John Miller
Photo provided by John Miller.
Franklin Dye, whose ancestors were acquainted with the Smith family, is shown in 2000 at one of the few markers found on the grounds of the Smith Cemetery.
The Mid-Ohio Valley has the history of the underground railroad threading through its past and the Matamoras area is no exception. A small ex-slave family was to be found on Dye Ridge with the last surviving member, Mary Smith, passing away on Dec. 16, 1920.
The Smiths were accounted for in the 1850 census of Jolly Township which is now a part of Grandview Township. Alexander, age 26, was the oldest of the males. Priscilla, age 43, was likely his mother. There was also Hannah, 22, Michael, 21, and Jane, 17. Emily, Daniel, and William were children under the age of 16. Those older than Emily were listed in the census as being born in Virginia. According to history passed down from the neighbors the family had separated from the underground railroad at Stafford, Ohio choosing not to tra