Robert Bruce Smith

Brief Life History of Robert Bruce

When Robert Bruce Smith was born on 18 September 1854, in New Castle, Henry, Indiana, United States, his father, Henry Smith, was 49 and his mother, Sarah Albin, was 47. He married Anna Laura White on 8 August 1884, in Indiana, United States. They were the parents of at least 1 son and 4 daughters. He lived in Columbus, Adams, Illinois, United States in 1860 and Henry Township, Henry, Indiana, United States for about 40 years. He died on 20 March 1944, in New Castle, Henry, Indiana, United States, at the age of 89, and was buried in New Castle, Henry, Indiana, United States.

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Family Time Line

Robert Bruce Smith
1854–1944
Anna Laura White
1862–1931
Marriage: 8 August 1884
Hildreth Smith
0189–
Hazel Smith
1886–1965
Herbert Smith
1888–
Hildreth Smith
1893–
Harriet Audra Smith
1897–

Sources (26)

  • Robert Smith, "United States Census, 1920"
  • Legacy NFS Source: Robert Bruce Smith - Individual or family possessions: birth-name: Robert Bruce Smith
  • Robert B Smith, "Indiana Marriages, 1811-2007"

World Events (8)

1856 · The Largest Map Company in the World

William Rand opened a small printing shop in Chicago. Doing most of the work himself for the first two years he decided to hire some help. Rand Hired Andrew McNally, an Irish Immigrant, to work in his shop. After doing business with the Chicago Tribune, Rand and McNally were hired to run the Tribune's entire printing operation. Years later, Rand and McNally established Rand McNally & Co after purchasing the Tribune's printing business. They focused mainly on printing tickets, complete railroad guides and timetables for the booming railroad industry around the city. What made the company successful was the detailed maps of roadways, along with directions to certain places. Rand McNally was the first major map publisher to embrace a system of numbered highways and erected many of the roadside highway signs that have been adopted by state and federal highway authorities. The company is still making and updating the world maps that are looked at every day.

1863

Abraham Lincoln issues Emancipation Proclamation, declaring slaves in Confederate states to be free.

1881 · The Assassination of James Garfield

Garfield was shot twice by Charles J. Guitea at Railroad Station in Washington, D.C. on July 2, 1881. After eleven weeks of intensive and other care Garfield died in Elberon, New Jersey, the second of four presidents to be assassinated, following Abraham Lincoln.

Name Meaning

English and Scottish: occupational name denoting a worker in metal, especially iron, such as a blacksmith or farrier, from Middle English smith ‘smith’ (Old English smith, probably a derivative of smītan ‘to strike, hammer’). Early examples are also found in the Latin form Faber . Metal-working was one of the earliest occupations for which specialist skills were required, and its importance ensured that this term and its equivalents in other languages were the most widespread of all occupational surnames in Europe. Medieval smiths were important not only in making horseshoes, plowshares, and other domestic articles, but above all for their skill in forging swords, other weapons, and armor. This is also the most frequent of all surnames in the US. It is very common among African Americans and Native Americans (see also 5 below). This surname (in any of the two possible English senses; see also below) is also found in Haiti. See also Smither .

English: from Middle English smithe ‘smithy, forge’ (Old English smiththe). The surname may be topographic, for someone who lived in or by a blacksmith's shop, occupational, for someone who worked in one, or habitational, from a place so named, such as Smitha in King's Nympton (Devon). Compare Smithey .

Irish and Scottish: sometimes adopted for Gaelic Mac Gobhann, Irish Mac Gabhann ‘son of the smith’. See McGowan .

Dictionary of American Family Names © Patrick Hanks 2003, 2006.

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