LAWSON D. SMITH, owner of 100 acres of rich farming land, situated in Concord Township, on the south side of the Swailes Turnpike Road, about two and one-half miles southwest of Troy, is one of the representative men of this section and a member of an old Miami County family. He was born April 7, 1854, in Union Township, Miami County, Ohio, and is a son of William and Mary (Davis) Smith.

The grandfather, John Smith, came to Ohio from North Carolina about 1800, and after he selected his tract of land in union Township, Miami County, had to cut down forest trees in order to find a sufficiently ample space on which to build his lonely little log cabin. He subsequently married the daughter of another early settler, by the name of Fouts, who died there, and many years later he died at the home of his son William, in Union Township, east of West Milton. They had three children: Mary, who married Edward Fenters, both deceased; William; and Susan, who married Albert McCool, both deceased.

William Smith was born in the little log house mentioned above, and with the exception of one year during which he lived at West Milton spent his whole life on the old place. A large part of the clearing, of the farm fell to his share and it all came to him as an inheritance. He died there in 1905, aged seventy-six years. He was married (first) to Hannah R. Pearson and they had two children, neither of whom survives. He was married (second) to Mary Davis, who died in 1906, just one year and one month after her husband. She was the beloved mother of six children, namely: Lawson Davis; Martha, who married William Pearson; Isabella, who married Benson Antonedies; William Bronson; Leslie, who married Edward Bowers; and Elizabeth, who died when aged nine years.

Lawson Davis Smith was born and reared on the old homestead farm, which had been the dwelling place of father and grandfather, and during his youth split many of the rails and set posts for many rods of fence, that being before barbed wire was thought of. After his school days were over he settled down to hard work on the farm, although he had more than once proved his strength at the. plow handles when not more than nine years old, being robust from childhood. He continued to live with his father until his own marriage and then continued on the farm under other conditions. He remained on that place until he came to his present one in Concord Township, March 8, 1906. It is well improved property and .Mr. Smith b ought it of Dr. Means. He devotes about six acres to tobacco and the remainder of his land to grain farming.

On June 9, 1875, Mr. Smith was married to Miss Rachel A.Wininger, who was born in Indiana and is the third child of her parents, George and Cinderella (Badger) Wininger, the former of whom is deceased. Mrs.Wininger still survives and is in the enjoyment of good health, and takes pleasure in the fact that her seven daughters and three sons are all living and have happy domestic circles of their own. Mr. and Mrs. Smith have had three children: Carrie G., who is the wife of Prof. George Countryman, county superintendent of the schools of Plymouth County, Iowa, and has one son, Winston; Rose M., who is the wife of Charles Kessler, of Miami County, and has three children: Margaret, Alice and Elizabeth; and Edith, who died at the age of six months. In politics Mr. Smith is a Republican. For many years he has been a member of the Union Township School Board and was chairman for three years.