MAHLON F. SMITH was born in this county August 22, 1843, and is the only child of Peter B. and Mary (Fraser) Smith, natives respectively of Norway and Ohio. Peter B. Smith was a ship-owner and i3ea-captain, and after visiting nearly every port in the world, arrived at New Orleans in 1831, where he and partner sold their ship and cargo and came to this county in the winter of 1831-32, and entered a large tract of land in what is now Union Township. Here they laid out the town of Norway, built the first dam across the Tippecanoe River, erected the first saw mill in the county, and also put up a small store building, now occupied by B. 0. Spencer, in Monticello, which was probably the second built in the town. Mr. Smith died January 2, 1850, a life-long member of the Masonic fraternity. Mahlon F. Smith lost his mother when he was but ten days old., and was reared by his grandmother until seventeen years of age. July 14, 1861, he enlisted in Company K, Twentieth Indiana Volunteer Infantry, and served until mustered out, August, 1864. He was presented by Gen. Birney with the "Kearney Medal of Honor," for meritorious services and conspicuous bravery at the battle of Chancellorsville, and, although he took part in many battles, escaped . without a wound. After his return, he engaged in farming and stock-raising in this county, and in March, 1869, took possession of his present farm of 240 acres, where he continues in the same business. April 14, 1868, he married Mary A. Kenton, daughter of William M. and Mary A. (McColloch) Kenton, and grand-daughter of Simon Ken- ton, the famous hunter, and companion of Daniel Boone. Mr. and Mrs. Smith have left to them one child, Birney, K. In 1880, Mr. Smith invented a device for preserving seed corn, and the next year a friend, Rev. Smith, of Monticello, invented a machine capable of turning out 24,000 of these corn preservers per day. Mr. Smith is a prominent Mason, and in politics is a Republican.

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