THE HISTORY OF SMITHTON, PENNSYLVANIA FROM 1800 TO 1950
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The Houghs, at Jacob’s Creek, owned a boat yard and a mill. The flat boats they made were floated down the river to McKeesport and Pittsburgh. It is not known exactly what products made up the bulk of the shipments, except that whiskey was important among them. The farmers hereabouts had only enough grain ground for their own needs. Their surplus was converted into whiskey. They probably suffered many hardships in those early days, but the want of whiskey was not among them. It was food and drink and medicine. The farmer’s women folk carried him a pail full in the middle of a busy morning or afternoon. The whole family had free access to the barrel which always stood in the cellar. Among the distillers were HenrY Smith, a son of Joseph Smith, John Rhodes, whose still was located where Ardo Shupe now lives, William Lee who operated his still near the spot where Mineral School now stands, and Solomon Hough. Their product was a good quality of rye whiskey, for which they found a ready sale. In the records of Andrew Reed (R.R. Lynn’s grandfather) who was the revenue collector, one finds a note telling that William Lee had 58 barrels of whiskey worth 900 dollars on the wharf at Smith’s Mills. Presumably they were there awaiting high water so they could be floated by flatboat downstream. In 1833 Joseph Smith was appointed Justice of the Peace for East Huntingdon and South Huntingdon Townships. Politics did not play much part in the affairs of the early 1800’s. Appointments were made by the Governor, and Mr. Smith’s appointment, now in possession of his great grandson R. F. Smith, reads, in part: In the Name and by the authority of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
GEORGE WOLF, GOVERNOR of the said commonwealth: To Joseph Smith, of the County of Westmoreland, Esq. sends greetings. Know you, that reposing especial trust and confidence in your integrity, judgment, and abilities, I, the said George Wolf, have appointed and by these presents, do appoint and commission you, the said Joseph Smith, to be a Justice of the Peace of the district Number Seven. . . so long as you shall behave yourself well. Given under my hand and the Great Seal of the State, at Harrisburg, this second day of April in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty three, and of the Commonwealth, the fifty-seventh. In 1852 Joseph Smith died. His son Samuel continued in the business established by his father. Joseph’s other son, Henry, the same one mentioned earlier as having operated a still, now inherited the Barren Run section of the estate. He built a grist mill along Barren Run.
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