It was an ordinary day. Reading the story of a fellow named Stephen Smith who was a black man whose life was somewhat different than most black men of his era. Stephen Smith was born a slave in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania around 1795 to a slave woman named Nancy Smith. His father was unknown. When he was five years old he became the indentured servant to the Pennsylvanian businessman named Thomas Boude who was a former Revolutionary War officer from Lancaster County. When he turned 21 he gathered enough money together to purchase his freedom for $50. After purchasing his freedom he had big plans ahead of him and in the same year purchased a lumber business. On November 17, 1816 he married Harriet Lee, who worked as a servant in the Jonathan Mifflin home. Already equipped with entrepreneurial skills, Smith opened a lumber business and became involved in lucrative real estate operations while his wife operated an oyster and refreshment house. Stephen Smith became involved in civil rights activities early on when he opposed the policies of the American Colonization Society and demonstrated his position in 1831, when he led free blacks in Columbia, Pa. in a pubic meeting. In 1834 he joined such men as David Ruggle, John Peck, Abraham Shadd and John B. Vashon who were the first black gents for Freedom's Journal and later for The Emancipator. They were asked to secure subscriptions to the papers and collect what were called arrearages. Being an astute businessman, he opened a lumber business in Columbia and prospered. The risky work on the Underground Railroad did not intimidate such abolitionists as Smith and William Whipper.
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| Mr. Steven Smith |
These two abolitionists and businessmen of Columbia, Pennsylvania escaped bodily harm and jail sentences for secreting slaves. Smith's success in real estate ventures and work as an abolitionist disturbed whites who led a mob in an attack on his office in August 1834, spurring a race riot, followed by a second one in October. They wanted to frighten Smith and force him and other black real-estate owners to sell their property below market value and leave town. In the 1830s, Smith and several antebellum blacks were members of various boards with Mr. Smith being with the Columbia Bank. At the time he was the bank's largest stockholder, but did not qualify to be President since he was black. He was allowed to name the white man to be President! Mr. Smith was inspired by eminent minister, Richard Allen, founder of the AME church and at the age of 31 became licensed to preach. He was a Teller in the election of every Bishop since Richard Allen until his death in 1873. Smith built a public hall in Philadelphia for the use of the "People of Color"; but it was destroyed by fire in the riots of 1842. Stephen Smith was one of the Signers of Frederick Douglas' Men of Color to Arms; during the early part of the Civil War calling Black Americans to join the Union Army. By the 1850s, Smith had invested $9,000 in the Columbia-Wrightville Bridge, which was burned on June 28, 1863 to stop Confederate troops from crossing into Lancaster County. although a claim was filed with the Federal Government for the bridge, neither the bank nor its investors were ever repaid. By 1873 Smith had accumulated a fortune worth more than $1,000,000 in today's modern terms. And, it was in 1873 that Stephen Smith, businessman, minister an abolitionist died. The more I searched, the more I found out about Mr. Stephen Smith. He was truly a man who went from rags to riches. It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.
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