Smith, George P.

GEORGE P. SMITH.

George P. Smith, the president of the H. T. Smith Company, conducting an express business in Meriden, was born in East Meriden, Connecticut, July 4, 1859. The public schools afforded him his educational privileges and he began working for his father when a youth of fourteen years. From the age of sixteen years he concentrated his entire time and attention upon the business, which was then comparatively small. It was founded by Horace T. Smith, who removed from Plymouth, Vermont, to Meriden, in 1854 and five years later embarked in the express business on his own account. He originally had four horses and a barn, which was then located near the original shop of the Meriden Britannia Company. When the Britannia Company was reorganized and removed to its present location Mr. Smith established his business on Stone street and later went to Grove street. A year later he conducted business on State street and since 1876 the business has been carried on at the present location at the corner of Camp and State streets. Early in August, 1892, the barn was entirely destroyed by fire but was at once rebuilt on a larger scale. The death of Horace T. Smith occurred in 1897, since which time the business has been conducted by George P. Smith and C. H. Tredennick. In November, 1901, it was incorporated under the name of the H. T. Smith Express Company, with George P. Smith as the president and C. H. Tredenniek as the secretary and treasurer. When George P. Smith became connected with his father's business there were about twenty horses and a dozen wagons, with perhaps fifteen employes. Something of the growth of the business is indicated in the fact that they now employ regularly fifty men and twenty extra men. They have fifty-five horses and forty horse-drawn vehicles. They also have two trucks of two and a half tons capacity each, also a three-ton truck, four two-ton trucks, one of one ton capacity and a Ford. The business has its own horseshoeing, repair, wagon manufacturing and paint shops, also a feed mixing and cleaning shop. The company makes and repairs everything but harness. The business has grown to very gratifying proportions and its steady development is attributable in large measure to the efforts and enterprise of George P. Smith.

On the 28th of January, 1891, Mr. Smith was united in marriage to Miss Helen Desmond and they have become parents of seven children: Horace T. and Carl D., who were assisting their father in the conduct of the business but are now in the United States navy; George L., who is attending the University of Pennsylvania; Adeline, a student at Lawton Hall in Milford, Connecticut; Stephen, who is employed in the ticket office of the New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad at Meriden; and Katherine and Jere, who are attending the public schools.

Mr. Smith is identified with several fraternities, being a Mason, an Elk and a Forester. His political endorsement is given to the republican party and he has been a member of the common council of Meriden for four years. He is now serving on the board of apportionment and is interested in all those activities and forces which work for the progress and upbuilding of city and commonwealth. His devotion to the general welfare is manifest in his capability in office. As a business man he has worked hard and his persistency of purpose, supplementing indefatigable energy, has constituted one of the salient features in his financial progress.
 
 

Modern History of New Haven
and 
Eastern New Haven County

Illustrated

Volume II

New York – Chicago
The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company 
1918

pgs 314 - 317

 
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COUNTY BIOGRAPHIES
pages / text are copyrighted by
Elaine Kidd O'Leary & 
Anne Taylor-Czaplewski
May 2002