SMITH, HEZEKIAH 1784

HEZEKIAH SMITH

Hezekiah was born 17 Jul 1784 near Augusta, GA, and died 2 Feb 1871. He was a Baptist minister and about 1806, married Sarah DRAKE, born 7 Aug 1789, and died 21 Mar 1875.

In his obituary (see further), Hezekiah was said to be a member of the Duck Creek Baptist Church in Columbia Twp., Hamilton Co., OH.  His father served as the minister of the church from 1801-1804. 

About 1810, Hezekiah and Sarah moved to Butler Co., OH.  He was quarter master from there during the War of 1812. 

In 1812, he purchased property in Sect. 20, Twp. 3, Range 2, and in March 1817,  became the proprietor of the town of Mechanicsburg, submitting a Plat of 27 lots.  The town was originally a part of Liberty Twp., settled mainly by mechanics who worked in a variety of mills including an ox saw-mill owned by Hezekiah.  In 1823, when the counties were reorganized, it became a part of Union Twp.   Still later, the town was renamed Westchester and Union Twp. became Westchester Twp., as it is found today.   

From 1817 through 1822, Hezekiah and Sarah sold most of their lots in Mechanicsburg, donating one in 1818 to the congregation of the Methodist Church for their building.  They moved to Clark Co., OH, before 1824, where
he was a practicing Baptist minister.  Later, they moved to Shelby Co., IN. On 28 Oct 1851, Hezekiah laid out the town of Smithland in Shelby Co.  It contained sixteen lots.

Both Hezekiah and his wife are buried in the Miller Cemetery, located one mile northwest of Smithland Corners, IN and five miles southwest of Shelbyville, IN. The following list of their children is taken from a Bible record owned by Mrs. Mary Alden (Smith) Jacklin of Shelby.

CHILDREN of HEZEKIAH and SARAH:


i. JESSE b September 11, 1807 d January 1863

ii. AARON b November 02, 1808

iii. ELIZABETH b March 15, 1810; d October 14, 1894. Married 1st. Harculous Hutton and had one daughter:

   Sarah Hutton; married Harvey Davisson and had twelve children. Elizabeth married 2nd, Christopher Van Doren, a widower with four daughters and 3rd, Samuel Woodruff.

iv. PETER7 b December 13, 1811; d December 03, 1838

v. CORNELIA b September 26, 1815; d May 23, 1814


vi. CATHERINE ANNA b April 12, 1815; d January 04, 1839

vii. AMANDA b August 15, 1816; married 1st. John Belleu and 2nd Joseph McCain. She had three children, probably all by her first husband.

   Elizabeth Bellue b__; mar__McCoy and lived in Texas
   Molly Bellue b; mar___Beardsley and as a widow lived in Matoon, IL with sister Ida.
   Ida Bellue b; mar___Boaz and had two children.

viii. RHODA b September 24, 1818; d January 10, 1839

ix. HEZEKIAH CARY7 b May 15, 1821; d August 20, 1894. On September 17, 1844 married Maria Van Doren, stepdaughter of his sister Elizabeth b August 08, 1826; d April 04, 1897, and their children were:

   Rhoda Ellen b December 15, 1845; married Presley Monroe Payton
 
  Newton Jasper b August 09, 1847; married Mary Wallace
   Susan Amanda b April 30, 1849; married Eli M. Bowles
   Peter Van Doren b October 16, 1851; Amanda McDonald
   Laura Berthia b November 24, 1854; d July 05, 1894
   Cora Irene b July 09, 1869; married James Edward Norris

 

 

OBITUARY FOR REV. HEZEKIAH SMITH 1784-1871

    

SMITH--On Feb. 2, 1871, at his residence, near Smithland, Shelby Co., Ind., Rev. Hezekiah Smith, in the 87th year of his age.     

The subject of this notice was born near Augusta, Ga., July 17, 1784. He in early life removed with his parents to Hamilton Co., O.  When but a lad he went to Lexington, Ky., to learn the saddler's trade.  While there he professed religion and was baptized by Elder Bainbridge into the fellowship of the Baptist Church in that place, in the seventeenth year of his age.  Upon the completion of his apprenticeship he returned to Ohio and united with the Duck Creek Baptist Church.  He soon united with the Bethel Baptist Church on Donald's Creek, Clark Co., O.  This Church soon licensed him to preach, and in 1824, at the call of the same church, a council convened and ordained him to the work of the ministry.  He was very active in preaching the gospel wherever opportunity offered.  His sphere seemed to be that of an evangelist rather than a pastor, and in that capacity he preferred to labor.  He went everywhere preaching the gospel, and many were led to Christ through his untiring labors and faithful presentation of gospel truth.  He never shunned to declare the whole counsel of God.  The Bible was his text book, and this he daily studied and consequently became "mighty in the Scriptures."  He was truly a Bible preacher.

