Thanks Ross, for the information on your Smith ancestors. Fascinating! I do not have Steeves' book, I only have a copy of a few pages relating to my Brown family. SMITH & BROWN ANCESTORS! WOW! How can we get more genealogically challenged than that? :-) I posted the info from Steeves because I am new to the list, and thought those little tid-bits might be an interesting way for me to get to acquainted with others on the list. ....Katy In a message dated 8/31/2000 5:43:09 PM Mountain Daylight Time, [email protected] writes: << I'm not sure why you brought up Steeves piece on Henry Smith, but so long as you did, I would like to mention that while Steeves is usually a quite reliable source, her information often comes from descendants who are giving her stories that have gotten distorted down through the telling -- as is the case with the Henry Smith bio. Henry Smith did come the Southern Route in 1846 with his brother James Smith (who is my gt-gt-grandfather), but Steeves has James Smith dropping dead in the Cow Creek Canyon trajedy, while extolling his party to not give up and keep moving. If fact, it was William Smith, the captain of the large Smith/Long party, but otherwise no relation to Henry & James. Henry Smith did take over for William, and also took responsibility for William Smith's widow Ellen and her eight children, and helped them get settled in Marion county near west Stayton, and also helped raise the children. All of this is documented in a piece by William Smith's daughter Angeline Smith Crews (see OHS), who was only nine years old at the time, and referred to Henry Smith who was 27-years old on the trail as "old Uncle Henry." We should be so old, yes? >>

Katy -- It gets even more interesting than that. Sarah Hunt Steeves herself, is the daughter of Elizabeth Smith Hunt, who came on the Barlow Road in 1847, in a large company led by her father Doc Smith, the brother of my other Smith ancestor who came west in 1846, my gt-gt- gf Absalom Smith, who was among the first to use the Barlow Road in 46. Doc Smith died after crossing through South Pass in 47, which Steeves documents in a piece on her uncle, Moses Ira Smith, on page 118, a young 20-year-old who brought the whole company in. Doc's widow (Steeves grandmother) Nancy Scott Wisdom Smith Hunt (page 109) married Steeves grandfather on her father's side, John S. Hunt (page 93) who also came over in 1847.. Finally, Steeves mother Elizabeth Smith Hunt married George Washington Hunt, to whom the Book of Remembrances is dedicated, whose bio on page 109, shows the birth of their six child, Sarah Fiducia, 4-27-71, who married a real doctor, Burpee Laban Steeves, M.D. When she was 56, she performed the valuable service of assembling this book for publication in 1927. . Although there are numerous pioneer stories all very interesting, what Steeves is best remembered for are two classic pieces, "Pioneer Boy", page 71, a real tear-jerker about James Layton Collins, a 13-year-old boy who "sobbed himself to sleep," and the story of Octavius Pringle, page 80, a 14-year-old boy who is sent ahead all alone for provisions 'cause he's the only one the starving family can spare. You can probably get this book through your library or at the state library in Salem. It is a must for learning about early trail pioneers. ras [email protected] wrote: > Thanks Ross, for the information on your Smith ancestors. Fascinating! I > do not have Steeves' book, I only have a copy of a few pages relating to my > Brown family. SMITH & BROWN ANCESTORS! WOW! How can we get more > genealogically challenged than that? :-) > I posted the info from Steeves because I am new to the list, and thought > those little tid-bits might be an interesting way for me to get to acquainted > with others on the list. > ....Katy > > In a message dated 8/31/2000 5:43:09 PM Mountain Daylight Time, > [email protected] writes: > > << I'm not sure why you brought up Steeves piece on Henry Smith, but so > long as you did, I would like to mention that while Steeves is usually a > quite > reliable source, her information often comes from descendants who are giving > her > stories that have gotten distorted down through the telling -- as is the > case with > the Henry Smith bio. > Henry Smith did come the Southern Route in 1846 with his brother James > Smith > (who is my gt-gt-grandfather), but Steeves has James Smith dropping dead in > the > Cow Creek Canyon trajedy, while extolling his party to not give up and keep > moving. If fact, it was William Smith, the captain of the large Smith/Long > party, > but otherwise no relation to Henry & James. > Henry Smith did take over for William, and also took responsibility for > William Smith's widow Ellen and her eight children, and helped them get > settled in > Marion county near west Stayton, and also helped raise the children. All of > this > is documented in a piece by William Smith's daughter Angeline Smith Crews > (see > OHS), who was only nine years old at the time, and referred to Henry Smith > who was > 27-years old on the trail as "old Uncle Henry." We should be so old, yes? >>