John Jackman Smith Pioneer of Jefferson County
I.D. Jones president of the Jefferson County Historical Society presents a biography of John Jackman Smith born 1780 in Virginia. He moved with his family to Kentucky then Ohio and Iowa, engaged with Lewis and Clark but illness prevented the voyage. He helped survey the first blocks of Fairfield and accumulated land, died 1873 at age 93, with descendants spread across Iowa and beyond.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
John Jackman Smith
Jefferson County
Virginia
Kentucky
Lexington
Lewis & Clark
Missouri River
Pacific Ocean
Smith
Ohio
Rachael Alkire
Iowa
Wisconsin Territory
Cedar Creek
Liberty Township
John Bishop
Daniel Sears
B. F. Chastain
Old Plat
Fairfield
Board of Commissioners
United States
John Jackson Smith
Elijah Smith
Eliza Smith
Susannah Davis
Rachel Jerrell
Great American Desert
Oregon
Lydia
John W. Sullivan
Hiram Smith
Harrison County
Carlisle Smith
Lydia Sullivan
Edwin Smith
The Man Who Waits Across Times and Thinkers
A compact reflection gathers quotes on patience from historical figures Daniel Sherman Cervantes Keene Disraeli Longfellow Harcourt Micah St Paul and Job. The collection emphasizes waiting as virtue in diverse eras and contexts.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
St. Paul
Job
The Awakening Editor And The Subscribed $2 Bill
In a quiet scene the editor rests with his granddaughter listening to Bre'r Rabbit while wealth and taste surround him. A printer's stray brayer startles him as he notices a new subscriber paying $2 in advance, prompting a moment of reflection.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Exchange
Diversity of Crops Forces Diversification in Southwest Farming
The green bug pest this year will cost southwest farmers hundreds of thousands but may force a shift away from the grain monoculture. Wheat and oats are easy to grow but soon diversification becomes necessary to sustain crops and profits.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Southwest
Thought Ride Sufficient Reward
An official of the Brooklyn street car lines recalls a new conductor rushed onto the job who, after a week, learns pay is distributed by the office. A fellow conductor teases him about wages, highlighting the hurried posting and the novelty of payment procedures.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Brooklyn Street Car Lines
Animals Endure Extreme Hunger in Historic Sieges
A review of remarkable cases shows animals surviving long periods without food. A dog jailed for 29 days in Guildford during a rabbit war and a Metz siege dog kept without sustenance for 39 days are cited, while Dover records tell of a pig buried alive for 160 days before surfacing.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Guildford
England
Metz
Dover
Great Lake Victoria Nyanza Drydock Carved by Locals
A rock-cut drydock on Lake Victoria Nyanza is described as 250 feet long 48 feet wide and 14 feet deep. It sits 3 700 feet above sea level about three times Lake Chautauqua’s altitude and reportedly built by natives with no prior experience.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Lake Victoria
Nyanza
Chautauqua
Smallest Bible Published by Oxford University Press
An edition of the Bible from Oxford University Press is noted as exceptionally small at 1% inches by 1% inches. It requires a magnifying glass to read, and a magnifier is supplied with the Bible, priced at 55 cents in Sunday Magazine.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Oxford University Press
Sunday Magazine
Words of Cheer from Ireland Prison Bible
William O'Brien during a prior Irish imprisonment studied the Bible. The copy he read had belonged to the former inmate of his cell. At Jeremiah’s end, that prisoner scrawled “Cheer up, old boy! Cheer up!”
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
William O’brien
Ireland
Frills of Success and Social Standings
A fragment notes that attire influences social acceptance and job prospects for women, contrasting a poorly dressed woman with her well-dressed sister and suggesting fashion choices impact livelihood opportunities.
Excuse of the Idler Warns Against Idleness
An editorial asserts there is time for all tasks and condemns lack of time as a rationalization for idleness. It argues that those who blame hard luck or time constraints lack drive and purpose to seize opportunity and improve their fortunes.
Sausage Machine Drama Sparks Debate on Modern Literature
A critic lambasts contemporary drama as a sausage machine that grinds good literature into tasteless fodder. The piece argues the process destroys meaningful content and feeds it to a degenerate readership.
