Smith, William Remsen, 1828-1894

William Remsen Smith was a pioneer physician, military officer, government surgeon, public servant, and businessman of Sioux City, Iowa. He was born in Ocean County, New Jersey on December 30th, 1828 and in the years prior to 1856--when he settled at Sioux City--he taught school in Michigan and studied medicine in New York City. When the settlers of northwest Iowa were threatened by uprisings among the Sioux in 1861, Dr. Smith was elected 1st Lieutenant of the newly-formed Frontier Guards of Sioux City. A couple of years later he was appointed a U.S. Surgeon and was sent to inspect the sanitary conditions of the Iowa regiments serving in the Vicksburg campaign. At the end of that tour he was appointed examining surgeon for Iowa's 6th Congressional District Board of Enrollment and served at this post in Ft. Dodge. Following the Civil War he continued his practice as a community physician while continuing to be involved in pension settlements for veterans. He was a public servant--acting for 13 years as Receiver for the U.S. Land Office at Sioux City and serving two terms as mayor. In the business sector of that community he was influential as a founder of the First National Bank and a promoter of the town's railroad interests by involvement in operations and discussions concerning the Sioux City & St. Paul, Dubuque & Sioux City, and Sioux City & Pacific lines. He was also one of the founders of the First Unitarian Church of Sioux City. Smith was an independent Republican and supporter of tariff reform, with a political profile that earned him membership in the prestigious Cobden Club of England, an organization advocating free trade and cooperation among nations. In addition to land owned in Woodbury County, he held significant property in Plymouth County where the town of Remsen bears his middle name. Dr. Smith remained in Sioux City until his death in 1894.