George A. Smith is one of the leading stockmen of Nez Perces County, as well as a heavy real estate holder. He has a farm of nearly one section, seven miles east from Lewiston, where the family home is, and also rents eight hundred acres in addition to this. Mr. Smith runs his cattle in the mountains in the summers and feeds them at the ranch in the winters. He has made a good success in this line of work and is a man of ability and energy. He raises barley and wheat on the farm and does a general farming business. He has a fine residence, good barns, and the property is one of the excellent ones of this section.
It is interesting to note the details of a successful life like this, and accordingly we append them. Mr. Smith was born in Pike County, Illinois, on August 22, 1860, being the son of Hiram R. and Nancy (Alkire) Smith. The father was born in Pike County, Illinois, in 1829, and died in 1873. The mother was born in Illinois also and died in 1863. Our subject remained at home with his father, the mother dying when he was very young. He gained a good education and at the age of thirteen the family removed to Vernon County, Missouri, this being in the fall of 1872, and six months later the father died. He had bought a tract of land there, but the family returned to the Illinois home, which they still owned. He remained there until eighteen and then came west in the fall of 1878.
He went first to the Willamette valley and thence to Lewiston landing here on November 2, 1878. He worked at different things until 1880, then took a position with the N. P. R. R. as fireman, and later became engineer; then he operated an engine in a mill and in 1885 he began raising stock and farming. He took a homestead, which was the nucleus of his farm, and bought more land until he has as described above.
On November 14, 1886, in this County, Mr. Smith married Miss Alfreta, daughter of Robert and Eliza (Sewell) Inghram. The father was born in Holton, Maine, in 1837, a “d died in 1891. The mother was born in Miramichi, Canada, on August 30, 1842. Mrs. Smith was born in Holton, Maine, on October 10, 1870, and she has brothers and sisters as follows: John, Bernard, Robert L. and David. Mr. Smith has the following named brothers and sisters: Seldon, Robert. Hiram, Hilbert, Wesley Akers, Mrs. J. M. Edkins. To Mr. and Mrs. Smith there have been born five children, Laura, deceased; Arthur, also deceased; Ernest, Dora and Helen. Mr. Smith is a member of the I. O. O. F. and of the W. W. In politics he is allied with the Republicans. He has been a member of the Lewiston (school board for eight years and is a warm advocate of good schools, and his efforts have done much in this direction in building up. Mrs. Smith had two uncles in the war of the Rebellion, John Inghram, who died in the army, and Frank, who lost one leg.
Mr. Smith is one of the enterprising, thrifty and sagacious citizens of our County and is the recipient of the esteem and confidence of his fellows. Mr. Smith is a stockholder and director of the! Idaho Trust Company, Lewiston. He is a candidate for County commissioner on the Republican ticket from the first district.
Back to: Nez Perce Biographies
Source: An Illustrated History of Northern Idaho, Embracing Nez Perce, Idaho, Latah, Kootenai and Shoshone Counties, Western Historical Publishing Company, 1903