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Submitted: 8/31/22 • Approved: 8/31/22 • Last Updated: 9/3/22 • R534598-G534598-S3
C. R. Smith, Sr.
February 27, 1881-March 14, 1959
Zula May Vanderburgh Smith
November 3, 1883-June 6, 1966
Photo/information, courtesy of Mary (Coggin) Russell
*Obituary C. R. Smith
SMITH, CYRUS RILEY
Escarbada Foreman
C. R. Smith was one of the few Hereford residents who experienced the various phases of the area's history from the days of the open range, the coming of the settlers, farming, diversification, and industry.
Cyrus Riley Smith was born at Cameron, Milam County, Tex., on Feb. 27, 1881. As a boy of 9 he came with his parents by train to Amarillo, where they were met by a freight wagon pulled by six mules. They settled 70 miles south-west of Amarillo in the south-west corner of Swisher County. There were seven Children in the Smith family; C.R. was the third.
As a young man, C. R. Smith spent some time at Midland before he went to work on the XIT in 1900. He was assigned to break horses and as wagon boss for Ira Aten, then manager of the Escarbada Division. The famed XIT covered the entire north-west part of Deaf Smith County, extending from 45 miles north-west of Hereford to Lubbock. When Aten resigned in 1903 to go to California, Smith took over as manager of the Escarbada.
After spending many lonely days at the cow camp some 40 miles from Hereford, Smith welcomed an invitation to come to town with a friend. They visited in the Vanderburg home, where C. R. met his future wife. The friendship grew as Zula Vanderburg went with E. F. Connells to witness a round-up at the Escarbada.
Miss Vanderburg became Mrs. C. R. Smith in the home of her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Emmett Vanderburg, on Aug. 22, 1906. Two months after their marriage, the young couple moved into their new home at 410 Jowell St., where they lived until his death on March 14, 1959. Mrs. Smith maintained the home for several years then moved to Kings Manor, the new golden-age home in Hereford.
Following their marriage, Smith left the XIT. He leased land north-east of Hereford and bought cattle to run on it. He also worked for the government quarantine and later served as deputy sheriff for several years.
In 1925 Smith sold his cattle and went into the real estate business. He liked to recall having helped to survey the first three sections of XIT land sold in Deaf Smith County.
Both Mr. and Mrs. Smith were active members of the First Christian Church. He served as deacon and as a member of the church board. Even when their three children were small, she would seat the boys on the front pew and place Ruth on a quilt on the floor near the organ while she played or sang in the choir. At that time the Christian Church was meeting in a frame building across the street north of the present City Hall, C.R., served on the school and hospital boards and as a member of the draft board in World War 1. She was charter member of the Music Study Club, and both were active in many phases of the civic and cultural development of Hereford.
The Smiths were parents of: C. R., Jr., who died as the result of an accident when he was a young man; Roy V., a partner with his father in the real estate business for years and continuing in that business here; and Ruth (Mrs. Jack) Wilson, Albuquerque, N.M.
(A History of Deaf Smith County, by Bessie Patterson, 1964 - Texas Genealogy Trails
Contributed on 8/31/22 by neldapat
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Record #: 534598