George Smith and Elizabeth Alspach, Union (now Snyder) County, PA
I am seeking information about George Smith (KKB6-38R) and Elizabeth Alspach (K69G-NN2), who lived in what is now Snyder County, PA. Snyder County was created in 1855, so where they lived was in Union County during their lifetime. He is probably the George Smith living in Centre Township, (then) Union County, in the 1820 Census.
George and Elizabeth probably had seven children, the youngest of whom is my ancestor, Jacob Alfred Smith (KKBZ-QM1), who was born 30 Dec 1825 in Centre Township, (then) Union County.
I think George Smith died in about January 1826. That assumption comes from a reference in the book The Story of Snyder County, by George Franklin Dunkelberger (Baltimore, MD: Gateway Press, 1987; reprint of 1948 edition). Dunkelberger says that George Smith’s youngest son, Jacob Alfred Smith, was orphaned when he was only three weeks old (Dunkelberger, p. 89).
George Smith’s will was probated in the February Term of 1841 in Centre Township, (then) Union County (Charles A. Fisher, Probate and Orphans Court Records of Snyder County, PA, 1772-1855 (Baltimore, MD: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1974), p. 69). The will listed his three youngest children, Barbara (L4J3-LXH), Susan (9DGY-VG4), and Jacob A., as being under 14 years old, although they would have been older than 14 in 1841. George’s son, Henry A. Smith (K2SN-QQ8) was the will’s executor.
George Smith’s name might have originally been George Schmidt. His daughter Susan is sometimes listed as Susanna Schmidt, and his son Jacob A. is mentioned as having a German accent (Dunkelberger, p. 89).
Jacob A. Smith, is the namesake for the town that was originally called Smithgrove in Middle Creek Township, Snyder County. The town was later renamed Kreamer. Jacob A. Smith was said to have in his possession “a deed on parchment measuring two feet nine inches in length, two feet one inch in width. It contains the recitals of a patent from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for two hundred and eight acres of land, on which Smithgrove is situated, to Michael Schoch, dated June 9, 1790” (Franklin Ellis and Austin N Hungerford, History of that Part of the Susquehanna and Juniata Valleys, Embraced in the Counties of Mifflin, Juniata, Perry, Union, and Snyder (Philadelphia: Everts, Peck & Richards, 1886), p. 1431).
George Smith may have been the son of John Smith, who came to Penn Township (adjacent to Centre Township) in 1774 from Lancaster County, PA. He purchased what was called the Hopewell Tract on the south side of Middle Creek—this is near the property that Jacob A. Smith later owned. He left the area temporarily due to Indian troubles, but returned in the 1780s to find his house still intact. John Smith died in Centre Township, and his will was probated on 15 December 1823 in Lewisburg. There was a John Smith who was private in the 8th Class, 6th Company, 1st Battalion, Lancaster County Militia (Charles A. Fisher, The Snyder County Pioneers (1938), p. 84). I cannot confirm that is in fact the correct George Smith, son of John Smith.
I am looking for any information to confirm the identity of George Smith and his wife Elizabeth Alspach (I have very little information about Elizabeth). Any assistance would be appreciated. Smith is a rather difficult surname to research because there are so many of them.
Answers
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Kenvin; There are no sources listed for Elizabeth and only one census record for George in their FamilySearch records hindering a search. Searching Elizabeth records may be the best course of action since her surname is not common. Have you followed the pertinent links in the upper left of this page?
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Dirk,
Thanks. If you mean the general FamilySearch sources, I have dug in them as much as I could. The one source connected to George Smith is the one I attached to him. There are Elizabeth Alspachs in the FamilySearch data and on Ancestry, but I can't confirm they are the right person.
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