Mary Smith and William Hight

I keep feeling like I should write a few posts about my great grandfather Fred R. Smith's siblings. The Smith family seemed to be a close family. They lived near each other for many years in Chicago and then later when some of the siblings began to branch out and leave Chicago, others followed.

Mary the oldest child of Mary Carbine and William H. Smith was called May by her family. When her brother Fred was asked during the probate proceedings of his father William H. Smith if her name was Mary or May, he said, "May." But throughout her father's probate record and years later in her mother's probate record, she is referred to officially as Mary. She is also referred to as Mary in all US Census records but she is named as May in her marriage record. So, goes the official name verses the nickname. Of course, I can easily see why her family called her May, since her mother's name was Mary, as well. Trying to make things less confusing.

Mary was born 12 April 1873 Chicago, Illinois. She was baptized (christened) 20 April 1873 at St. Mary's Catholic Church on Michigan Ave in Chicago. Her baptismal sponsors were Owen J McMahan and Kitty Carbine and the priest was P. M. Noonan - the same priest that married her parents, William H Smith and Mary Carbine.

Mary was married to William M. Hight by a Justice of the Peace in Chicago 21 January 1895. They were not married by a Catholic Priest but chose instead for middle ground with the Justice of the Peace to unite them as husband and wife.

Mary A Smith and William M Hight 1895 Marriage Chicago

The Hight family came to Illinois from Pennsylvania. His father was Henry A. Hight Sr. and his mother was Mary A. Paynter. All of William's siblings - Mary Virginia 1843; Henry A Jr. 1845; and Ida 1850 - were born in Pennsylvania except for William, who was born in Illinois April 1864. William was a Civil War baby. His father Henry A. Hight Sr. served in the 155th Regiment, Pennsylvania Infantry as a private. His regiment even fought in the famous battle of Gettysburg. Henry was apparently discharged in the later part of 1863, thus enabling William to be born in April 1864.

The Hight family had an interest in the "arts". William's father Henry was a wagon or coach maker by profession but in the 1870 US Census he is listed as an actor along with his daughter Jessie (which must be also known as Ida) is listed as an actress. And in the 1880 Census, William's brother Henry Jr. is listed as a traveling actor.

William also had an interest in the arts but with a different slant. He was listed in the 1900 and 1910 US Census as an advertising agent. And in the 1920 US Census, William is listed as providing publicity for motion pictures and Mary is working as a lecturer in a studio. This was 1920, so film or motion pictures as it was called was in its early stages of development - certainly from what we now know movies to be.

Mary and William's home 1910

Mary and William's home 1920

Mary and William never were able to have any children together. So I am sure that Mary had some time available to pursue some of her interests and talents. I do not know what she was lecturing about in 1920 nor do I know what kind of studio she lectured at. I have a feeling that Mary had many personal skills that she developed. I wish I had a clearer picture of Mary's life in Chicago.

I have not been able to find Mary and William in the 1930 or 1940 US Census. I do know that Mary was still alive in 1934 when her sister Adelyn died. Mary is listed in Adelyn's obituary as a surviving sibling. I don't know why I can't find her?? I also know that when her brother Fred died in 1953 that Mary had passed away. Roberta was the only sibling left after Fred died.

Okay - I have now uncovered all sorts of information about Mary Smith Hight. Please refer to my post about her.

Frederick R. Smith

My great grandfather Fred R. Smith was the third child and at least the only surviving son born to Mary  A. Carbine and William H. Smith. I do not know the sex of the second child born to Mary and William, so I can not say positively that Fred was their only son. The second child died at four weeks. I gained knowledge of the deceased second child from William H. Smith's probate record.

Fred was questioned under oath about all the legal heirs of his father's estate. Fred related that the second child died at four weeks but that he did not know the name of this child - nor did he give the sex of this child. I have not been able to find a birth, death, obituary or baptismal record for this child. But something might surface in the future. Still plenty of hope.

Fred's birth record has errors in it. The midwife who delivered Fred was apparently of German decent - based on her name, as well as, the people that Mary and William were living near on Third Ave. Fred's surname was written as Schmidt instead of Smith but his father's surname was recorded as Smith. His mother's name was recorded as Maria Carbine Smith. Of course, Maria is the German version of Mary. This would not be the last time Fred felt the German influence in his life.

first part of Fred's birth record

second part of Fred's birth record

In the 1900 census, Fred was listed as a traveling salesman for a starch company. Fred would end up working a variety of jobs throughout his life, such as, traveling salesman (several times), saloon owner, caretaker for his wife's father's resort in Wisconsin, and apartment manager. These are the occupations that I know about but he certainly could of branched out into other areas of employment. Although, he never did get involved in the newspaper business, like his father.

