Biographical Sketches
E. O. SMITH, M. D.
Is one of Kansas City's physicians who has gained high standing in the profession. He was born in Franklin county, New York, October 3, 1850, and is a son of Henry O. and Sarah A. (Stowers) Smith, natives of Vermont. Some of his ancestors were in the War of 1812. His maternal grandfather was a fifer and drum major in the second war with England. Most of the representatives of the family have carried on agricultural pursuits. The Doctor's father, when a child of about 2 years, was taken by his parents to New York, where he was reared on a farm and followed that vocation all his life. About 1881 he removed to Michigan, locating at Orelans, where he died July 15, 1885. His wife survived until June 5, 1894. They had 4 sons and 1 daughter, as follows: Maria R., who became the wife of Dean Swift, and died May 14, 1876, at the age of 33 years; Dr. Frederick D., who resides at Coopersville, Michigan; Dr. Sheridan C., who died at Granville, Michigan, February 6, 1875; Dr. Elmore O., of this sketch; and Henry A., who is living in Belding, Michigan, where he follows merchandising.
Our subject was reared in New York, and early learned how to �make hay while the sun shines.� He followed the plow on the old homestead until he had attained his majority, spending the winter months in attendance on the district schools of the neighborhood, and pursuing his studies in the Malone Academy, where one more term would have enabled him to graduate. He subsequently engaged in teaching in the country schools for several winters, receiving $20 per month, which at that time was considered excellent wages in the Empire state. Through the influence of his brother, who was residing in Michigan, he concluded to come west, and in 1872 took up his residence in Coopersville, Michigan, where he secured a situation in the public schools at a salary of $40 per month, teaching one winter and one summer in that school. He then joined his brother, who was practicing medicine in Coopersville, in the purchase of a drug store, which they together conducted until 1876. During this time our subject took up the study of medicine, under his brother's direction, and in the centennial year entered the medical department of Michigan University, at Ann Arbor. He lacked one year of graduation when he went to Orleans and began practice, continuing there in the prosecution of his profession until 1880, when he entered Rush Medical College, at Chicago, where he was graduates in the Spring of 1881. Again establishing an office in Orleans, he was numbered among the successful practitioners of that place until the Spring of 1889, when he came to Kansas City.
Dr. Smith at that time had no friends in this place and was entirely without influence to aid him in the establishment of a practice; he began business here and has succeeded in building up a liberal patronage. The age has long since passed when people are willing to place themselves in the case of unskilled physicians, and the successful practitioner is now the man whose merit and ability places him above the average and wins him the public confidence and therefore the public support. The Doctor makes a specialty of the treatment of cancerous diseases and has performed some marvelous cures in this line.
Dr. Smith is a member of the Masonic fraternity and of the Woodmen of the World, and in politics is a republican. He was married in 1877, to Miss Hattie J. Sherman, a native of Michigan, and they have 2 children - Olen G. and Pearl A., aged respectively 14 and 12 years.
This page was last updated August 2, 2006.