Smith-Stinnett Families...

​(Unknown publication date)

​​John Wesley Smith Sr. was born in Kentucky circa 1821, the county unknown. It is difficult to trace the name Smith because there were so many families with this surname and, as was the custom, each generation carried the name of the father and grandfather on. Therefore, the name John Smith was one of the most common names in America.

John Wesley Smith was a son of Peter Smith who lived on an adjoining farm in Pulaski County, MO in the 1840 census. Peter was once a ferryman on the Gasconade River. He and his second wife, Orpha (Dean) Smith, moved from central Missouri and relocated in Yamhill Co., Oregon Territory where he died.

In the 1840 census, John Wesley Smith lived in Pulaski Co., MO and his age was about 19 years old. With him was his wife, Nancy (Stinnett), about 18 years of age. They were a newly-wed couple at the time. By 1850, John & Nancy were living in District #1 of Camden Co., MO. They were living in the northwest corner of Pulaski Co. near the Camden Co. line. I believe they were mistakenly enumerated in Camden Co. when they were actually in Pulaski County near the Hawkeye community.

In 1860, John & Nancy were found back in Pulaski County records. Their family in 1860 numbered 9 children including WILLIAM 18; JAMES 16; DANIEL 14; JOHN WESLEY JR 13; MATILDA 9; AMANDA 8; ALEXANDER 4; LEWIS 3; & MARY age 1. One daughter, MINERVA, had died sometime between 1850-60.

The following are marriages for the children of John & Nancy (Stinnett) Smith----------

1- William Harrison m. Lucy Ann Gardner (*my great grandparents) 
2- John Wesley Jr. m. Sarah H. Bond
3- Minerva (died young)
4- Matilda m. Julian Bailey 1868
5- Amanda m. William Morrow 1887
6- Mary Louella m. John M. Jones
7- Alexander m. Adeline Bond-Denton
8- James Monroe m. Mary/Polly Carrol
9- Daniel C. m. Elizabeth Allen
10-Martha Jane m. James H. Jones

All these marriages took place in Miller County, MO

After they grew to manhood, William Harrison and John Wesley Jr. heard there was a demand for stonemasons over in Miller County near Lenox Trading Post (early trading post/post office near Iberia). It was located on Rabbithead creek, southwest of Iberia. In 1861, the trading post was destroyed by the Home Guards (Confederate troops) during the Civil War. Wilson Lenox had the trading post and a blacksmith shop, and it was there the two Smith brothers walked to try to obtain work. The store was located on the David Condra farm which passed on to Archie Condra and later was sold to Herman Golden. Today the farm is owned by Alfred Vineyard.

The Smith brothers found work plentiful in the Iberia area digging cellars with stonemason work needed in walling up the cellar foundations. Their skills were also used in building fireplaces.

It was during this time that William Harrison met and married Lucy Ann Gardner, daughter of Henry Paulding Gardner and Elizabeth Bailey of Barren County, Kentucky. William Harrison Smith and Lucy Ann Gardner were my great grandparents. They married in Miller County 1 February 1863. He was born in Pulaski County 15 Dec 1841 and Lucy was born in Miller County 24 January 1843.......

William Harrison and Lucy Ann (Gardner) Smith reared their eleven children in the Iberia area. The children were:

1-William Daniel b.20 Dec 1863 m. Sally Harrison;
2-Jemima H. b.1865 died young;
3-James Paulin b. 25 Jun 1867 m. Emma Whalen;
4-Parthenia Minnie b. 13 Apr 1869 m. 1) Rector Thompson 2) Paul Rees;
5-Phelix Wesley b. 4 Nov 1870 m. Fannie Fike;
6-Jessie Rosa b. 8 Oct 1872 m. Charles Aust;
7-John T. b. 20 Mar 1875 m. Hester Smith;
8-Jacob C. b. 1 Apr 1878 m.1) Lennie Sooter 2) Lizzie Sooter (sisters);
9-Charles E. b.24 Oct 1881 m. Molly Mayfield;
10-Henry Franklin "Cap" b.20 Jun 1884 m. Sarah E. Boyd;
11-Gracey Mae b. 24 Sep 1886 m. 1) Henry Lollar 2) Louis May;

When Wm. Harrison enlisted in the Union Army (1863), he gave his place of residence as Oakhurst. This was an early name for Iberia before and during the Civil War. The post office was located at Lenox Trading Post, southwest of Iberia. The post office existed 1862-1871. Harrison also mentioned the name Humboldt, MO in his military records. Humboldt was located a mile north of present-day Crocker in Pulaski County.

Wm. Harrison lived to the age of 86 years. He died 28 Dec 1927 at the home of his son, Frank (Cap), in Iberia. Lucy Ann (Gardner) Smith died a year earlier in Feb 1926 at age 83 years. Both are buried at Iberia Cemetery.

Henry Franklin Smith, youngest son of Harrison and Lucy, was born 20 Jun 1884 in Miller County He married Sarah Eliza Boyd, daughter of James and Celia Adeline (Shelton) Boyd, on 16 Dec 1906. Their children included:
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1-Conard Ivory 1908-1970 m Tressie Gale
2-Carl Everett 1912-1912
3-Gene Oliver 1914-1980 m. Verlie Wyrick
4-Priscilla Idolia 1919-2007 m. 1) Clark Davis 2) James Karr 3) Arthur Woodcox 4) Mr. Cameron
5-James William 1923-2007 m. Faye Jones
6-Glen Raymond 1925-1970 m. Dorothy Robinson
7-Sharlene Jeanette 1928-1929.

NOTE: Henry Franklin (Frank) Smith and Sarah Eliza Boyd were my grandparents. My parents were Gene Oliver Smith and Verlie Alberta Wyrick.......(Peggy Smith Hake)

The Smiths were stonemasons by trade for many generations. William Harrison taught his sons this age-old profession. My grandfather, Frank, and his older brother, Uncle Phelix (called Pea), were the best-known stonemasons in the Iberia area for many years. There are many structures of stone still standing which bear the touch of their skilled hands. The Iberia Academy is perhaps the oldest building standing that was helped to be built by their talent. The old stone fence encircling the campus still stands as their handiwork. Frank and Pea also built the native stone fence encircling the Iberia cemetery and the beautiful stonework of the Nazarene Church in Iberia, which stands so majestically against the horizon, is a lasting monument of their stonemason talents. As long as these artifacts of stone stand one upon the other, the descendants of this Smith family will always have this remembrance of their ancestors and will be able to touch the past which belonged to their forefathers... I am proud to be one of those Smith descendants...
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NOTE FROM PEGGY: Unfortunately some of the stonework of the fence, encircling the Iberia Academy campus, has been torn down during the past year. I imagine most of it will be destroyed in the future. Time marches on and progress takes over to replace many of our historical sites and artifacts!

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NOTE FROM KELLY: 1) Currently (March 2022), there is nothing left of the stonework fence that once encircled the Iberia Academy campus. 2) According to family legend, Nancy (Stinnett) Smith died in a horrible house fire in Iberia around 1905. She is buried at Iberia Cemetery with a cross to mark the location of her gravesite.

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