His moral character was always above reproach.  One man said to the writer, "I have known Father Smith for more than forty years, and no man could ever say anything against his Christian character."  He was a consistent Christian.  He was a man of strong positive convictions.  He deliberately and carefully made up his decisions on all moral questions, and then fearlessly and persistently advocated them.  He was always in the van in all moral reforms.  The great aim and effort of his life seemed to be to elevate society, and to do this by leading the people to Christ.     

The last eighteen years of his life were spent in peace on his farm in Shelby Co., Ind., with his companion, who survives him, and with whom he lived over sixty years, surrounded by most of their children.  He went down to the grave like a shock of corn fully ripe, and all felt that a good man had gone to his blessed reward.  His funeral sermon was preached by the writer from Rev. xiv.13.


From The Shelby Republican, May 10, 1871 . 


HEZEKIAH SMITH’S WILL

 I Hezekiah Smith of the County of Shelby and State of Indiana do make and publish this my Last Will and Testament revoking and making void all former wills by me at this any time made.

First I direct that my body be decently interred and that my funeral be conducted in a manner corresponding with my estate and situation in life. And as to such worldly estate as it has pleased God to entrust me with I dispose of the same in the following manner to suit;

First, I direct that all my just debts and funeral expenses be paid, as soon after my death as possible out of the first monies that shall come to the hand of my executors, from any portion of my estate real or personal.

I also direct that a fair valuation on appraisement be made by three judicious neighbors of all my personal estate including my household furniture and after being signed by them that a copy of the same be given by them to each of my Executors. And shall by them be sold for reasonable value for cash or on such credit as is usually in such cases, and the amount thereof secured in such manner as is usual in like cases to insure the full and punctual payment thereof and to effect this my intention I hereby vest my executors with full power and authority in as full and ample manner in every respect as I could my self do if of living.

I also direct that the whole of the proceeds of my personal property shall be and remain the absolute property of my beloved wife after paying the above named expenses, if she shall be living at the time of my death.

I also direct that all the money I shall die? seized in shall put at interest and also the lands that may belong to me shall be rented and the interest of the money of the proceeds of the land shall be the property of my beloved wife if she shall be living at my decease.

I also direct that AMANDA McLAIN, my daughter shall have the full right of one half of the brick house that I now live in by her paying a fair valuation for the same at the deceased of my beloved wife if she shall survive me.  And I also give and bequeath to my six heirs three sons, two daughters and a grand daughter. JESSE SMITH, AARON SMITH, MARGARET ANN SMITH, daughter of my son PETER SMITH deceased, HEZEKIAH CARY SMITH and ELIZABETH WOODRUFF and AMANDA MCCLAIN my daughter an equal share of all my estate both real and personal after the decease of my self and my beloved wife, SARAH SMITH.

I hereby declare that the true meaning and interest of this my last will in bequeathing property to my daughter and grand daughter, that in case of their decease that said property shall in no case whatever descend to their husbands, but shall in all cases remain the property of my daughters and granddaughters children and blood kin at law.

And, I hereby make and ordain Nathaniel Thompson and Joseph Smithers executors of this my last will and testament, hereby revoking and disannulling all former wills by me made at any time: in witness so where of I HEZEKIAH SMITH the testator, have hereunto set my hand and seal this fifteenth day of November in the year of our Lord One Thousand Eight Hundred and fifty nine………….signed Hezekiah Smith, SEAL

Signed, Sealed, published and delivered by the above name HEZEKIAH SMITH as his last will and testament in the presence of us who have hereunto subscribed our names as witnesses in the presence of the testator and in the presence of each other.     

David SMITHERS

Elijah A. POWELL

State of Indiana, Shelby County  

Sources:  A History and Biographical Cyclopaedia of Butler County, Ohio, Western Biographical Publishing Co., Cincinnati, OH, 1882; Butler County, Ohio Land Records, Vol. 1: 1803-1816 & Vol 2: 1816-1823, Shirley Keller
Mikesell, Heritage Books, Inc., 1997; History of Shelby County, Indiana, Chicago: Brant & Fuller, 1887.



submitted by Jean Hehn
submitted by Judy Tooman

updated 22 July 2001
created 23 Jan 2000

INDEX