John C. B. Smith was born on February 3, 1859 to Thomas Smith (1829 – xxxx) and Narcissus Jane May (1835 – xxxx) in New Columbia, Massac County, Illinois.

In the 1850 census, his 22 year old, unmarried father, Thomas, was living in Massac County, Illinois with 24 year old James and Queentina Smith who are suspected to be his brother and sister-in-law.  Thomas’s future bride to be, Narcissus Jane May, lived three houses down from them. On October 24th of the same year, 1850, Thomas Smith and Jane May were married. Continue reading →