Kleiboeker Family Tree - Person Sheet
Kleiboeker Family Tree - Person Sheet
NameJohn E. Smith 
Birth1830, Somerset, Pennsylvania
Death25 Mar 1881, LeClaire Iowa
FatherIra Fuller Smith Sr. (1804-1884)
MotherNancy Huffman (1809-1876)
Spouses
Birth1838, Pennsylvania
Marriage1855
Notes for John E. Smith
John E Smith a River Pilot
Posted 14 Jan 2017 by bambisworld2000
John E. Smith
SMITH
Posted By: Rebecca Foster (email)
Date: 9/6/2014 at 12:09:27
The remains of the late John E Smith reached this city yesterday from Eureka springs, Mo., where he died on Thursday. Mr. smith had lived from boyhood at LeClaire, where he had as many friends as any one need have. His business was that of rapids pilot, and a more trustworthy one has never been known. In times of low stage of water he was the only pilot that could be depended upon to take the packets over the rapids in safety. Two weeks ago he went to the springs hoping to regain his waning health. A Cancer on his arm would yield to no treatment save the knife of death. The deceased was about 45 years of age. He leaves a wife, daughter, and three sons.
Source: Daily Gazette, Davenport, Ia., 28 May 1881, p. 4.
On Saturday there were two funerals at LeClaire; each that of a former well-known citizen of many years’ standing--John E. smith, the pilot whose death has heretofore been noticed in the Gazette, and Ezekiel C. Condit, who had owned and farmed several farms and now resided in LeClaire.
Source: Daily Gazette, Davenport, Ia., 30 May 1881.
RECALLING FAMOUS RIVER PILOTS, HON. J. HAM. LEWIS, AND W.C. HAYWARD’S BOOTS
By Malcolm M. McKinnon
“With the exception of the man who first arranged for the adequate refrigeration of beer, so that it could be drawn cold and foaming from the tap to the schooner, the chief citizen of Davenport in many ways during those old days which are indeed gone forever was the proprietor of the Lorton livery situated on East Third street nearly across from where the Blackhawk hotel now stands. His place was not only a community center of importance, where leading people were in the habit of congregating and exchanging the gossip of the day, but it was here that Captain John Smith, of LeClaire, the greatest of all rapids pilots was in the habit of obtaining horse and buggy transportation back to his place of residence, when he brought a packet down and there was none to take up. During most of the several decades of his activity, none of the Diamond Jo and White Collar packets was piloted thru the rapids extending between Davenport and LeClaire, except by Captain James (John?) Smith. The commanders of these large steamers would telegraph him from Dubuque or Burlington and if he was occupied otherwise when they arrived at LeClaire or Davenport they would tie up and await his return.
After the death of Captain James (John) Smith in the early 80’s, piloting of the big packets thru the rapids was divided between his son Orrin Smith and Captain Washington Hight, of St. Louis, who made his headquarters during the season at LeClaire. Captain Orrin Smith was regarded as the equal of his father in knowledge of the river and good judgment in taking a boat thru dangerous places. Later he was successful as a rafting pilot and at the present time he is still navigating the rapids as the commanding officer of the Lone Star, owned by the Builder’s Sand and Gravel company, towing barges between Davenport and Albany, Ill.
Source: The Davenport Democrat and Leader, Davenport, Ia., 14 Jan 1929, p. 16.
SMITH JOHN E
1870 Census City of LeClaire, Scott county, Iowa.
Age Occupation
Smith John E Head 26 Boat Pilot
Isabel wife 20 keeps house
Orrin son 11 at home
Sarah daughter 5 at home
Edward son 8/12 at home
1880 Census City of LeClaire, Scott county, Iowa
Age Occupation
Smith John E. Head 50 River Pilot
Isabel wife 42 House keeper
Orrin son 22 River Pilot
Lila Belle daughter 7 at home
Fred J. 2 at home
LE CLAIRE NEWS
Pilot Smith’s Rapids Runs - A Safe Man at the Wheel
A SAFE PILOT
Capt. John E. Smith, of this place, the pilot of the Northern Line of Packets, made 462 trips over the rapids between Le Claire and Davenport, during the season of river navigation just closed. During all that time no boat, barge or freight was damaged or lost while he was at the wheel.
