Source: News-Journal, August 16, 1973, Centennial Section

David Smith Family Early Area Settlers

Early settler David Smith moved with his wife to the old Morphew farm east of North Manchester in the 1840s from Canton, Ohio.

He soon sold the farm and moved to the line between Miami and Wabash counties. He also operated a general store and served as postmaster of Niconza.

After 14 years on the location, he moved to Roann and later to North Manchester as head of the dry goods store Smith, Sala (Charles) and Arnold (Jesse). He took over the interests of his partners and with his son David and son-in-law continued under the name of D. Smith and company.

He sold out in 1886 and lived retired until his death in 1888, at the age of 75. His wife survived until 1906, when she died at the age of 85.

Nine of the 12 children reached adulthood and were:

Mariah, 1838, wife of W.H. Ridgley; Michael, 1840, a soldier during the Civil War, was killed in the south and was interred in the National Cemetery at Chattanooga.

Also, David Harmon, 1842, also in the war. He died in 1920 at 207 North Market Street in a brick house which he built in 1881. His granddaughter, Carolyn Smith, now lives in Indianapolis.

Susannah, 1846, married H.H. Smith (no relative) a mail carrier who drove the mail in North Manchester by horse and buggy. One of her daughters, Mrs. Ethel Larimer, lives in Painesville, Ohio.

John Barnett, 1854, a farmer had a daughter, Mrs. Arnold Schuler, who is now 95 years old and is the mother of Clarence Schuler, former county councilman who now lives six miles east of town.

Melissa Oribell, 1859, was the wife of William J. Ward.

Ida, 1861, wife of A.B. Miller, who lived at 106 S. Elm Street, present residence of Mrs. G.L. Venable. He was a dealer in farm implements and buggies and died in 1897 and is buried in Oaklawn cemetery. A son, Frank, now lives in California.

Elliott, 1864, was the father of Nettie, Mrs. Herman Hartman, now living in Wabash.

Mary Elinor, Mrs. A.B. Ebbinghous was born in 1857 and died in 1913. She was the mother-in-law of K.P. Thoss, who resides in the Ebbinghous family home at 206 W. Third Street.

Elliott S. Smith, born in 1864, on his father's farm east of North Manchester in Chester township. Elliott grew up in Wabash county and attended school in both Roann and Manchester. He preferred farming. He married Edith Barnhart April 12, 1888, uniting members of two of the prominent old families of Wabash county.