The Lyman Smith Inheritance

Lyman Smith was one of the earlier settlers of Washington.  He purchased land from the government in 1838, land that is still wild timber between Oak Ridge Park and the Cat Proving Grounds, now owned by Caterpillar.  He was a longtime custodian at the Methodist Church and led a modest life.

Before he came to Washington, however, he spent time in Chicago.  He and his brother had both purchased adjoining 80-acre properties somewhere near or within what we now know as "the city."  The land then was swampy, isolated, and a far cry from what we think of today.  It could be had for as little as $1.25 per acre, because it held little value.  Most of these lands were forgotten about by the original owners.

Smith lived out his life in Washington, passing away in the 1880s with the Chicago property still in his name, his immediate family unaware of it.

At this point in the story, the various sources researched start to differ in their details, but some are often repeated and a story develops. 

Nothing happened for about 30 years after his death.  In 1904, Illinois newspapers began publishing articles about the property and about how Chicago attorneys were searching for Smith's heirs.  Apparently, Lyman's nephew was trying to claim the property.  There were discrepancies.  The nephew claimed Lyman had no children, while others were positive he had daughters.  Since he had died 25 years earlier, the water was murky.  Chicago lawyers descended on Washington to gather information.  At least 50 Washingtonians testified that Smith had two daughters and possibly an adopted son.

So what is the truth about Lyman's family?

He definitely had two daughters.  Lyman was the son of Jeduthan and Naomi (Bryant) Smith.  He first married Damaris (possibly nee Seekel) Smith, probably in Massachusetts before heading west.  Naomi actually lived here in Washington with Lyman for a time.

Daughter Eunice Smith was born around 1929 in Ohio.  She married John Buxton on July 31, 1845, in Washington.   John & Eunice had several children living near Magnolia, Illinois, and moved to Kansas in 1877.  Eunice died in 1899; John in 1907.

Daughter Jerusha Smith was born around 1831 in Ohio.  Another source said she was born in Chicago.  She married Eccles West on December 31, 1849, in Washington.  Eccles & Jerusha had several children living in Stark County, Illinois.  Jerusha died in 1893, Eccles in 1913.

Both daughters had already passed away when the 1904 circumstances came to light.

After the articles appeared in the newspaper, a man named William Smith from Peoria claimed he was Lyman Smith's son.  The problem with this part of the story is that he had his facts wrong.  The only things he stated that were factual were facts from other recent articles.  Everything else he claimed was factually incorrect, so William was a non-factor.  Looking at records now, there is no evidence he had a son named William.  Lyman's will names his two daughters and a grandson as his heirs.

After the initial media coverage of the property, nothing can be found regarding an outcome.  It is unknown why, but around 1904, there was a wave nationwide of scammers digging up dusty old title books, finding the "rightful" original owners of property now worth significantly more than it was when purchased, and, for a large fee, would fight to get the title to the property cleaned up and to the "rightful" owner, some 80 years after their ancestor purchased it.  It was called "heir hunting."  This, coupled with the rising national interest in genealogy, made for tantalizing cases and dreams of wealth for an unsuspecting public.  The fraudsters would continue to ask for more money to fight for the case amidst "delays."  If the case ever got to court, they were almost always thrown out due to squatter's rights and the owner on the title not paying taxes for decades.  Those who descended on Washington were probably trying to find an heir for a cash grab.