This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Classification: Query Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/an/VJIBAEB/28219.1.1.1 Message Board Post: Wow. It's going to take me awhile to process all you've posted, but I'm so glad to have the information. I just found P.D. in the Sumner Co, TN Census for the years 1840 and 1850. As you said, in 1850 he is living with 3 other men. P.D. is listed as a "shoe and boot M", which I guess means merchant. The other 3 men are Gold diggers. On that census page there are quite a few merchants, traders and gold diggers. That is quite interesting. Here is the obit for Sarah: DEATH NOTICES FROM THE CHRISTIAN ADVOCATE, NASHVILLE TENNESSEE 1874-1876 By Jonathan Kennon Thompson Smith Copyright, Jonathan K. T. Smith, 2000 JULY-DECEMBER 1874 MARY SUSAN SMITH wf P. D. Smith, born Oct. 1807; professed religion in Nottoway Co., Va. 1825; died Christian Co., Ky. November 1, 1874. And P.D. is mentioned here in a book called "This is Yesterday (Stories of Kentucky's Pennyrile) by Myrtle Hayes, pub 1969 - pg 8 The Locale Pee Dee, Bennettstown and Hopkinsville - All in Western Kentucky Children take many things for granted, and they accept many things at their face value. So it was Pee Dee, Kentucky, the little village near which we chidren grew up. Pee Dee was just Pee Dee to us, and it was not until we were older and met people from other places that we became aware of the oddity of the name. It was then that we asked our elders and we learned that the name Pee Dee has a bit of history which goes like this: Mr. P.D. Smith who lived in the hitherto-nameless-village was an elderly man, respected and revered by his family and friends; and when the application for a post office for the little community was sent to Washington D.C., it was stated that the patrons wanted it to be named inhonor of this elderly friend and citizen. The hames Smithland, Smithfield, Smithville, Smith Grove and other forms of Smith were submitted, one after the other, and were rejected as fast as they were sent in. The department informed the applicants that there were dozens of post offices bearing some form of the name Smith, some already in our state, and the department asked that another name be submitted. The citizens put their heads together and decided on Pee Dee. The Post Office Department liked it; the citizens liked it - and the village and post office became Pee Dee! (The post office bowed to progress and to larger post offices may years ago!) I only have information on three of his children, but now I realize they cannot be the children of Mary Susan (Sarah). 1. Cornelia Ann Smith b 10/15/1831 in VA married William Northington (date unknown) and then William Ray Luttrull 11/17/1862 in Christian Co, KY. 2. Mary Elizabeth Smith b 10/6/1833 in Wilson Co, TN married William Gregory Blane 1/14/1856 in Trigg Co, KY 3. William David Smith b abt 1834 in TN married "H.V." (unknown). He then married Elizabeth Butcher 4/19/1866 in Christian Co, KY. Elizabeth was the daughter of Pumphrey's last wife Rachel Nunnely Butcher. Here is Mary Elizabeth Smith Blane's obit: GENEALOGICAL ABSTRACTS FROM REPORTED DEATHS, THE NASHVILLE CHRISTIAN ADVOCATE, 1897-1899 By Jonathan Kennon Thompson Smith Copyright, Jonathan K. T. Smith, 2002 JANUARY-JUNE 1897 MARY ELIZABETH BLANE, nee Smith, born Wilson Co., Tenn., Oct. 6, 1833; moved with father, P. D. Smith and family to Trigg Co., Ky.; married W. G. Blane, Jan. 16, 1856; died Dec. 30, 1886. I am interested in any thing you might add. Especially anything on his children. My main interest is Cornelia. Thank you so much.