Lycenius Logan Smyth1

b. 18 December 1856, d. 4 July 1937
FatherWilliam "Buck" Smyth2 b. 20 Dec 1820, d. 15 Aug 1891
MotherEliza T. Logan3 b. 27 Dec 1825, d. 11 May 1857
Birth18 Dec 1856 Lycenius Logan Smyth was born on 18 Dec 1856 at Meadowview in Washington County, Virginia.4,1 
Name Other  He appears to have been known as either "L.L." or "Logan." 
Residence  Family tradition states that William and Eliza lived in Tennessee for a short while. If so they may have moved shortly after Logan's birth. 
Moth-Death1857  Logan's mother died when Logan was not quite 5 months old. His father apparently returned to Virginia. Shortly afterwards Buck left to fight in the Civil War, leaving his 3 young children to be raised by relatives. 
  Following the war Logan's father remarried and started a second family. 
Cens-187030 Sep 1870 When the 1870 census was recorded Lycenius was living with his aunt and uncle, Jonas and Lydia Smith. He was thirteen years old.5 
Migration  Both Logan and his older brother Wallace left Virginia as young men. Logan headed to Texas. He also changed the spelling of his name from Smyth to Smith.  
Marriage1 Dec 1889 He married Margaret Hulda Page on 1 Dec 1889 in Higgins, Lipscomb County, Texas.4 
Cens-1900Jun 1900  Logan and "Maggie" first lived in Lipscomb County, Texas (Texas panhandle near the Oklahoma border). Census records describe Logan as a farmer although descendants believe he actually worked for several large cattle ranches.6 
Cens-191028 Apr 1910  In the early 1900s the family moved to Montana. The 1910 census recorded 53 year old Logan and 38 year old Maggie farming in Carbon County with their 6 children, including 8 year old twins Charles and Ida.7 
  Logan and Maggie worked at a variety of jobs in Montana but Logan again got the itch to move on. In late 1911 they moved north across the border into Canada where they homesteaded in Alberta between Lac Isle and Lac St. Ann. However after 5 years they returned to live in Carbon Co., Montana again. In 1921 they once again returned to Canada. 
Death4 Jul 1937 Lycenius died on 4 Jul 1937 in Stanger, Alberta, Canada, at age 80.2,8 

Research Comment:

Smyth descendants have often wondered if Logan stayed in touch with his family in Virginia after heading west or if, as is sometimes suggested, "he was never heard from again". Mary Virginia (Smith), daughter of Logan's half brother Hugh Smyth, offered this: "It was a sad day for both Logan and Hugh when Logan left home... They never saw each other again, but they did correspond, writing long letters..."9

It should also be noted that Logan's youngest son was known as "Buck", the same nickname Logan's father used. Also, during the early 1900s, while Logan and Maggie were still in Montana, several of his sister Josephine's children migrated to Montana from Virginia, all of which suggests Logan did indeed stay in touch with at least some of his Virginia relatives.

Related Links and Images:

Find Lipscomb County on the Texas map (also accessible via the Misc. Locations link in the menu bar at the top of any page).
For a detailed and very interesting account of Logan's life please read a manuscript written by his great grandson, Sherm Weimer
Mr. Sheimer also shared photos of Lycenius and his family.

Family

Margaret Hulda Page b. 11 Dec 1871, d. 1938
Children
  • Grace Josephine Smyth4 (8 Oct 1890 - 1920)
  • Lenis Margaret Smyth4 (4 Oct 1892 - )
  • Chester Page Smyth4 (17 Mar 1894 - )
  • Lorena Lillian Smyth4 (20 Jul 1897 - )
  • Charles Ray Smyth4 (7 Feb 1902 - )
  • Ida May Smyth4 (7 Feb 1902 - )
Last Edited10 Dec 2013

Citations

  1. [S13] Aleta Spicer, Smyth, p. 96. Desc. chart for Lycenius Logan Smyth and Margaret Hulda Paige; author unclear.
  2. [S13] Aleta Spicer, Smyth, p. 92. Desc. chart for William (Buck) Smyth and Eliza Logan; author unclear.
  3. [S827] Caleb Logan settlement (1884), Washington Co., Virginia Will Book 21: 349. Settlement covers time frame from Nov. 1861 to Oct. 1882. Wm Smith received payment as guardian of L.L.. Smith, heir of Eliza Smith, nee Logan, deceased.
  4. [S13] Aleta Spicer, Smyth, p. 27.
  5. [S635] Jonas Smith household, 1870 U.S. cens, Washington Co., Virginia, pop. sched., Glade Spring Township, p. 77b (stamped), dwelling 337, family 342, viewed online at Ancestry.com, April 2003, image 154 of 426. Jonas Smith 65, owns real estate valued at $2,500; Lydia, 62; Jno C. 36, farmer; Adeline 30; Wm D. 7; Henderson 3; (cont. on p. 78) D. L. Smith (f) 2; L.L. Smith (m) 13; Jane Moffat 58; M. E. Logan (f) 21; all b. VA.
  6. [S2696] Logan L. Smith household, 1900 U.S. cens., Lipscomb Co., Ohio, pop. sched., Precinct 2, ED 45, sheet 4A (p. 92 stamped), dwelling 47, family 47, viewed online at Ancestry.com, Jul 2011. Household includes: Logan L. Smith, 43, b. Nov. 1856, marr 10 yrs, b. VA/VA/VA, farmer; Maggie H., wife, 28, b. Dec. 1871 KS, marr 10 yrs, mother of 4 children, all are living; Grace J., dau, 9, b. Oct. 1890; Lenis M., dau, 7, b. Oct. 1892; Chester P., son, 5, b. Mch, 1895; Larena L., dau, 2, b. Jul 1897; all children b. TX.
  7. [S2697] L.L. Smith household, 1910 U.S. cens., Carbon Co., Montana, pop. sched., School District 26, ED 14, sheet 6A (p. 180 stamped), dwelling 2, family 2, viewed online at Ancestry.com, Jul 2011. Household includes: L.L. Smith, 53, marr #1, marr 20 yrs, b. VA, farmer; Maggie H., wife, 38, marr #1, marr 20 yrs, mother of 6 children, all are living, b. KS; Lenis, dau, 17; Chester, son, 15; Lorena, dau, 12; Charles, son, 8; Ida, dau, 8; all children b. TX.
  8. [S30] Audrey Honegger, "Smyth Family - Oops forgot something," e-mail to Diana Powell, 20 May 2001.
  9. [S13] Aleta Spicer, Smyth, p. 30.