Joel Philip Smith was born on April 2, 1833 in Nacogdoches County, Texas. His parents were Francis Smith of South Carolina and Nancy Slaughter Smith of North Carolina. Among his 12 siblings were Miranda, Zachariah, Sarah, Ruben, and Dorothy Amanda.

Joel married Annie E. Johnson of Columbia County, North Carolina, about 1870 in Blanco County, Texas. The couple had eight children before her death in 1890 at the age of 37--Frances, May, Oscar, Ollie V., C. Maud, Sidney, Carl, and Joyce.

Several years after Annie's death, Joel married again. His second wife was Cynthia Hardin. Their children were Damon, Agnes, and Sihon.

Joel died at the age of 84 on July 7, 1917, in Blanco County. He was a widely respected husband, father, and cattleman.


If anyone knows the location of the grave of Joel's daughter Ollie V. Smith, please link or send me a message through findagrave. I believe that Ollie married James Thomas Backues, a Baptist minister, on February 13, 1895, in Blanco County. The couple had at least one son Joe John Backues who was born in 1896 in Blanco County, Texas. Ollie's husband James married for the second time on December 13, 1900, in High Rolls, Otero County, New Mexico. His second wife was Mattie Roberts Latham, a widow of Silas Franklin Latham who died in 1897 in Llano County, Texas. James and Mattie's first child was a son named Dode who was born in 1902 in High Rolls, New Mexico. Therefore, I believe Ollie must have died between Joe's birth in Blanco County, Texas, and her husband's marriage to Mattie Roberts Latham in 1900 in High Rolls, New Mexico.

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Joel P. Smith, an old settler and one of the leading cattle men of Blanco County, was born at Nacogdoches, Texas, April 2, 1833. His parents were Francis and Nancy Ann (Slaughter) Smith. Francis Smith was a native of South Carolina and his wife of North Carolina. Their parents were early settlers of Mississippi. They moved from that State to Texas in 1827, settling in Nacogdoches. At that time they had a family of five children, and seven more were born to them. Of these six are now living: Mrs. Miranda Westfall ; Zachariah, of Tom Green County; Mrs. Sarah Smith, of Mason County; Ruben B., of Blanco County; Mrs. Amanda Reams, of Llano County, and Joel P., the subject of this memoir. Mr. Francis Smith moved in 1841 from Nacogdoches to Fayette County, thence in 1847 to Burleson County and in 1856 to Blanco County, where he died August 9th, 1867, at the age of seventy years. His widow survived him ten years, dying in Blanco County in 1877 at the age of seventy-five. He was a farmer, a man of moderate means and upright life.
Joel P. Smith was principally reared in Fayette and Burleson counties, this State. His early life differed but little from that of other youths of his time. He was enabled to secure but a limited education, and at the age of nineteen was thrown upon his own resources. He has been a " cowman," all his life, having grown up with the industry in the section of the State in which he resides. His start was made with a bunch of cattle consisting of ten cows and their calves, which were turned loose upon the open range. He has steadily prospered from the beginning and now owns a ranch in the Northwest corner of Blanco County, consisting of 13,000 acres, adjacent to which he has leased 5,000 acres, all well equipped and stocked with about 2,000 head of cattle. Having given his attention very closely to his own affairs, he has had very little time to devote to public matters. Being on the frontier, he was in the ranging service during the late war and before that time and later, as long as the country was subject to Indian raids, held himself in readiness to assist in the common defense. In 1870 Mr. Smith married Miss Annie E. Johnson, then of Blanco County, Texas, but a native of Columbia County, N. C, a daughter of Duncan Johnson. Eight children were born to them: Frances, who married Dr. Reed Yett and is now deceased ; May, who died at about the age of fifteen; Oscar H., died at eighteen; Ollie, wife of James C. Bacchus; and Maud, Sidney, Carl and Joyce, the last four being still at home. Mrs. Smith died in 1890. Two years later, in September, 1892, Mr. Smith married Miss Cynthia Hardin, daughter of W. G. Hardin, of Blanco County.
One son has been born of this union, Damon Philip, born June 21st, 1894. Mr. Smith is one of the most highly respected and influential citizens of the section of the State in which he resides and has been an active promoter of every enterprise. (Indian Wars and Pioneers of Texas, by John Henry Brown, Published by L. E. Daniell, Seguin, Tex., 1890 -