1900 US Census Chicago Fred 4th person listed

In 1910, Fred was 32 years old and still single, operating his own saloon and still living with his mother and two of his sisters, Adele and Roberta. He was living at the 1262 Glenlake Ave house. Fred was slow to find love but soon after this census, he did find love to the north in cool Wisconsin when he married Olga Marie Adams of Wisconsin 4 January 1911 in his home city of Chicago.

1910 US Census Fred 2nd person listed

Fred Smith and Olga Adams Marriage 1911

The story goes that Fred decided to go up to Vilas County, WI, to work at one of the resorts for the summer. Probably to escape the heat and humidity of Chicago and make some money at the same time. Apparently at some point, Fred met Olga and sparks flew. Their differences must of been interesting and appealing to each other. Olga was short and petite and Fred was tall and stout. Olga being German, Reformed Lutheran. Fred was Irish Catholic. One area of common ground that they shared was they were both born by the Great Lake of Michigan. Olga being born in Milwaukee, WI and Fred in Chicago, IL.

Fred returned to Chicago at the end of the summer season. I am sure there was some discussion by both families before January, when Olga came down to Chicago to marry her tall, stout Catholic Irishman. I wonder if someone came with Olga to Chicago or if she made her way alone. They were married in the Lutheran Church by John E. Traeger, a Reformed Pastor.



I do not have any pictures of Fred - sad. I do have one picture of Olga which I will post when I do her individual post. The description I have of Fred is taken from his WWI Draft Registration Card. He is tall and stout with black eyes and brown hair.

WWI Draft Registration Card - Fred R Smith

After Fred and Olga married, Fred continued to run his saloon at 4936 Broadway in Chicago. They lived at 1049 Balmoral, which was only .9 mile from their saloon and 1.2 mile from Fred's mother Mary's house on Glenlake Ave. Fred's mother Mary was hopeful to see her only son make his way in life and loaned him money. After Mary's death, his siblings eventually forgave his debt to his mother or his mother's estate.

Fred and Olga's home Chicago 

Location of Fred's saloon Chicago

His son, my grandfather Bill Smith reported that they moved up to Canada for a few years around 1920 when prohibition came about and he could no longer operate his saloon in Chicago. This move to Canada didn't last long and they soon ended up in Vilas County, Wisconsin working for William Adams, Olga's father at his resort on Big Twin Lake. They remained at Big Twin for some time under the generosity of Olga's family. At some point, probably after the death of Olga's mother in 1931, when the estate of William Adams and Augusta Liederbach was divided up among their six children - they moved to Iowa.

Olga and Fred each took their turn living among each others German and Irish families, respectively. I don't doubt that there were differences in style between the two families but they nonetheless found common ground and made their lives together work.

In 1935 they were living in Des Moines, Iowa, along with their younger son Fred A. Smith.

Their older son William or Bill, my grandfather, had married my grandmother, a brown haired, browned eyed girl - half German and probably half English, named Yoland Whitney in 1934.

By 1940, Fred R., Olga and their younger son Fred A. were all living in Cedar Rapids, IA where my grandfather Bill was married and living with his family. Fred R. was working as a salesman of paper products and his son Fred A. was working as an insurance salesman after completing 5 years of college. Fred R and Olga had both completed the 8th grade.

By 1947, Fred and Olga had moved far from their familiar Mid-West and followed their son Fred A. to San Francisco, CA. Fred R would died in San Francisco 9 October 1953 of heart disease in Notre Dame Hospital (Catholic Hospital). Olga respected Fred's generational Irish Catholic heritage by admitting him to a Catholic hospital where his religious right and rituals would be present - an element that is important to the dying.

Fred and Olga's apartment building San Francisco

I have a picture of Notre Dame Hospital circa 1952 but it is copyrighted, so I don't feel that I can post it here in a public setting. So, you can use your imagination...The hospital was white with multiple stories. It was run by The Sisters of Mercy and was closed down in the late 1970's. The building is now used for low income senior housing.

At the time of his death in 1953, Fred was employed as an apartment manager on Geary St. in San Francisco. He and Olga resided at 837 Geary St. apartment #206 Fred was buried just outside of San Francisco in Colma at the Cypress Lawn Cemetery.

