Finding R. L. Smith
R.L. Smith married into the family in 1872, when he wed young SARAH ELIZA JARY. He seems to have been a God-fearing family man, a hard worker, a voratious reader, and a gifted inventor. Not much was known about his family until we found the book "Mamit," a self-published book by Florence Endell, another descendant of the Smiths. Interestingly, some of the suggestions in the book are unsupported by information available to us. However, important names were given which, along with a few brief notes by a family member, aided us in sorting out our Smiths from the hundreds of other Smiths in the country. The lineage does not go too far back, just three generations, but much is learned about the Smiths and their connections. For instance, R.L.'s father, CORNELL "ROCK" SMITH married a woman surnamed Van VALKENBURG. That family was one of the earliest Dutch settlers found in the country.
It seems there were several prominant Smiths in the New York area who shared the nickname "Rock." Because each generation was named the same as the last, some distinction had to be made between fathers, sons and grandsons. The name was not necessarily used as a middle 'title' either, as we expect to find a nickname today. No, it was often placed after the surname, as John Smith "Rock," or even at the beginning as in "Rock" John Smith. And, yes, there were many, many John Smiths! But, as we have found, there were a lot of Cornell Smiths as well. |
R.L. stands for the name Robert Lansing. We haven't yet learned the significance of that name. There was a Dutch family of Lansings, or Lansinghs in the same settlement area of New York, but we cannot find any direct connection, although it is possible that some marriages took place between Van Valkenburgs and Lansings.
Robert was one of at least seven children, although Ms. Endell says he had eleven siblings. We have been unable to find more than seven, mostly through census reports. However, earlier censuses (prior to 1850) only named the Head of each Household, while the other family members were relegated to slash marks indicating the age range into which each fell. The earliest census which gave the names of Smiths with our given names - Cornell, Amos - was in 1820, although one census was found for an Amos Smith in Kingston, Washington County, Rhode Island for the year 1790. Some source records indicate that Smiths were from Rhode Island; some records contradict that suggestion.
Robert was one of at least seven children, although Ms. Endell says he had eleven siblings. We have been unable to find more than seven, mostly through census reports. However, earlier censuses (prior to 1850) only named the Head of each Household, while the other family members were relegated to slash marks indicating the age range into which each fell. The earliest census which gave the names of Smiths with our given names - Cornell, Amos - was in 1820, although one census was found for an Amos Smith in Kingston, Washington County, Rhode Island for the year 1790. Some source records indicate that Smiths were from Rhode Island; some records contradict that suggestion.
1820 Census. Kinderhook, Columbia, New York
Household of Cornell Smith: 1 male 16-25, 1 female 16-25, and 2 females under 10
Cornell "Rock" Smith, R.L.'s father, was the son of AMOS SMITH, who was the son of another Cornell Smith. We learned this fact from a single paragraph of a biographical sketch describing the Stockport area of New York, in Columbia County. We might not have noticed this paragraph, had we not already found the note with the names Cornell Smith and Von Volkenburg in a grandmother's papers, and if we had not read "Mamit" which gave many important names.
"SMITH, JOHN, b. 1823, and ISAAC, b. 1832, and JACOB, b. 1836, of Stockport; sons of Cornell of Stockport, b. 1795, d. 1853 (m. 1817 Rachel VAN VALKENBURG); son of Amos of Long Island, b. 1765, d. at Stockport, 1834; son of Cornell of Long Island."
What a find! We then began our search by locating Robert in a census with his family, and these names gave us the clue to his family's identity. Robert was born in 1841, and we found him to be the youngest son in the Cornell Smith household in 1850, along with John, Isaac and Jacob. Their mother and sister, both Rachaels, were also listed. This, then tied in with Cornell marrying Rachel Van Valkenburg. Here is where we have to do a bit of guessing. The 1850 census took place in Stockport, Columbia, New York, a hint that Cornell's family could be found in Stockport in 1840. In that Census, we find what appears to be his family, and the columns showing age ranges indicate that Cornell may have had as many as fifteen children, there being three children less than five years old - and Robert hadn't even been born yet!
1840 Census, Stockport, Columbia, NY
Household of Cornell Smith
1 male 40-50, 1 male 15-20, 3 males 10-15, 2 males 5-10, and 2 males under 5 (total 8 children)
1 female 40-50, 2 females 20-30, 1 female 15-20, 1 female 10-15, 2 females 5-10, and 1 female under 5 (total 7 children)
1850 Census, Stockport, Columbia, NY
CORNELL SMITH 54 Farmer b. NY
RACHAEL SMITH 52 b. NY
JOHN SMITH 26 Farmer b. NY
RACHAEL SMITH 21 b. NY
ISAAC SMITH 18 b. NY
JACOB SMITH 13 b. NY
ROBERT SMITH 10 b. NY
So, Robert, or "R. L." was first seen in 1850 Census, possibly the last child born to Cornell and Rachel. After that, in 1860 he was 20 years old and a Carpenter by trade, still living with his parents. With his brother, Cornell, Robert designed an apparatus made in wood, described in his patent application as a "machine for finishing leather," the model for which is still available online through antique dealers. In the early 1860s, Robert L. registered for the Civil War Draft, his occupation then being Tanner. In the 1865 New York State Census, Robert, age 23 or so was again a Carpenter. Interestingly, he is marked as a female and his mother, Rachel is noted with some kind of mark for "black."
It was just before the Civil War era that Robert and his brothers were associated with a Temperance movement, drawing attention to their cause at election campaigns for Abraham Lincoln. They traveled from city to city, with their small musical band, playing music at all the rallies they could attend. By 1870, R. L. was living in Nebraska City, Otoe, Nebraska, an unmarried machinist. This combination of Machinist and Carpenter gave him skills in windmill construction, which was recognized in a history for Nebraska. |
"The first manufacturing interest was developed in 1874, when R. L. Smith built a machine shop and elevator combined, using a windmill to obtain power for both. This business was prosecuted until 1876, when it was moved to Lincoln." ~ "The Palmyra Elevator was built in 1872, at a cost of $1,200, by R. L. Smith, who operated it until July, 1880, when it was sold to George E. Slade. Last year (1881) this elevator handled about 30,000 bushels of grain. The capacity of the building is 5,000 bushels."
In 1872, R. L. married Miss SARAH ELIZA JARY. They had two daughters, Rena and Edna. Rena, known by her descendants as "Nammo," became the second wife of William Henry Miller ("Granny") and Edna married Charles C. Allen, who died in 1924. R.L. and Sarah are buried at Wyuka Cemetery, in Lincoln, Lancaster County, Nebraska. The name "Smith" is engraved on a large stone, dedicated to Robert, while a small plaque, almost buried in the grass is placed for Sarah, whose death came some thirty-one years after her husband.
Note: All photos on this page have been copied from the book "Mamit" by Florence O. Endell. Further family photos will be complementing these on adjoining pages, as they become available. |