This is a collection of short biographical sketches submitted by individuals with a link to the Researcher. You are invited to send appropriate sketches of early Atchison County residents for inclusion on this page

WILSON R. SMITH

Wilson R. Smith, of the firm of SNYDER, SMITH & Company, Effingham, KS, is an admirable type of a successful businessman who has been a resident of Effingham for the past six years and has so identified himself with the life of the community that it seems to the average citizen that Mr. Smith has been a resident of the city and county all of is natural life. The firm, of which he is an active member, handles hardware, implements, grain, coal and feed and is composed of G. M. Snyder, W. R. Smith and U. B. SHARPLESS, present county treasurer. This firm was organized in February of 1915 and took over the business of Sharpless & Snyder. The concern also operates a grain elevator of 10,000 bushel capacity, and has two large warehouses and coal-yards, in addition to the business room on Main Street.

Mr. Smith is a Virginian by birth and was born at Salt Sulphur Springs, Monroe Co., WV on April 28, 1856. He is the son of Granville and Caroline (CLARK) Smith, both of whom were born and reared in Virginia and were descended from colonial ancestors. A direct ancestor of Wilson R. was the first settled in Monroe Co., and headed a long line of tillers of the soil, the parents of Wilson R. living on their farm in Virginia until their deaths.

Wilson R. left his ancestral home in Virginia in April of 1884 and journeyed to the town of Craig, Holt Co., MO, purchasing a farm in the neighborhood of Mounty City, which he cultivated with considerable success for ten years and then engaged in the grain and stock business for a period of nine years. He resided in Holt County until 1909 and then came to Effingham, KS. His first venture here was in the grain and elevator business, which he conducted for a period of four years, and then sold out to the Farmers' Elevator Company. In February of 1913, he purchased an interest in the business in which he is now engaged. Continuous success has followed Mr. Smith's efforts, and practically every business venture in which he had embarked has proved to be uniformly successful. His methods of transacting business are above reproach and are such as to commend him to the public in general.

He was married in 1885 to Mrs. Celia C. ZACHARY, a widow, who was the mother of one child, Edith Belle, by a former marriage. Two children have blessed this marriage: Alberta, wife of Ross MEADOR, living on a farm, five miles southwest of Effingham: Jennie, wife of C.A. HAWK, residing three miles north of Effingham on a farm.

Mr. Smith is a stanch Republican in his political affiliations, and is a member of the Modern Woodmen and the Brotherhood of American Yeoman. He is one of Effingham's substantial and enterprising citizens, who is ever ready to assist his adopted community to better the conditions of things in general and readily lends a hand when needed to assist the growth and well-being of the city.

Taken from:

History of Atchison County, Kansas

by Sheffield Ingalls - 1916

Submitted by:

Clemi Higley Blackburn, July 2001

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