History of Vernon NY

Preserving and Sharing Vernon NY's History

Person

C. E. Smith

Overview

Clarence Eben Smith was born in Vernon Center, the grandson of one of the founders of Vernon & Vernon Center. He grew up on the hill on Norton Road, just beyond the Sconondoa Creek. He built many of Vernon's most noted buildings.

Details

Born: 1866 Vernon Center, NY

Died: 1919

Burial: Vernon Village Cemetery

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Biography

Eben is the grandson of Heman and Hannah Smith, two of the first settlers of Vernon Centre, both from Litchfield CT.

Clarence and his brother were noted singers, and both were members of the Vernon Center Presbyterian Church Choir.

Moving beyond the farm, Clarence became a builder, building many of Vernon’s most noted buildings.including the current Vernon Library and Dibble’s Inn. He was also Vernon’s Justice of the Peace for an extended time in the early 1900s.

He married Mary Belle Earley (1868-1962) who lived to age 93, and is buried next to him in Vernon Center.

He had two sons, Fred Clarence Smith (1892-1972) and Harry Leroy Smith.

As of the 1910 Census, he is noted as renting a house and with a profession of Carpenter.

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