Entitled to It Reflects on Critics and Work Ethic
A terse musing contrasts the loud dog barking at the moon with a weak man who mocks the labor of a great man, suggesting that both seek satisfaction in derision rather than merit. The piece implies judgment on public critique and the value of effort.
A Difficult Choice in Laughter and Morality
A London literary critic questions whether laughter is unmoral while physicians praise it as a helper for digestion. The piece muses on whether we should remain morally strict or seek cheerful well being.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
London
Maxim about death and health by Publius Syrus
A compact reflection on equality before death and the value of health. It warns that fear of death can be more dangerous than death, urges timely action, and favors balance between speaking and silence from the ancient maximist Publius Syrus.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Publius Syrus
National Daily Sound Bites on Taxing Bachelors
An editorial comment scorns cowards who avoid choices between marriage and bachelorhood. It describes a foolish man who burns his house to obtain light for composing a sonnet to a mistress’s eyebrow.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
National Daily
Eyebrow
Cunning and Ignorance Quote by John A Howland
A brief quotation on the roles of cunning and ignorance in conflicts. The line hints that cunning serves as both offensive and defensive tools, and that pairing cunning with ignorance should be a final option.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
John A. Howland
A Daily Thought on Labor and Thought
A quotation from Ruskin notes that labor shapes healthy thought and thought enables productive labor. The line emphasizes a reciprocal discipline linking mind and work for well being and achievement.
Editor Reconciles Subscriber Over Unpaid Duns
A subscriber angered by a post office dun visits the editor who shows him his own duns for paper type rent and more. The editor explains he can settle them by asking reliable men to help. the subscriber sees the point, pays up, and renews for another year.
Luck and Lazy Men Speak of Fools
A compact reflection on luck contrasts with lazy men who fill conversations with judgments about others. The tone suggests a critique of idle talk and misplaced blame in pursuit of success.
Statement of the Jefferson County State Bank August 22 1907 Fairfield IA
The report lists the bank's condition as required by law. It specifies discounted or purchased debts totaling 119682 42 dollars and cash on hand including described gold coin.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Jefferson County State Bank
Iowa
Fairfield
Jefferson
Auditor of State
Damascus Leads Turkish Empire with Electric Power
Damascus becomes the first city in the Turkish empire to be lit by electricity and to operate electric street cars. The milestone marks a modernization push and showcases urban progress in the region.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Damascus
Bank Balance Sheet and Associated Legal Notice 1907
A 1907 bank statement lists assets and liabilities including drafts and checks on solvent banks, cash items, overdrafts, real and personal property values, and profits after taxes. It includes capital stock, deposits due to depositors, undivided profits, and indebtedness to banks, with a sworn affirmation by bank officers and notary. The document ends with a court notice about the September term and potential default consequences.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Continental Nat
Chicago
Hanover Nat
Bkk
N. Yo
Ottumwa National Bank
Ottumwa
Lowa
Eeeer
Owen
Administrator's Final Notice for Polly Overbee Estate
Perry Overbee and other heirs at law are notified that by September 16, 1907 a final report of C. W. Bailey administrator of Polly Overbee's estate will be on file in Jefferson County Iowa District Court for discharge. They must appear to contest or resist the discharge.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Fairfield
Jefferson
Fender
State of Iowa
Jefferson County
Perry Overbee
Polly Overbee
District Court
C. W. Bailey
Porl Overbee
Also Mentioned on This Page
Uneeda Biscuit
Tional Biscuit Company
3Rd
Iowa Cavalry
Jefferson County Historical Society
Wm. H. Sullivan
I. D. Jones
Daniel
Port Florence
Ss. We
Kk. B. Louden
Ss. K. West
Pamed
Kh. B. Loupin
K. B. Louden
K. West
J. A. Huglin
Tye
D. G. Higley
W. G&g
Ross
C. W., Bailey, I. D. Jones
Plaintiff
China
Moveliy Svoue
The
Jefferson County Agricultural Association
J. P. Manatrey
D. R. Beatty
This is just the beginning! Our collection holds over 300 years of history, including rare newspapers, obituaries, marriage records, birth records, and so much more—most of which you won’t find anywhere else!