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Smithfield Fort |
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The Fort was used from 1860 to 1863 |
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Because of hostile activities by the Indians, the settlers constructed and moved into a fort. In the early days, Smithfield was called Summit. Later, because of a beloved bishop named Smith, the town name was changed to Smithfield. Hence, the name of the stream which runs through the fort is called Summit Creek.
The graph below shows the pattern for the cabins. The outer squares represent corrals; the inner squares represent cabins. All around the fort, a road ran between the corrals and cabins.
“The north line of the fort extended westward from about four rods north of the creek, and the east just west of the west sidewalk on Main Street. The south line about two rods south of the south side of Center Street. The west line was on the east side of Third West Street.”
The names of the settlers are below the graph. Our ancestors are Robert Nelson who married Elizabeth Joseph and Samuel Merrill (Loni’s side). Robert Nelson and Elizabeth Joseph were full-blooded Irish. Jane Margaret Nelson was born in the fort in Robert Nelson’s cabin. It is our belief that Jane was the first female child born in the fort.
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North side, moving east to west
Mr. Lilly and Sam D. Cousins Potter Bowen John Earl Mr. Brunson George Barber William Smith George Sant Robert Nelson Samuel Taylor Robert Fishburn Michael Sanders George Done Widow White Nathan Smith Dr. Ezra G. Williams Preston T. Morehead Harrison Thomas E. R. Miles, Sr. William Ainscough Robert Gibson Lydia Hunt F. Gibson William Douglas Robert and James Meikle Oscar Rice C. Thomas Johnathan Bowen David Hess John Boyce Andrew Anderson Robert Bain William Garnet David Bennett Isaac Goodwin Thomas Smith |
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North Side |
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South side, moving east to west
John G. Smith Samuel Merrill Jett Merrill Austin Merrill Mr. Bowen Joseph Horton Ezekiel Hopkins Seth Langton Robert Thornley John Thornley William Chambers George and Edward Summers James Dimnnock Mrs. Ann Wahnely and Sons William and George Thompson Thomas and Peter Richardson Thomas Winn Sylvanus Collett Daniel Collett Charles Williams Willis Lemon Dudley Merrill Virgil Merrill Andrew Toolson Lars Toolson Marshal Hunt Henry Watts John Story James Downs Neils Neilson |
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West end, moving north to south
Andrew Hendrickson Thomas Pilgrim David Weeks Benjamin Loyd Joseph Watts
East end, moving north to south
Thomas Kallyhan Father McCracken Charles Grey James Mack Benjamin Aitkins Dennison Harris Martin Harris Wallin Family John Olay |