Source: Davenport Daily Gazette, Davenport, Ia., 06 Dec 1875, p. 4.
The Davenport Democrat and Leader
June 10, 1928
CAPTAIN ORRIN SMITH, Le Claire, ran largest rafts down rapids: Father furnished Evidence for Lincoln
On a fair day in May 1856, the sidewheel excursion steamer Effie Afton, puffing down the Mississippi , struck a pier of the first bridge across the river between Davenport and Rock Island .
The impact of the collision or some other force, upset a stove on the steamer’s deck and the big boat went up in flames. The bridge property of the Chicago , rock Island and pacific railway, being a wooden structure was also partially destroyed.
Out of this incident grew the famous rock Island bridge case in which Abraham Lincoln distinguished himself, winning the case for the railroad when the steamship company brought suit.
What is more important the resulting decision set a precedent which struck the opposition in the building of trans-Mississippi bridges a death blow.
Probably no one at this day remembers the incident more distinctly than captain Orrin Smith of Le Claire, for 48 years a river pilot in all capacities and today actively engaged in guiding the Lone Star on almost daily trips between Princeton and Davenport .
Father Furnished Evidence
“My father, Captain John E. Smith furnished evidence in that case for the railroad company,” he recalled the other night. Tilted back in an old chair on the lower deck of the Lone Star he rehearsed the incident while a kerosene lamp with yellow light shown thru the smoke from a cigar he puffed occasionally.
“It nearly made a farmer out of my father after years on the river. Lincoln and the rock Island wanted to prove that the bridge was not an obstruction to river traffic and hired my father to pilot a boat up and down the river for an entire day.”
He did it successfully, easily. Probably made a dozen trips or so in the same channel where the Effie Afton had gone down. “That made the river men mad and they wouldn’t give dad a square deal so he went back to Le Claire and moved into a small farm. In 30 days steamboat owners were after him.
“Come on back and pilot our boats for us” they begged him, “They’re going to pieces in the rapids.”
“I’ll come on back for $10 a day, work or play,” was his reply and they agreed to his terms.
Compensation Unknown
Records show that Lincoln received $500 for winning the case, but what Captain John Smith received, more than his daily wages, Captain Orrin Smith does not know.
[Newspaper story is continued on the Notes page for Orrin Smith.]
Researcher Sue Rekkas
Posted 14 Jan 2017 by bambisworld2000
John E. Smith
SMITH
Posted By: Rebecca Foster (email)
Date: 9/6/2014 at 12:09:27
The remains of the late John E Smith reached this city yesterday from Eureka springs, Mo., where he died on Thursday. Mr. smith had lived from boyhood at LeClaire, where he had as many friends as any one need have. His business was that of rapids pilot, and a more trustworthy one has never been known. In times of low stage of water he was the only pilot that could be depended upon to take the packets over the rapids in safety. Two weeks ago he went to the springs hoping to regain his waning health. A Cancer on his arm would yield to no treatment save the knife of death. The deceased was about 45 years of age. He leaves a wife, daughter, and three sons.
Source: Daily Gazette, Davenport, Ia., 28 May 1881, p. 4.
On Saturday there were two funerals at LeClaire; each that of a former well-known citizen of many years’ standing--John E. smith, the pilot whose death has heretofore been noticed in the Gazette, and Ezekiel C. Condit, who had owned and farmed several farms and now resided in LeClaire.
Source: Daily Gazette, Davenport, Ia., 30 May 1881.
RECALLING FAMOUS RIVER PILOTS, HON. J. HAM. LEWIS, AND W.C. HAYWARD’S BOOTS
By Malcolm M. McKinnon
“With the exception of the man who first arranged for the adequate refrigeration of beer, so that it could be drawn cold and foaming from the tap to the schooner, the chief citizen of Davenport in many ways during those old days which are indeed gone forever was the proprietor of the Lorton livery situated on East Third street nearly across from where the Blackhawk hotel now stands. His place was not only a community center of importance, where leading people were in the habit of congregating and exchanging the gossip of the day, but it was here that Captain John Smith, of LeClaire, the greatest of all rapids pilots was in the habit of obtaining horse and buggy transportation back to his place of residence, when he brought a packet down and there was none to take up. During most of the several decades of his activity, none of the Diamond Jo and White Collar packets was piloted thru the rapids extending between Davenport and LeClaire, except by Captain James (John?) Smith. The commanders of these large steamers would telegraph him from Dubuque or Burlington and if he was occupied otherwise when they arrived at LeClaire or Davenport they would tie up and await his return.
