Isaac Roston Smith, the managing partner of the firm of Smith Brothers, prominent merchants and millers of Salubria, and president of the Washington County Fair Association, was born in Morrow County, Ohio. March 11, 1859, his ancestors, who were English, having been early settlers in Berks County, Pennsylvania. His grandfather, William Smith, was born in Berks County and married Miss Elizabeth Speck. They settled in Guernsey County and in 1842 removed to Morrow County, Ohio, where he remained until his death, in 1883, at the age of seventy-four years. His wife passed away in 1898, aged eighty-five years. Twelve children were born to this worthy couple, one of whom was the father of our subject, Finley McGrew Smith, whose birth took place in Guernsey county, Ohio, on February 11, 1836. He served in the Union army during the civil war as a member of the Third Ohio Cavalry. His wife was Miss Pamelia Sutton, a native of Washington county, Pennsylvania, and of the six children born to them live are now living.
Isaac R. Smith is the second son in the order of birth, and accompanied his parents to Kansas in 1866, where he received his education in the public schools and began life as a farmer, but when seventeen years old he embarked in the mercantile business, in which he has since continued. In 1891 he came with his brother to Salubria and they founded the business in which they have continued so successfully. In 1898 they built their flouring mill, which is equipped with the plane-sifter system and full roller process, which is the latest improvement, and the mill has a capacity of sixty barrels of flour a day. The firm also have the leading general store of the town, a branch store at Warren, where they supply a large mining trade, and they also have a sawmill and manufacture lumber quite extensively. They are popular, energetic and liberal men, taking an active part in any enterprise that will advance the welfare of the town, and they enjoy the good will and high esteem of all with whom they come in contact, either in a business or social way. In politics Mr. Smith is a stanch Republican and a strong supporter of the principles of that party.