Jay C. Smith was born in 1844 to Samuel H. and Rachel Mack Smith. In June of 1863, Jay C. Smith enlisted in Company M of the Ohio Heavy Artillery during the War Between the States. He served under Capt. Henry Bly, who was the father of journalist Nellie Bly. Jay was honorably discharged from military service in 1865, and he returned to his home in Margaretta Township of Erie County, where he ran the family farm, which consisted of 400 acres. He had a superior stock of cattle, and for over twenty-five years, he provided milk to the Ohio Soldiers Home in Sandusky.
Jay C. Smith married Alice Sewell of Louisiana.They had three children. Following the death of his first wife, Jay married May O. Palmer, and they also had three children. Hewson Peeke in his STANDARD HISTORY OF ERIE COUNTY, available full text on Heritage Quest, wrote about Jay C. Smith: "The members of Mr. Smith's family are typical representatives of the best American citizenship, who do credit to their upbringing, and are respected and esteemed wherever they reside."
On May 4, 1929, Jay C. Smith passed away. He is buried in the Castalia Cemetery, where a flag and GAR symbol still mark his grave. A biographical sketch of Samuel H. Smith, Jay's father, is found online.
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