Accredited by the American Association of Museums

Updated Last On: 1/6/06

George W. Smith and family

George W. Smith was born a slave, near Selmar, McNairy County, Tennessee, on December 3, 1836. At the early age of nine years, together with his six brothers and sisters, he was sold from his mother's side. As chattel, he brought the sum of $501.50. It was his duty then to accompany his purchaser's children to school and to act as their playmates. During study hours, he was allowed, with the other slave boys, to sit on a bench in the rear of the room.

Even at that age he saw that an education was something worth having and he sat there and absorbed all that he could. It was a penal offense to teach a slave to read and write and when the slave-owners discovered he was learning, he was no longer allowed to go to school with the children. Mr. Smith was next set to work as assistant to the miller and finally became the miller. Milling was his trade until 1862. During the Civil War, Mr. Smith served as a scout in the Union army under General McClelland and as a guide for General Logan in Tennessee and Mississippi. Losing his health, he came to Springfield, Illinois, where he met and married Mrs. Mary E. Oglesby Gaines. They had five sons and two daughters. Mr. Smith chose farming as his lifework. At first it was on a small scale as he farmed in the summer and chopped wood in the winter. In the spring of 1876, Mr. Smith moved to a tract of land in Broadlands. Paying for the first 80 acres was the most difficult task of his career, but he continued to purchase land until he had acquired 440 acres. He was among the very first to adopt tile drainage; he was remarkably successful in growing corn and in raising hogs; and his horses were known for their excellent quality. Mr. Smith never forgot the meager educational opportunities afforded him and spent more money on educating his children than any other man in the township and he considered it well invested. Temperate in all things, he was a man of conservative judgment and served often as juror as well as arbitrator in disputed matters. He had great respect for the rights of other men. It was his opinion that every man should take an active part in politics. He always voted but he would never accept office. Mr. Smith died on December 29, 1911. His funeral was one of the largest in the history of Broadlands.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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