable land. He has been very successful in a business way.

A. J. Stang is a son of Clement and Margaret (Englehart) Stang, both natives of Germany, he of Baden and she of Bavaria. They came to America when young. He located in Baltimore, Maryland, where he worked at the blacksmith's trade. He was also a mechanic. He helped build the Baltimore & Ohio railroad from Baltimore to Wheeling, West Virginia, and later moved to the latter city. In 1856 he came down the Ohio river in a boat and up the Mississippi, bound for St. Paul, Minnesota, but while en route cholera broke out on the boat and he arranged with the captain to land him at Muscatine, Iowa. In the spring of 1856 he drove overland to Benton county, Iowa, and became the first blacksmith in that part of the country, the settlers showing their appreciation of his coming by building him a comfortable home and a small shop. He lacked proper material in that pioneer place, but he was resourceful and made a success of his work nevertheless. Later he bought one hundred and twenty acres in that county and started farming. On April 7, 1882, he located one mile south of Remsen, in this county, where he owned two hundred and forty acres. In 1888 he sold his farm and moved to Remsen, where he lived until his death on April 15, 1914. His wife died in 1891. They were parents of six children, namely: Louise, who lives at Remsen; William A., who lives in Carrollton county, Iowa; Mrs. P.H. Peters, who lives at Long Beach, California; Mrs. E. Ebrecht, who lives in Sioux City, Iowa; Mrs. M. Lemberty, who lives in Glendale, California, and A. J., the subject of this sketch, who owns the homestead near Remsen.

On May 23, 1888, A. J. Stang married to Lydia Kohler, a daughter of Nick and Mary (Lang) Kohler, and to this union five children have been born, namely; Levi C., who is an electric engineer and lives in Le Mars; Walter A., who lives in Sioux City; Hilton A., who is attending the State University; Ray, who is a high-school student at Le Mars, and Floyd, who is attending the grade school at Le Mars. Mr. Stang is a Republican. Fraternally, he belongs to the Knights of Pythias, of which he is past chancellor.