After the death of Captain James (John) Smith in the early 80’s, piloting of the big packets thru the rapids was divided between his son Orrin Smith and Captain Washington Hight, of St. Louis, who made his headquarters during the season at LeClaire. Captain Orrin Smith was regarded as the equal of his father in knowledge of the river and good judgment in taking a boat thru dangerous places. Later he was successful as a rafting pilot and at the present time he is still navigating the rapids as the commanding officer of the Lone Star, owned by the Builder’s Sand and Gravel company, towing barges between Davenport and Albany, Ill.
Source: The Davenport Democrat and Leader, Davenport, Ia., 14 Jan 1929, p. 16.
SMITH JOHN E
1870 Census City of LeClaire, Scott county, Iowa.
Age Occupation
Smith John E Head 26 Boat Pilot
Isabel wife 20 keeps house
Orrin son 11 at home
Sarah daughter 5 at home
Edward son 8/12 at home
1880 Census City of LeClaire, Scott county, Iowa
Age Occupation
Smith John E. Head 50 River Pilot
Isabel wife 42 House keeper
Orrin son 22 River Pilot
Lila Belle daughter 7 at home
Fred J. 2 at home
LE CLAIRE NEWS
Pilot Smith’s Rapids Runs - A Safe Man at the Wheel
A SAFE PILOT
Capt. John E. Smith, of this place, the pilot of the Northern Line of Packets, made 462 trips over the rapids between Le Claire and Davenport, during the season of river navigation just closed. During all that time no boat, barge or freight was damaged or lost while he was at the wheel.
Source: Davenport Daily Gazette, Davenport, Ia., 06 Dec 1875, p. 4.
The Davenport Democrat and Leader
June 10, 1928
CAPTAIN ORRIN SMITH, Le Claire, ran largest rafts down rapids: Father furnished Evidence for Lincoln
On a fair day in May 1856, the sidewheel excursion steamer Effie Afton, puffing down the Mississippi , struck a pier of the first bridge across the river between Davenport and Rock Island .
The impact of the collision or some other force, upset a stove on the steamer’s deck and the big boat went up in flames. The bridge property of the Chicago , rock Island and pacific railway, being a wooden structure was also partially destroyed.
Out of this incident grew the famous rock Island bridge case in which Abraham Lincoln distinguished himself, winning the case for the railroad when the steamship company brought suit.
What is more important the resulting decision set a precedent which struck the opposition in the building of trans-Mississippi bridges a death blow.
Probably no one at this day remembers the incident more distinctly than captain Orrin Smith of Le Claire, for 48 years a river pilot in all capacities and today actively engaged in guiding the Lone Star on almost daily trips between Princeton and Davenport .
Father Furnished Evidence
“My father, Captain John E. Smith furnished evidence in that case for the railroad company,” he recalled the other night. Tilted back in an old chair on the lower deck of the Lone Star he rehearsed the incident while a kerosene lamp with yellow light shown thru the smoke from a cigar he puffed occasionally.
“It nearly made a farmer out of my father after years on the river. Lincoln and the rock Island wanted to prove that the bridge was not an obstruction to river traffic and hired my father to pilot a boat up and down the river for an entire day.”
He did it successfully, easily. Probably made a dozen trips or so in the same channel where the Effie Afton had gone down. “That made the river men mad and they wouldn’t give dad a square deal so he went back to Le Claire and moved into a small farm. In 30 days steamboat owners were after him.
“Come on back and pilot our boats for us” they begged him, “They’re going to pieces in the rapids.”
“I’ll come on back for $10 a day, work or play,” was his reply and they agreed to his terms.
Compensation Unknown
Records show that Lincoln received $500 for winning the case, but what Captain John Smith received, more than his daily wages, Captain Orrin Smith does not know.
[Newspaper story is continued on the Notes page for Orrin Smith.]
Researcher Sue Rekkas