IRA SMITH

Transcribed from Record of Poor Children's Indentures for Tippecanoe County, Indiana, 1833-1846, pp. 2-3

This Indenture made this fourteenth day of May in the year of our Lord eighteen hundred and thirty four between JOHN McCORMICK and IRA SMITH Overseers of the Poor of Fairfield Township in the county of Tippecanoe and State of Indiana, of the one part, and JOHN B. SEMANS of the county aforesaid, Witnesseth that the said overseers have put, placed, bound, and do by these presents, put place and bind SAMUEL T. HANNAMAN, a poor boy, aged sixteen years on the 24th day of April last past as an apprentice to the said JOHN B. SEMANS, to be taught the art, trade, and occupation of a Printer which the said JOHN B. SEMANS now uses; and to live with and serve the said JOHN B. SEMANS as an apprentice until he the said SAMUEL T. HANNAMAN  shall arrive at the full age of Twenty one years, if the said JOH B. SEMANS shall so long live-And the said Overseers do by these presents give unto the said JOHN B. SEMANS all the right power and authority over the said SAMUEL T. HANNAMAN and his services for and during the said term, which by the laws of the State or master has in and ever a lawfully indentured Apprentice. And the said JOHN B. SEMANS,  in consideration thereof, doth, on his part covenant, promise and agree to and with the said Overseers and their successors in office, and each and every of them and with the said SAMUEL T. HANNAMAN, that he will teach and instruct the said SAMUEL T. HANNAMAN as his apprentice or cause him to be well and sufficiently taught and instructed in the art, trade, and occupation of a Printer after the best way and manner that he can: and also to send the said SAMUEL T. HANNAMAN  Six Months to a good English school during the term of his said apprenticeship and train him in the habits of Industry and morality, and during the Term of his apprenticeship to provide and allow to him sufficient meat, drink,  washing, lodging and apparel, and all other things necessary for an apprentice during his said Term of apprenticeship - and the said  JOHN B. SEMANS  further covenants and agrees to furnish and give to the said apprentice at the expiration of his aforesaid term of service, one new suit of wearing apparel, worth at least thirty dollars. In witness whereof the said parties have hereunto set their hands and seals the day and year first above written.

Signed, sealed and delivered in the presence of

CYRUS BALL

JOHN McCORMICK {seal}

SAMUEL T. HANNAMAN {seal}

JNO. B. SEMAN {seal}

IRA SMITH {seal}

A true record

Recorded May the 14th A.D. 1834

Sanford C. COX Recorder

Lafayette, IN.,  Tippecanoe County 1879

There were three early rival hotels erected after the death of Richard Johnson ( who appeared to be the first or one of the earliest hostlers). They were erected by Stephen Taylor, Jeremiah Bartholomew and Ira Smith.

"Ira Smith's tavern stood across Main Street, on the opposite corner, where the Union National Bank stands.  He used a steel triangle instead of the bell. The sound of that triangle preceded many an excellent meal.  The Smith House was long noted for the kind hospitality of its host and hostess and the quiet,  home-like air that pervaded all its appointments and arrangements. Like all other inns of those days, Uncle Ira kept a bottle of brandy for guests in case of sickness, but not to be used as a beverage.  My host discovered that the brandy bottle which he kept in the bar behind tall palings, began to lower rapidly in the absence of sickness among his guests and he questioned John and Stephen closely in the matter, who stoutly disclaimed any knowledge as to the lowering of the brandy in the bottle. At length he discovered where the brandy went and the hocus pocus by which it was extracted from the bottle. A tall limb of the law, somewhat fond of the "critter," took a long pair of tongs that stood by the jamb in the barroom and mounting upon a chair, in the absence of all others from the bar room (except those who agreed to 'go snacks') he reached over the top of the bar, grasped the bottle by the neck,  lifted it from the shelf, helped himself and by the same adroit manipulations placed it back on the shelf within the bar and retired "silent as an oyster".  The detection took Mr. Blackstone down a peg or two,  but as he assured my host of the entire absence of any felonious intent in the premises and as Uncle Ira was fond of a joke, even at his expense, he dropped the matter with the remark that he hoped the joke would not be repeated as good fourt proof Brandy was rather scarce and cost too much to be used for joking purposes.

dated: Lafayette, December 8, 1879, ELKHORN

The State of Indiana }
                                 }A.D.
Tippecanoe County}

                                       To the Hon. John M. LARUE judge of said court:

Your petitioners Ira SMITH and Sarah FOWLER formerly Sarah SMITH and her husband William R. FOWLER, Zerelda ASBELL formerly Zerelda SMITH and her husband Charles H. ASBELL, Margaret STACKHOUSE formerly Margaret SMITH and her husband Isaac M. STACKHOUSE, Alfred SMITH, Quincy A. SMITH, Mary E. Myers formerly Mary SMITH and her husband Amos MEYERS represent:  that of the last term of said court one Cyrus BALL as administrator of the estate of Ira SMITH decd. Made final settlement of said estate and paid into court the sum of $2840.91,  which amount belongs to and awaits distribution among the heirs of said decedent. That said decedent left him surviving as his heirs at law, SMITH his widow, one Stephen SMITH of said Ira SMITH decd.  And your said petitioners Ira SMITH, Sarah FOWLER, Zerelda ASBELL, Margaret STACKHOUSE, Alford SMITH, Quincey A. SMITH and Mary E. MEYERS who we each and all the children of one John D. SMITH deceased who was the son of said Ira SMITH deceased, that said Stephen SMITH and the said children of said John D. SMITH are all the  heirs of said decedent Ira SMITH decd. And entitled to distribution of all the estate of said Ira SMITH decd. Except the one third going to his widow, that aside from any question of advancements, said Stephen SMITH is entitled to one half of the two thirds and that each of the two thirds - your said petitioners further represent that said decedent in his life time at divers and sundry times advance to said Stephen SMITH money and property by way of advancement which money and property amount in the aggregate to the sum of which they ask by adjudged as an advancement to said Stephen SMITH out of the estate of said Ira SMITH decd. And that distribution of the estate if said Ira SMITH decd among his said heirs taking into account said advancement to said Stephen SMITH.

Frank EVERETT

Atty. for said Petitioner

source: Tippecanoe County Area Genealogical Society, Lafayette, IN

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