Fred's death record 1953 San Francisco

Fred's Obituary 1953 San Francisco Chronicle

Fred's youngest sister Roberta was the only sibling left alive in 1953 when Fred passed away. Roberta was a widow, her husband Clyde Ford had died in 1951. Roberta would live long past her siblings - dying in 1975.

Fred's final resting place

Chicago - Home Sweet Home

Okay - I have been getting a little bogged down with gathering information to include in my blog posts about the William H and Mary A Carbine Smith Family. I wanted to post something sooner but I continued to find things that were interesting to put in my posts. I have now decided that the blog posts must go on, so....


William H. Smith and Mary A. Carbine were married 6 July 1872, less than a year after "The Great Chicago Fire" of 1871. They were married by a Catholic priest P.M. Noonan. The priests name is hard to read because the writing at the bottom of the copy that I printed and then scanned is faint. Also, you will notice that Carbine is spelled Carbiney. A little extra letter to spice it up.

Smith and Carbine 1872 Marriage

Mary and William both lived through the Great Chicago Fire. In fact, the fire went right through where the Carbine's had settled in Chicago, north of the river. So much had been lost to the great fire. There had been a drought that summer with only an 1 1/2 of rain since the 4th of July. There was wood everywhere - 57 miles of wood paved streets and 561 miles of wooden sidewalks. Much of the business district was lost and then rebuilt.

William and Mary lived at 109 3d Av in February 1878 when their son and my great grandfather - Frederick R. Smith was born. 3rd Ave doesn't seem to exist anymore. I can't find it on Google Earth. I can see it on the 1870 Chicago map, running north and south through the 2nd and 3rd Wards.

Third Av in 1870 Chicago

In the 1870 Chicago City Directory, I found W H Smith working as a clerk for the Tribune Office and residing at 48th 4th Av.

I also found a W H Smith living at 139 3d Av in the Chicago City Directory in 1874. He was a carrier for the Post Office.

In the 1877 Chicago City Directory, William H Smith was working as a night clerk for the Tribune and living at 108 3d Av. This is the same address that was listed on his son, Frederick's birth record in February1878. But, later in 1878 in the city directory he and Mary have moved north and are living at 124 Indiana and still working as a clerk for the Tribune.

By 1882, the Smith family is living at 215 Illinois St and William is still working as a clerk for the Tribune. They stay at this residence until 1892 when they move to 263 and 265 Illinois St., where the family lived until William died in September 1903. At the time of William's death the entire family was living together. It states in William's probate record that Mary Hight, their oldest daughter was living with the family on Illinios St but this seems doubtful, as Mary Hight was living with her husband William Hight at 27 Delaware Place Chicago in the 1900 US Census. And Mary and William always lived on their own in each of the following censuses.

Smith Family Home 215 Illinois St Chicago

Smith Family Home 263/265 Illinois St Chicago 

263/265 Illinois St is now the location of a Nordstrom's. Things change especially in downtown Chicago. But it is good to see a nice department store like Nordstrom's in place of my great great grandfather's home. Nordstrom's keepin' up the old home with good style.


Sometime after William's death, Mary decided to move away from the city center to a home at 1262 Glenlake Ave. I am unsure whether Mary had the home built or if she bought it from a previous owner. By 1917, Adelyn Ford - Mary and William's daughter had bought the home and moved in with her husband Zachary Ford and their children. Mary was listed in the 1917 Chicago City Directory as living at 1207 Glenlake Ave with her other daughters, Adele and Roberta.

1262 Glenlake Ave - Mary's home after William died

1207 Glenlake Ave 1917 Residence Mary, Adele and Roberta Smith

Mary finished out her life at St. Ann's in Techny, Cook, Illinois - 10 miles north of Chicago. St. Ann's Home for the Aged was run by Sister Missionaries. Mary died 18 December 1918. She was buried at the Calvary Cemetery in Evanston, Cook, Illinois along with William, her daughter Catherine, her "name unknown" child, and all of her Carbine family.

St. Ann's Home for the Aged (1919 postcard) - Where Mary died

Calvary Cemetery - William, Mary, Catherine and baby's resting place

Mary's Obituary in the Chicago Daily News Dec 1918

Adele and Roberta both married after their mother died. Adele to John J Deegan and Roberta to Clyde Ford, the half brother of Zachary Ford - Adelyn's husband.