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John Peter Smith (September 16, 1831 – April 11, 1901), known as the 'Father of
Citizens erected a marble bust, the John Peter Smith Monument, near St. Patrick's Cathedral in his honor.
Fort Worth
Fort Worth is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the county seat of Tarrant County, Texas, Tarrant County, covering nearly into Denton County, Texas, Denton, Johnson County, Texas, Johnson, Parker County, Texas, Parker, and Wise County, Te ...
', was born in Owen County, Kentucky, to Samuel and Polly (Bond) Smith. Smith was instrumental in the early prosperity of the city of Fort Worth, its establishment as the Tarrant County seat
A seat is a place to sit. The term may encompass additional features, such as back, armrest, head restraint but may also refer to concentrations of power in a wider sense (i.e " seat (legal entity)"). See disambiguation.
Types of seat
The ...
, and the creation of the county's only public hospital
A public hospital, or government hospital, is a hospital which is government owned and is predominantly funded by the government and operates predominantly off the money that is collected from taxpayers to fund healthcare initiatives. In almost al ...
which still bears his name.
Early life
Smith and his five brothers were orphaned in 1844 after the death of their parents.Career
As an adult, he moved in 1853 to theTexas
Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...
Territory, making Fort Worth his home. He opened the city's first school in 1854 followed by forming a bank, gas light company, and street railway.
A competition for the site of the Tarrant Count seat arose in 1853 between the burgeoning cities of Fort Worth and Birdville, lasting for seven years and causing several fights and fatal duels. Smith successfully lobbied to move the county seat to his city.
In 1877, he donated five acres of land at the future 1500 South Main Street for the creation of a medical care facility. This later became John Peter Smith Hospital
John Peter Smith Hospital (also known as JPS Hospital) is a Trauma center, Level 1 Trauma Center, 573-bed public hospital located in Fort Worth, Texas that provides Inpatient care, inpatient, Ambulatory care, outpatient, and Psychiatry, behavioral ...
, Tarrant County's only public hospital.
Smith became mayor
In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilitie ...
of Fort Worth in 1882, helping to found the city's first water department, independent school system, and school board.
Personal life
On October 16, 1867, he married Mary E. Fox, the widow of a Fort Worth physician. They had five children together.Death
Smith died in 1901 while traveling toSt. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis ( , sometimes referred to as St. Louis City, Saint Louis or STL) is an Independent city (United States), independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It lies near the confluence of the Mississippi River, Mississippi and the Miss ...
to promote Fort Worth. An attacker mugged him, and he later succumbed to his injuries. He is buried at the historical Oakwood Cemetery, a site he had donated to the city during his lifetime.
Citizens erected a marble bust, the John Peter Smith Monument, near St. Patrick's Cathedral in his honor.
See also
* Timeline of Fort Worth, Texas *History of Fort Worth, Texas
The history of Fort Worth, Texas, in the United States is closely intertwined with that of northern Texas and the Texan frontier. From its early history as an outpost and a threat against Native Americans in the United States, Native American res ...
*John Peter Smith Hospital
John Peter Smith Hospital (also known as JPS Hospital) is a Trauma center, Level 1 Trauma Center, 573-bed public hospital located in Fort Worth, Texas that provides Inpatient care, inpatient, Ambulatory care, outpatient, and Psychiatry, behavioral ...
References
Mayors of Fort Worth, Texas 1831 births 1901 deaths Politicians from Fort Worth, Texas 19th-century mayors of places in Texas 20th-century American people {{Texas-politician-stub