Source: Roots of Roane County, TN by Snyder E. Roberts
When the town of Kingston was established October 23, 1799, JOHN SMITH T., and his first cousin, MERRIWEATHER SMITH (1769-1838) were two of the seven Commissioners appointed to lay out and regulate the town. John Smith T. was one of the five Commissioners appointed for the erection of the first courthouse, jail and stocks. The well educated Merriweather Smith was added to the Board of Trustees for Rittenhouse Academy at Kingston in 1809. The correct story on these two men is important for an understanding of Kingston and Roane County history.
Local historians have mentioned Merriweather Smith favorably, but unfortunately some historians write of John Smith T. in a humorous or derogatory manner as being an "odd-ball", "gun-slinger," etc. Other writers perpetuate the error by following suit in order to give color to their journalistic efforts. This description of John Smith T. is not fair to the memory of the man and to his descendants, and to the town of Kingston. A modified genealogical-historical approach to the story should give a better perspective to their place in Kingston's history. Merriweather Smith's story is shorter and will be discussed first.
MERRIWEATHER SMITH
Emma M. Wells' History of Roane County, p 288, gives the genealogy of this family. Merriweather Smith married SALLY PAYNE in Virginia. Their first two children, GRANVILLE (1792) and WILLIAM P. SMITH (1798) were born in Grassy Valley, Knox County, TN. According to Wells, MERRIWEATHER SMITH, JR. "was born July 6, 1800, at the Headquarters of the 4th U.S. Regulars at South West Point." Seven more children were born in Roane County. At least three of these married into prominent and politically powerful Roane County families. William P. Smith married ELIZA WILEY, daughter of HENRY H. WILEY, founder of coal land companies at Oliver Springs; JOHN Y. SMITH who married LEAH LENOIR, was a lawyer and Methodist preacher, and SAMUEL H. SMITH married TERESA PATTON. Evidently Merriweather was first attached to South West Point, but later bought a farm and mill on Cave Creek from John Smith T. At the time of his death in 1838, he was living on a 700-acre farm two miles east of Kingston which was later owned by his sons, William P. and Thomas J. Smith
JOHN SMITH T.
Patiemac Note: The referenced book continues with about 7 or 8 more pages on John Smith T., including a portrait of him. I am going to just excerpt some of the highlights from the article here:
John Smith was born (without the T) in Essex County, VA in 1770. His grandfather, COL. FRANCIS SMITH, married, first LUCY MERRIWEATHER, and secondly, ANNE ADAMS. The grandfather was in the House of Burgesses 1752-58; served in the colonial militia, and left a large estate (will 3-16-1762) to his sons: MERRIWEATHER SMITH, FRANCIS SMITH, and WILLIAM SMITH. John Smith T.'s parents were Francis and LUCY WILKINSON Smith of Essex County. In 1771, they were in Bedford County, VA, and later moved to Wilkes County, GA where he died in 1814, and his wife in 1822, leave a large estate. They had at least four sons: JOHN T. SMITH, REUBIN SMITH, WILLIAM SMITH and THOMAS A. SMITH.
John apparently began the land speculation and development phase of his business career in 1795 after his father had given him several slaves which he sold to REV. SANDERS WALKER of Oglethorpe Co. GA, whose daughter, NANCY WALKER, later became Mrs. John Smith T. Rev. Walker was well-to-do and left a large estate, His daughter, ELIZABETH WALKER, married WILSON LUMPKINS, who served as Governor of GA 1813-15.
John Smith T. became the owner of 50,000 acres of valuable land all of which had been cleared of Indian title by the treaty of 1798. John, his brother Reubin, and his cousin, Merriweather Smith are listed in Capt. Hugh France's Militia Co. for Roane Co. in 1802.
John Smith, the well-educated businessman, found it advantageous to add the letter "T" (for Tennessee) to his name in order to differentiate him from the oodles of John Smiths. This was not a whim, but a practical device adopted by him to provide a legal signature to insure his identity.
By 1807, John Smith T. had bought seven tracts of land including lead mines. His most valuable tract was bought from Jacq. de St Vrain who had received it as a grant from the Spanish in 1796. It included the great lead mines "Shibboleth" and "Bell Fountaine." Later, Smith T. bought a part of the lead mines operated by MOSES and STEPHEN AUSTIN when Moses became insolvent and Stephen founded a colony in TX. Smith T. also had farms, mills, one iron works, and a salt works. He was known as a "lead baron," and was quite wealthy.
John and Nancy Smith T. had only one child, a daughter. ANN SMITH T. married twice. Her first husband was CAPT. DAVID S. DEADERICK (1791-1823) who was the son of THOMAS DEADERICK, and grandson of DAVID S. DEADERICK.
Ann and David had two children: JOHN S. DEADERICK and JULIA DEADERICK. John S. married ELLEN CARTER and they had five children. Julia married COL. FERDINAND KENNETT, and they had five children.
Ann Smith Deaderick married secondly, (9-11-1823), JAMES M. WHITE, who was a grandson of GEN. JAMES WHITE. James M. was presumably the son of MOSES WHITE. Ann and James M. White had three children, but only MOSES. F. WHITE of the three ever married. He married MARGARET WALKER and they had five children. The other two brothers, SAMUEL CARRICK WHITE and THOMAS S. WHITE went to MO and engaged in the lead business.
Much of John Smith T.'s life was shrouded in mystery, and certain details of his death are unknown. On September 30, 1836, he signed deeds in MO. Later, he went down and across the MO River to Hale's Point, TN to meet an old Virginia friend, a Mr. HALE, for the purpose of establishing a cotton plantation in TN. Evidently, Smith T. died at the home of Mr. Hale with the exact date of death, and place of burial unknown. On November 29, 1836, the Court appointed his son-in-law, JAMES M. WHITE, to administer the huge estate.
REUBIN and GEN. THOMAS ADAM SMITH
Reubin Smith, brother of John Smith T., was active in the lead business and was in the Santa Fe trade. He married SUSAN HORINE, and they lived at the Belle Fountaine Mine. They had two sons, FRANCIS SMITH and THOMAS SMITH. Reubin died in 1828.
John Smith T.'s brother, General Thomas Adam Smith was born in VA in 1781. He was once the commanding officer in Arkansas Territory where Fort Smith was named for him. In 1828, he and his wife CYNTHIA BERRY WHITE (daughter of Gen. JAMES WHITE) retired to their farm, "Experiment" at present-day Napton, MO. Mr. George Penn Smith, Jr. of Napton has compiled the genealogy of the Gen. Thomas A. Smith family.
Smith T.'s brother, WILLIAM SMITH, lived in Alabama. He named a son JOHN SMITH T.