Desmond (Arkansas Research) recently ran across the following obituary for African-American dentist Dr. James H. Smith. We both found this obituary interesting due to the length, the time period and the accolades given Mr. Smith, which led to us doing a little more research on him. I can’t really say when he was born as we have found five different versions of his birth and his death dates but here is what we have:
His gravestone at Oakland Fraternal reads December 12, 1835 – March 17, 1910.
The obituary Desmond found was printed in the Arkansas Gazette April 17, 1910.
Dr. J.H. Smith is Dead
Negro Dentist and Inventor Was Known Throughout the South.
Dr. J.H. Smtih, 56 years old, one of the most prominent negro dentists in the South, died at 2 o’clock this morning at his home, 3420 High Street, after an illness of three weeks. Funeral arrangements will be announced later.
Dr. Smith had his office at 701 – 702 Main Street and had practiced dentistry in Little Rock for nearly 30 years. He was one of the best educated negroes in the South and widely known as an artist, author and inventor.
He was born in Boston, Mass., where he received his earlier education. When 22 years old he moved to Chicago, where he studied dentistry, later opening an office in that city and remaining there until the Chicago fire, when he lost all of his property. He then came to Little Rock and started to practice here.
He was the author of “Maumelle,” [sic, should be Maudelle] a novel dealing with the reconstrution days, and at the time of his death was collecting data for a new book, “Black Mammies of the South.” He was the inventor of a pea sheller and had recently been granted a patent. He was also an artist of ability, having received special note at both the Chicago and New Orleans expositions for pictures portraying Southern life.
He was a member of several negro educational societies and was considered an authority on history of the Civil War.
He is survived by a wife and one daughter.
The Arkansas Gazette followed up the next day (April 18, 1910) with:
News of the City: Funeral of Dr. J.H. Smith — The funeral of Dr. J.H. Smith, a well-known negro dentist, who died at 2 o’clock yesterday morning at his home, 3420 High Street, will be held at 3 o’clock tomorrow afternoon from the residence. Burial will be in Fraternal cemetery.
I drove over to 3420 High Street, which is now 3420 Martin Luther King and the house was still standing. It’s kind of hard to tell from the picture but the house has some nice leaded glass windows, sits up on the hill and obviously nice at the time it was built.
Desmond also found him in Goodspeed’s Biographical and Historical Memoirs:
J. H. Smith, justly considered one of the leading practicing dentists of Little Rock,
and well known throughout the State and Pulaski County as a prominent colored citizen,
was born in Camden, Del., of free parents, on December 4, 1843. When four or five years
of age his parents removed to New Jersey, where they resided until his father’s death,
in the meantime, attending the schools at Penn’s Grove. Soon after losing his father
young Smith went to New York City, in 1858, where he entered the employ of Mrs. J.
Bastrop, in the capacity of private secretary, at the same time attending school. From
New York City he went to Philadelphia and began the study of dentistry with Dr. Clark,
a celebrated dentist of that period and a friend of Mrs. Bastrop. He afterward entered
the office of Drs. Longfellow & Kennard, and remained in Philadelphia for three years,
fitting himself for college. About that time he was drafted in the army, but upon learn-
ing this fact, his kind friend, Mrs. Bastrop, hired a substitute and paid him $1,100.
doing this without the knowledge of Smith. Previous to this Dr. Smith was one of four
young men who waited on Gov. Seymour, of New York, for permission to raise a company of
colored soldiers, but the Governor refused to allow the company to be raised. In 1863,
when he was prepared to entered college, he was refused admittance on account of his
color, so he returned to his preceptors and remained another year, at the end of which
time Drs. Kennard, Longfellow & Flagg then examined him and gave him a certificate.
Dr. Smith first located for practice in Pittsburgh, Penn., where he did fairly well,
but one year later removed to Chicago, and began the practice of dentistry, and at the
same time took a scholarship in the business college, which he attended at night. In
this city he lost all of his effects in the fire of 1871, and then came direct to
Little Rock, and from thence to the lower part of the State, where he commenced
teaching school in order to earn money and purchase new instruments. In 1878 he
commenced practicing his profession in Little Rock, since which time he has had
splendid success, his practice increasing every year. He owns a good two-story
residence at 707 Broadway, fitted up in an elegant manner, but with quiet and modest
taste, and the walls are adorned with some oil paintings from the Doctor’s brush,
which are truly works of art. He is also an inventor of some note, having invented a
peachstoner, for which he was offered $10,000 cash, but refused it. This machine is
now manufactured by the Clark Novelty Company, of Rochester, N. Y., who pay Dr. Smith
a handsome royalty. He also patented what is know as Smith’s Patent Weather Board
Gauge, by which a carpenter can put weather-boarding on a house much easier and
faster than in the old way. Dr. Smith has held some honorable positions. He was one
of the Garfield electors of the State; was appointed by the Government as one of the
commissioners at the World’s Exposition in New Orleans, in 1884. He is the founder
of the Colored State Fair, at Pine Bluff, the stockholders of which represent more
than $500,000 in real property. He is also the founder of several minor institutions,
which have for their object the well-being of his people. Dr. Smith was married, in
1876, to Miss Florence Irine Gulliver, of Indianapolis, Ind., by whom he has had
three children: Charles, Girtrude and Beatrice. In religious belief the Doctor and
his wife are members of the Presbyterian Church, and take a deep interest in religious
and educational matters. Mrs. Smith’s mother having died a few months ago, in India-
apolis, has left a considerable property to be divided between Mrs. Smith and her
sister. This, added to what the Doctor and his wife already have, will place them in
easy circumstances for life.
- World Catalog: Maudelle
- Patent – James H. Smith, Peach Cutter
- Patent – James Henry Smith, Peach Stoner
- Patent – James Henry Smith, Machine for Stoning Fruit
- Patent – James Henry Smith, Weather Board Gage
I found many conflicting stories littered across the internet on the birth & history of Mr. Smith, but the one thing that did not conflict was that he was very intelligent, well-educated and very respected. His greatest work appears to be his daughter Florence Beatrice Smith Price who became the first African-American female composer to have a symphonic composition performed by a major American Symphony Orchestra. You can read more about her here:
