BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES, BELMONT COUNTY, OHIO

"History of the Upper Ohio Valley" Vol. II, 1890.

Presented by Linda Fluharty from hard copies provided
by Mary Staley & Phyllis Slater.


Page 611.


DAVID J. SMITH, secretary of the Union Window Glass company, of Bellaire,
is the son of Hon. David Smith, who was one of the early and leading
citizens of Columbus, Ohio, and who was widely and favorably known in his
day throughout the state of Ohio as an able editor and a wise jurist. Mr.
Smith was born in Columbus, in 1829, and lived in that vicinity during
his boyhood days, receiving the education usually gotten in the public
schools of Ohio. In early manhood he came to Wheeling, W. Va., which
place was his home, with one or two short intervals, till 1867. In 1852,
he was married to Miss Martha M. Gorrell. Mrs. Smith died in 1877, leaving
two children, Mary E. and William B., both of whom now live in Bellaire.
In 1867, Mr. Smith, with others, organized the Bellaire Nail Works company,
and located it at Bellalre. On its organization, he was elected secretary
of the company, which position he filled for some six or seven years. As
this company has grown into one among the very large concerns of the Ohio
valley, Mr. Smith feels a pride in the fact that he and his comrades who
were in it during its infancy and weakness, planted seed that has grown,
so famously. After leaving the Bellaire Nail works, Mr. Smith engaged in
the lumber trade. This he continued for several years, when he formed a
co-partnership with Julius Armstrong, under the firm name of Armstrong &
Smith; this firm operated a planing-mill, and dealt in lumber, and
continued until August, 1880, when their mill was burned. They then sold
out their yard stock and quit the business. In 1883, he, in connection
with others, got up the Crystal Window Glass company. On its organization,
he was elected secretary, which position he held for a little more than
a year. Since that time he has been engaged in the window glass business,
at the Enterprise and Union Glass company's works. As will be seen from
the foregoing, Mr. Smith has been identified with many of Bellaire's
most extensive manufacturing establishments, and has been one who - as
far as his ability permitted - has helped to build up Bellaire to the
fair position she now occupies. Mr. Smith is an ardent republican, being
one of the 800 men in Virginia, who voted for Lincoln in 1860, and he
still believes in that grand old party.