Gaston, Joseph.  "The Centennial History of Oregon, 1811-1912."  Vol. 3. 
Chicago, Clarke Publishing Co., 1912. p. 377.
 
LORENZO DOW SMITH

     is one of the enterprising and successful farmers of Coos county. His ranch
of one hundred and sixty acres is located on the south fork of the Coos river,
ten miles up from Marshfield, where he is engaged in the real-estate business
and also in dairy farming. He was born September 14, 1850, and is the son of
Nathan and Emily (Hobson) Smith, the former a native of Tennessee and the latter
of North Carolina. The parents emigrated to Oregon at a very early day, making
their first settlement in Marion county, where they lived for one year and then
went to Douglas county, settling at Oakland, where they resided until 1865, at
which time they removed to the south fork of the Coos river and continued to
reside there until the time of their death. The father was a loyal member of the
republican party, and in early life was a member of the Quaker church, but on
coming to Oregon both he and his wife became members of the United Brethren
church. In their family were sixteen children: William, who died of cholera
while crossing the plains with his parents in 1852; Enos and an infant, both of
whom died while crossing the plains; Lydia C., now the wife of C. W. Dickman, of
Portland; Levi, a resident of Marshfield; Lorenzo Dow, of this review; Mary E.,
the wife of Henry Flook, of Salem; Ellen M., who became the wife of John G.
Flook, of Roseburg, and is now deceased; Harvey N., of Portland; Alvin, who is
engaged in farming in Coos county; Henry C., a resident of San Francisco,
California; John M., deceased; Robert M., also residing in San Francisco;
Charles Lester, whose home is on the Coos river, in Coos county, Oregon; Jesse,
also residing on the Coos river; and Annie Laura, the wife of S. B. Cutlip,
residing on the Coos river.
     Lorenzo D. Smith was reared in his father's home and received his
elementary education in the public schools of Oregon. He remained under the
parental roof until the time of his marriage and in 1889 he established his home
on Daniel's creek, on a ranch which he had purchased some years before. During
his residence at his father's home he was engaged frequently in the logging
business throughout his portion of the state. On settling on his ranch he
engaged in the cattle business, breeding and raising stock and also buying and
selling stock of every description, raised in his immediate neighborhood. He
also pays considerable attention to the dairy industry, in which he uses at
present eighteen well selected cows. In addition to his dairy and cattle
business he is also engaged in the real-estate business, to which he gives a
considerable portion of his time. His present home ranch, which consists of one
hundred and sixty acres located on the south fork of the Coos river, ten miles
from Marshfield, he purchased in 1900 and has there since continued to reside.
     Mr. Smith was united in marriage to Miss Rosa M. La Cross, a daughter of
Henry and Roselia (Cutlip) La Cross, the former a native of Canada and the
latter of Oregon. Mr. and Mrs. La Cross were the parents of one child, Rosa M.,
whose birth occurred in Coos county, this state. The mother closed her earthly
pilgrimage many years ago and the father died in 1910. To Mr. and Mrs. Smith
nine children were born: Thomas F., E. George and Annie Laura, all of whom are
at home; James D., deceased; and John G., Samuel V., Henry H., Florence M. and
Dow L., all of whom are at home.
     Mr. Smith is a member of the republican party and was deputy sheriff of
Coos county for one term. He has also served as school director and road
supervisor. He holds membership in the Woodmen of the World, and is a man who
has attained commendable success in all his business ventures. He is widely
known throughout Coos county and highly respected for his integrity in all
business matters, and is one of the thrifty and enterprising citizens of his
part of the state.


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Submitted to the Oregon Bios. Project in October 2007 by Diana Smith.  Submitter
has no additional information about the person(s) or family mentioned above.