| SMITH,
WALTER PERRIN, son of John S. and Sophronia M. (Perrin) Smith, was born
in Hardwick, Vermont, November 4, 1841. Mr. Smith fitted for college at
Hardwick academy, and the People's academy at Morrisville, Vermont, and
graduated from the University of Vermont in 1867. He pursued the course
at the Law department of Michigan university and subsequently completed
his legal studies with Powers & Gleed at Morrisville, and was admitted
to the bar of Lamoille county in May, 1869. He soon after came to St. Johnsbury
and formed a partnership in law with Hon. Jonathan Ross, which continued
until the latter was elected to the bench. Mr. Smith was state attorney
of Caledonia county from 1874 to '76. He has served as superintendent of
schools.
He
was elected to the legislature from St. Johnsbury in 1880, and served on
the judiciary and other important committees. In 1882 he was elected judge
of probate of Caledonia county, a position in which he has shown such eminent
fitness that he has continued to receive the unanimous renominations of
the Republican party and successive reelections by the people until the
present time.
Judge
Smith has ever been influential in the political and religious life of
St. Johnsbury. He was for several years a director of the Merchants National
bank, is a director of the First National bank, and a trustee and vice-president
of the Passumpsic Savings bank. An able and effective debater, he has frequently
taken the stump during national elections, and delivered addresses on memorial
and other public occasions. He is a member of the North Congregational
church.
He
married, in 1876, Susan A., daughter of Dr. Perley R. and Louise M. (Lawrence)
Holbrook. They have one son, Robert H. Smith, a graduate of Dartmouth in
the class of 1902, and is now in the employ of the Fairbanks, Morse Company,
Chicago. Mrs. Smith is an active worker in the beneficent and educational
activities of the times, and a member of the state library commission.
Source:
Successful Vermonters, William H. Jeffrey, E. Burke, Vermont, The Historical
Publishing Company, 1904, page 98.
Prepared
by Tom Dunn August 2005
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