Biographical sketch of Benjamin Smith:
Benjamin Smith, farner, P. O. Spring Garden, is a great-grandson of Alexander and Joanna Smith, who settled in North Carolina. They had the following children born to them in Tyrrell County, that State, viz.: Ann, born Febuary 6, 1771; Joanna, January 23, 1774; Isaac, January 19, 1779; Ananias, December 17, 1780; Zilpha, April 10, 1782; Emphenia, November 1, 1783; Loef, March 2, 1789; Azilla, October 4, 1792; and Jose, February 12, 1797. The third child of this family, Isaac, was the grandfather of our subject. This child grew to manhood in North Carolina, and there married Millie Hassell. The twain came to Tennessee, and settled in Hickman County, where unto them were born nine children, among them Anderson, the father of our subject, who was born February 6, 1811, and Jesse H. whose sketch appears elsewhere in this work. Isaac came to this county with his family about 1829, and settled in Spring Garden Township, near where subject now resides, where he died about 1850. The father of our subject grew to manhood in this county, and married a Miss Elizabeth Hopper, who was born in Middle Tennessee January 28, 1811. She was a daughter Thomas Hopper, who came to this county in a very early day, probably about 1820. The parents of our subject also settled near where the latter now resides, and there subject was born August 29, 1838. The parents lived in this county until a ripe old age. The mother peacefully passed away March 22, 1870, and the father, who for fifteen years before his death had been Deacon of the Spring Garden Baptist Church, died May 3, 1872. Our subject attended both the subsciption and free schools of his county until about twenty-one, and then worked at home about one year, and then located on his present farm, a piece of land that had been entered by his father, and of whom our subject afterward purchased it. He now owns about 400 acres in Sections 1, 2, 3 and 12, of Township 4, Range 3 east; has about 240 under cultivation and thirty in orchard. Mr. Smith was married January 24, 1860, to Elizabeth Shirley, a daughter of Russell and Jinca (Allan) Shirley. The father was a native of Hamilton County, Illinois,and the mother of Macon County, N. C. The result of this union has been twelve children, of whom nine are living--Isaac N., born February 6, 1862; George H., May 19.1863; Seth T., June 7, 1865; Charles E., March 14, 1869; Judson A., April 6, 1871; Ellis Lee, April 28.1877; Ollie J., February 17, 1873; Ornie, September 26, 1879; Rado, December 19,1881. Of the deceased children, William D. was born September 24, 1860, and died September 14, 1867; Mary F., born May 2, 1867, died December 3, 1869; and an infant born April 28, 1877, and died May 5 of the same year.
Our subject has been a member of the County Board of Supervisors, also served as Road Commissioner, School Director, etc. Is a member of Ham's Grove Lodge, No. 405, I.O.O.F.; has served in different offices in that organization, and is now Past Grand, has also been representative two years at the Grand Lodge. In politics, Mr. Smith is a Greenbacker.

Obituary of Benjamin Smith from the Mt. Vernon (IL) Register-News:
The Register-News is indebted to Kirby Smith for the following interesting story of Benjamin Smith:
Benjamin Smith was the son of Anderson Smith and was born on the same farm where he died on April 7, 1929, at the age of 90 years, 8 months and 8 days. He had lived a quite , industrious and useful life, raising a family most of whom survive him. His christian life showed fruits in all things throughout a devoted life to his family and the christian and political ideals of his country.
He leaves to mourn his death eight surviving sons and daughters, and the children of two deceased sons: Isaac N. Smith, Sullivan, IL; Ollie Jane Snodsmith, Belle Rive, IL; Judson A. Smith, Moores Prairie, IL; Rado Bean, Mt. Vernon, IL; Oma Lapham, La Grande, Oregon; Herman Smith, Pawhuska, Okla; Ellis L Smith, Belle Rive, IL; Iva Riggs, Opdyke, IL.
The father of Anderson Smith, Isaac Smith, at the age of more than 55 years, one hundred years ago, in the autumn of 1829, settled in the north side of Spring Garden township in Section One, surrounding himself with the married children which followed, all his family having been born in Tennessee before the removal here. The country was then in a most primitive state. Bear, panther and all the native wild animals were plentiful. The nearest mill where corn and wheat were ground for meal and flour was Belleville, IL. And the sons of the pioneer made periodical trips there on this errand. But far more was it true that the pestle was used to make a course meal, and the long trip avoided. Soon "Hoss Mills" were set up not so far away. To these the boys rode a horse, taking along a sack full of grain. When his turn came his "grist" was poured into the hopper, the horse hitched to the sweep, the boy on the horse and the round and round grind continued till the corn was suitably ground. "Toll" was paid to this primitive mill owner, and the customer went on his way rejoicing. This milling action with the horse power mill speeded up somewhat, for the trip to the mill could be made in a day; in one day he could "get his turn" at the sweep, and in another day get back home.
Of the sons and daughters of Isaac Smith, all are dead. Of the grandchildren born before arrival in Illinois, all are dead. Of those subsequently born, there survive six. The oldest being John Anderson Smith of Dahlgren, IL, and the youngest being Anson Clark Smith of Mt. Vernon, with the respective ages of 91 and 63 years.
In the home of Isaac Smith, very soon after his arrival, was organized the first church of the south side of the county, then immediately called Pleasant Green church, where a substantial log building was built some 500 feet from the homestead of the deceased Benjamin Smith. Later the location was abandoned and this Baptist church was given the name Moore's Prairie church, and still later its location was moved west some two miles, where it still continues worship. A localism gave the place a name of Hungry Hill, where two churches and a public school stood for many years on a cross roads of the Mt. Vernon and Benton highway.
Benjamin Smith suffered no marked disease, death coming on mainly as senility, the human machine merely running down and stopping in the most peaceable and quiet way, in the arms of his family, where the end was being watched for, and had been a considerable matter of solicitude for two weeks before.
Thus goes a christian character of the old school, of the simple virtues of whom it is said in the bible, "Obey your parents in the Lord that ye may live a long time upon the earth".