George W. Smith
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George and Sally Smith

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Smith, George William*	10/29/1876		5/17/1959
Born: Oct 29, 1876 in Old Fort Griffin, Texas  
Death: May 17, 1959 in Lubbock Co., TX
Father: Henry C. Smith
Mother: Elizabeth Boyle
Religion: Bapt.
Source: Adams Funeral Home 
Transcribed by Bettye Odom
Smith, Sallie May	7/12/1878	3/12/1967
Born: Jul 12, 1878 in Talbert County, Georgia
Death: Mar 12, 1967
Father: Winfield Scott Adams   
Mother: Elmira Kenyon
Religion: Bapt.
Source: Adams Funeral Home 
Transcribed by Bettye Odom
George W. Smith was the oldest son born to H.C. and Elizabeth Smith. He was born October 29, 1876, at Ft. Griffin, Texas. He moved with the family to Mt. Blanco, Crosby County in 1878.

In the memoirs of Sally Mae Adams she states, "In 1892, I met George Smith, at a Mt. Blanco School picnic. He was wearing his first Sunday suit. I was then fifteen years old and he was sixteen. We were married February 15, 1902, by Judge Duncan. The day we were married, a bad snow storm and blizzard was raging.

"We had definitely decided the weather was too bad for Judge Duncan to come, when he finally arrived on horseback. he was almost frozen, but he said he didn´t want to disappoint a cowboy who was about to get married. Due to the continued bad weather, Judge Duncan had to stay with us two days and two nights.

"After we married, we lived on the Half Circle S Ranch, where George was straw boss! The second year we built a one room house from lumber that was hauled from Canyon. We didn´t have cash to pay for the lumber, but in those days a man´s word was as good as his bond. We lived in that house a year, then moved into my father-in-law´s home, the old Rock House. We lived there 13 years.

"After George´s father died, we moved to the George Smith rock farm house which is about two miles east of the old Rock House."

George Smith served as sheriff of Crosby County in 1908 for one term of office.

Children of George and Sally Mae are Evelyn Flora Smith Lowrie, born March 13, 1907, at Mt. Blanco, died May 6, 1970, buried at Crosbyton Cemetery; Allen Boyle Smith, born January 5, 1911, died February 2, 1957, at Mt. Blanco, Crosby County, buried at Ft. Worth; Georgia Mae Smith Ericson, born December 11, 1915, resides in Darien, Conn. George Smith died at the age of 82 years May 17, 1959.

The George Smith Ranch home has been awarded an historical medallion by Texas Historical Commission.

50th Annual West Texas Pioneers and Old Settlers Reunion Program, Saturday, August 21, 1976

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George Smith

George William Smith, 82, last surviving member of the pioneer Hank Smith family, was buried Tuesday afternoon in Crosbyton Cemetery following services at 3 p.m. in First Baptist church.

Mr. Smith died at 9:30 a.m. Sunday in a Lubbock convalescent home, where he had been for about six months.

Rev. J.R. Williams, pastor of Mt. Blanco Baptist Church, officiated, assisted by Rev. Wayland Boyd, local pastor. Funeral arrangements were under direction of King Funeral Home.

George Smith was only a little over a year old when he moved with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Hank Smith, to the then new and now famous Rock House in Blanco Canyon, to become the South Plains first permanent white settlers, in 1877. His father, Hank Smith, had come out from Fort Griffin the year before, hauling lumber by ox wagon to build the first home in this area.

Mr. Smith was born at Fort Griffin, where his father owned the hotel until he decided to move farther west.

He attended the South Plains first school at Estacado, and later the first school at Mt. Blanco, which was located just west of the rock house. He started work as a cowboy for the Spur Ranch, working for his cousin, Fred Horsbourough, who was ranch manager. He later worked for the Half Circle S and TM Bar Ranch in Floyd County.

He went into the sheep business with his father, the two purchasing 5,000 head of sheep. The flock was wintered between Mt. Blanco and Colorado City, and Smith´s task was to stay with them during the winter months. He later went into business on his own, raising whiteface cattle, a business which he continued the remainder of his life.

Smith was at one time sheriff of Crosby County, serving out an unexpired term in 1908. During that year he moved his family to Old Emma. He was a long time member of the Mt. Blanco School board, and also served on the Crosbyton board when the family moved here about 1918. He served as director and president of West Texas Old Settlers Association for many years.

A Mason since early manhood, Masonic rites were held at the cemetery. Masons were also pallbearers.

Survivors include the wife, Sally; two daughters, Mrs. Evelyn Lowrie, Crosbyton, and Mrs. Stanley (Georgia Mae) Erickson, Darien, Conn., and three grandchildren.

Crosbyton Review, May 21, 1959
Record provided by Crosby County Pioneer Memorial Museum

Sally Smith

Funeral rites for Mrs. Sally May Smith, 88, a pioneer area resident, were held at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday in the First Baptist Church here with the Rev. J.R. Williams of Welch officiating, assisted by the Rev. Ernest Stewart, pastor.

Burial was in Crosbyton Cemetery under the direction of King Funeral Home.

Mrs. Smith died Sunday in a Lubbock hospital after an illness of about a month.

Mrs. Smith first moved to this area in 1891. She marred George William Smith, son of the pioneer Hank Smith family, in 1901. The Hank Smiths were the South Plains first permanent white settlers.

The late George W. Smith and Mrs. Smith moved to Old Emma in 1908 then moved back to the Crosbyton area about 1918.

Mrs. Smith is survived by two daughters, Mrs. Evelyn Lowrie of Crosbyton and Mrs. Stanley Ericson of Darien, Conn.; one sister, Mrs. K.G. Matthews of Borger; and three grandchildren.

Crosbyton Review, March 16, 1967
Record provided by Crosby County Pioneer Memorial Museum

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