Noah Smithwick
Noah Smithwick (January 01, 1808 - October 21, 1899) was a colonist who lived in Texas from 1827 and until the Civil War began. A gun and blacksmith, he fought in the Texas Revolution and served as a Texas Ranger. Late in life he dictated his recollections of this early Texas period to his daughter, relaying colorful and humorous accounts, which included legendary Texans Stephen F. Austin, James Bowie, William B. Travis, Thomas Jefferson Rusk, and Sam Houston, who he knew personally.
Smithwick was born and educated in North Carolina. He worked as blacksmith in Kentucky and in 1827 went to Texas and settled in San Felipe, Texas. He applied for land in Stephen F. Austin's colony but never located it. In 1830 he helped a friend accused of murder escape. For this Smithwick was banished from Texas. After staying in East Texas and Louisiana, he returned to Texas in 1835 at the beginning of the Texas Revolution and took part in the Battle of Concepcion.

In 1836 he joined a ranger company to defend the Bastrop area from Indians, then went to San Jacinto arriving after the battle. He married Thurza N. Blakey in 1839 and settled in Webber's Prairie in Travis County. In 1850 he moved to Brushy Creek in Williamson County.

In 1849 Smithwick went to Fort Croghan in Burnet County and served as the fort's first armorer. In 1853 he bought and ran a nearby saw and grist mill. In 1857 he bought a mill and established Smithwick Mills and a post office of that name was established. When Texas voted for secession, Smithwick was opposed. After receiving threats for his Unionist views in 1861, he moved to what is now Kern County, California.

In his later years he lost his eyesight. Before his death in Santa Ana, California, he dictated accounts of Texas experiences to his daughter, Anna (Nanna) Smithwick Donaldson, which she published. The book, 'The Evolution of a State, or, Recollections of Old Texas Days' has been referenced in numerous books about Texas history.
Q1439
Texas
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Q638530
Texas Revolution
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Texas Ranger
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Q250040
Stephen F. Austin
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James Bowie
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William B. Travis
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Thomas Jefferson Rusk
PER
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Sam Houston
PER
Q981206
San Felipe, Texas
LOC
Q1588
Louisiana
LOC
Q638530
Texas Revolution
EVE
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Battle of Concepcion
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Bastrop
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San Jacinto
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Webber's Prairie
LOC
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Travis County
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Brushy Creek
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Williamson County
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Q5470997
Fort Croghan
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Q108784
Burnet County
LOC
Q14711060
Smithwick Mills
LOC
Q108047
Kern County
LOC
Q99
California
LOC
Q49244
Santa Ana, California
LOC
Q52154737
Noah Smithwick
PER
1808-01-01T00:00:00Z^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#dateTime
January 01, 1808
DATE
1899-10-21T00:00:00Z^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#dateTime
October 21, 1899
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1861
DATE
date of birth
part of
located in the administrative territorial entity
located in the administrative territorial entity
located in the administrative territorial entity