Dorman Wright (picture donated by Grace Wright)

WHO AM I  WHERE AM I?

I was born in Wayne County, Illinois on January 15, 1932.  I knew nothing of the world in Wayne County, Illinois, or Wayne County, Kentucky, or Henrico and Botetourt Counties. Virginia. Gradually, I learned some things. First, the place where I was born was called Smithville. Illinois became a state in 1818. There had been a Queen Anne's War, a French and Indian War, a Revolutionary War, a war of 1812, a Black Hawk War, and a Civil War.

This was my world up until I was in the fourth grade:  Dad and Mom, who had always been.  I also had a brother;  Gene; three sisters;  Eleanor, Audrey, and Joyce; and a baby brother:  Walter.   I knew vaguely about Granddad Smith and Maude and Les, as well as Maurice and Grace. One of the early puzzles that confronted me was when the older kids told me that Mom was a Smith.  I knew her name was Mabel Wright, just like Dad's was Grady Wright.  For a longtime I was unable to accept the fact that I was as much Smith as I was Wright. Today I know that Blankenbaker and Rawls, Harshbarger and Yeager, and more than 100 other ancestors with surnames I had never dreamed about area part of my heritage.  Even place names such as Washington County, Virginia, Caswell County,  North Carolina,  Mill Springs,  Kentucky, and Fronton, Ohio now have a new meaning for me.

Our family had moved from Smithville to a community with no name that was close to Olive Branch Church.  I knew the kids at school (Independence, a one-room school), and where I belonged.  Among my friends was my best friend, Joe Wells, and his mother who was my teacher.  Even a new teacher, Leona Richardson, loved me the same as everyone else did.

Then came an event that had great significance for me.  We moved to a new school district, Brush Prairie, and only months afterward to the heart of Smithville.  Still a one room school.  The first day we had to go to Brushy, as it came to be known, was very traumatic. All of the other kids (it seemed like 100) were bunched together outside looking at me. The teacher, Mr. Roy Rainwater, was very mean, we knew, because we had heard that he was. After a few days, I told Mom that I knew Norma Smith.  She said, "That is one of your cousins.  Then Wanda Fay Smith--a cousin. Digger Buchanan--a cousin. Darrell and Darlene McKinney~-both cousins.  Where had they come from, and why

did I not know about them? Dad had heard me asking, and said that when he had first come to this country, Mabel introduced him to everyone he met as her cousin.  Now another puzzle--when he came to this country?  We established that he was from Wayne County, Kentucky, which made it o.k.  Must be the same. At school,  I was sometimes able to determine which were first cousins, second, third, or fourth cousins, and even double cousins. Now something else came into focus—my third Great grandfather had fought in the War of 1812. Who was he?  Joseph Shelton, so I was told.  Now the War of

1812 did not seem to have occurred 3,000 years ago.  Much later I learned that 2 of my Great great-great-grandfathers, Joseph Shelton and Reddick. Rawls, and two of my Great: great-grandfathers, John R. Smith and James B. Richardson all served their country in the war of 1812. I have since been able to locate the graves of all four veterans and with the help of my son. Douglas, place a bronze plaque on each,, As I have learned more about my family, my ancestors are not people who lived somewhere a long time ago. They are people, with their own stories. I do not know them all, but some of them I do, and I am grateful that I was permitted to learn about the past. I have even learned that my seventh Great grandfather, Sebastian Fischer, (The Legacy of Adam Fischer by James S. Fisher) fought in Queen

Anne's war.  How had I missed learning about Queen Anne's war?

The first part of my story will center on Wayne County, Illinois (with adjoining Hamilton and Jefferson Counties), and especially Smithville, which is apart, of me. The second part of my story will center on Wayne County, Kentucky. What I have learned about my ancestors elates and humbles me.

THE EARLY ARRIVALS IN WAYNE AND HAMILTON COUNTIES

The Illinois Territory was established on February 3, 1809, primarily to separate it from the Indiana Territory.  The majority of residents in Indiana Territory were opposed to slavery, while the early arriving settlers in the Illinois Territory favored slavery.   Residents around Kaskaskia, and up the American Bottom to the vicinity of St. Louis, were of French descent, and already owners of slaves. Those coming into Illinois from the South were from Virginia and North Carolina via Tennessee and Kentucky), and favored the institution of slavery,, even though few of them owned slaves,, They accepted the institution of slavery much as later generations accepted the reduced role of women in society. Early in Hamilton County there were several Blacks living in Hamilton

County. In addition, there were Black, preachers, and at least one other family. One of the free Blacks was Aunt Jemima (buried in Crouch Cemetery) and Nelson Powell (known as "Nigger Nels"), He owned his own large farm, and is buried in Rawls Cemetery.  I know that Nelson Powell had been a slave in the South. Some of the early settlers may have come because they were opposed to slavery. The Richardson and Shelton families are both believed to have come to Illinois for this reason. The Harshbarger’s, living in Botetourt County, Virginia, were advised by family elders to go North and west. The Harshbarger’s did not believe in slavery, and knew they could not compete financially with those who kept slaves. Americans, as I will call them, had moved out from Virginia before and during the Revolutionary war. As early as 1810 they were ready to move on into Illinois, but. fear of the Indians kept many from moving.   The War of 1812 effectively drove the Indians out of Southern Illinois, and as soon as the war was over the settlers began crossing the Ohio River.

One of the first settlers in Hamilton County was Joseph Shelton, who came in 1815 to ring (girdle) trees and in 1816 came with his wife, Nancy FAGAN (Chaffin). He was quickly followed by Reddick Rawls.   The other Hamilton County settler was Edward Richardson, and the first settler in Orel Township in Wayne County was John R. Smith. Joseph Shelton and Reddick Rawls were third great grandfathers of mine, and Edward Richardson and John R. Smith were Great-great-grandfathers of mine.   I wonder if they got together and talked about the War. If so their conversations were not recorded, except for the statement that Edward B. Richardson knew the man who shot the British general, Packenham in the too late Battle of New Orleans. Their children and grandchildren stayed in the same area for the greater part of 5 generations. (See the map at. the end of this section for the location of the homes of some of the people in the Smithville area.

The children of John R. Smith, especially the men of the family, built their homes on property that John R. Smith owned. The oldest boy. Seaman Charles Smith had two children by his wife, Lydia Bond. Seaman Charles Smith died and his brother, William Harrison Smith, married Lydia Bond Smith and had two children. William Harrison Smith and his brother, Daniel Smith, built their homes within a half mile of each other, married sisters. Hannah Anne Harshbarger and Mary Harshbarger. and soon had more children. William Harrison had 10 children 2 by Lydia Bond and 8 by Hannah Anne Harshbarger, and Daniel Smith and Mary Harshbarger had 9 children. The third generation was also given land and helped to build homes, all within about a few miles radius. From John R. Smith and three of his sons and their children came a place named "Smithville."

SMITHVILLE

The corner that was the place usually referred to as "Smithville" has been the site of a store, which burned, as well as homes.  At times the community met at the corner to make apple butter and other foods.   A sorghum mill was also located at various times at the same corner. The last house built on the corner is still standing, (no longer standing in 2007 Laurie) William Walter Smith built the front two rooms in the preferred style in those days  (about 1910).  He built it with two doors for safety in case of a fire.  Later Walt's daughter, Gladys Maude Smith and her husband, Leslie Kelsay, moved into the house and added two rooms, which were used as a dining room and a kitchen.  The two front rooms became a living room and a bedroom.  The living room was later made into another bedroom,  Maude and Les moved into the house about 1930.

In 1941 another of Walt's daughters,  Freida Mabel Smith and her husband moved into the house. While they were living there they added 3 rooms and a large screened porch.  Did they need the extra room? They were the parents of six children, who all moved into the house.

At that time (1941) the house was heated with a "heating stove” in the living room and a "cook stove" which was in the kitchen, Lighting was by coal oil lamps, and usually we had an Aladdin lamp as well as two or three regular coal oil lamps. For a brief time we even had a Rayo lamp, and about 1949 we acquired a gasoline lantern.

We drew water from a well outside one of the bedrooms, and in summer time we hung a bucket in the well with milk, butter, and other perishables in it to keep them cold.  Other foods sat on the table from one meal to the next. From time to time an accident would occur, the butter and milk would fall in the well, and the water tasted of both for the next few days.

Of course we had an outdoor toilet, and never thought about the smell in the summer or the cold in the winter, we knew of no other way of taking care of waste elimination. One exception was made if we were sick in the winter time. Then we had a slop bucket which was kept under the bed.  It was not in the house during warm or hot months.

In 1951 we did get electricity incur house at Smithville.  (I was at that time a junior in college, and had become aware of electricity and other "modern" conveniences.)  We finally got running water and a bathroom about 1960. A gas stove was installed in the living room, which helped to heat the house.

In the remaining sections of this book, I will trace the people who are my ancestors those responsible for my being on this earth, and, more especially, for my living in Smithville. When it is possible, I will write about individual ancestors.  Some I do not yet know about, except for a name and place. Perhaps some day I will be able to write about more people who are my ancestors.  Surely as time goes on, other names will be added.  In the meantime, I am grateful for what I do know.  I will show the line of descent from the most distant ancestor in that family to me. In reading about distant ancestors, I have found that the Garrs,  the Harshbarger,s, and William Walter Smith have stressed love of children.  I know that others must have loved as deeply, but just did not record it.  (I think of mothers and fathers who lost little children to death.  If there is one legacy that I want to claim as an inheritance, it is love of family, especially the love of children. Surely as time goes on, other names will be added. Dorman Wright

Key to map above

 1.JOHN R. SMITH home and mill (probable location) 1818

2.JOSEPH SHELTON home 1816 Auxier Cemetery today

3.SHELTON cemetery

4.REDDICK RAWLS 1830  Rawls Cemetery today

5.JAMES B. RICHARDSON AND CATHERINE HALEY home 1849

E. POLK RICHARDSON AND NANCY ANN PAULS home

6.JOHN R. SMITH AND POLLY MYERS home

RELIBEN SMITH AND BERTHA DAILEY home

MAURICE SMITH AND GRACE MALONE home

7.DANIEL SMITH AND MARY HARSHBARGER home

8.WILLIAM HARRISON SMITH AND HANNAH ANNE HARSHBARGER home

MABEL SMITH AND GRADY WRIGHT home 1932

DORMAN DEAN WRIGHT born 1932

TAMER SMITH AND PERRY DRAPER home

9.CHARLIE SMITH AND ALICE DAVIS home

HOYT SMITH AND BERTHA MOORE home

10. RALPH SMITH AND EASTER WILLIAMSON home

11. GROVER SMITH AND LOCHIE JONES home

12. WILLIAM WALTER SMITH home (A home which he built)

SMITHVILLE store             _    

WILLIAM WALTER SMITH AND MARTHA LOUVISA RICHARDSON home

MAUDE SMITH AND LESLIE KELSAY home

MABEL SMITH AND GRADY WRIGHT home 1941-

13.  OLIVER SMITH AND MYRTLE MYERS home

14.  EARLIE SMITH AND CHARLIE CLOSE home

WALTER SMITH AND MARTHA RICHARDSON home

MABEL SMITH born 1903

15.  MABEL SMITH AND GRADY WRIGHT home ELEANOR WRIGHT born 1927

16.  RAYMOND SMITH AND FLORA MITCHELL home

17.  JOHN PLATO SMITH AND CATHERINE FINNEY home VERN MITCHELL AND HET ---- home

18.  HOMER SMITH AND LILLIAN TROTTER home

19.  MURIEL SMITH AND LEON RICH home

20.  MABEL SMITH AND GRADY URIGHT 1941

21.  Brush Prairie School

22.  MABEL SMITH AND GRADY WRIGHT home 1935 JOYCE WRIGHT born 1935

23.  WILLIAM WALTER SMITH AND MARTHA RICHARDSON home MABEL SMITH AND GRADY WRIGHT home

24.  Olive Branch Baptist Church

25.  MABEL SMITH AND GRADY URIGHT home 1935-1941 WALTER JOSEPH WRIGHT born 1940

26.  Independence School

27.  Mt. Zion Methodist Church

28.  Long Prairie School

29.  Long Prairie Baptist Church

30.  Cross Roads School

31.  MABEL SMITH AND GRADY WRIGHT home 1929 AUDREY RUTH WRIGHT born 1929

Families of Dorman Wright

Oliver Brown

ESTES

FAGAN

FLEMING

Gillet

Harshbarger

HOGG

 MYERS

 RAWLS

 RICHARDSON

SHELTON

SMITH