Smiths

Looking for census records of the other side of the family, I found the smiths in Minnesota in 1900:
Minnesota > Hennepin > Minneapolis Ward 4
Amasa Smith (b May 1857 in MN) had been married to Isidor (b Oct 1861 in IA) for 20 years. Of their 7 children, 6 were living, all still at home. The children were Madison J (son b Oct 1885), Charlotte V (b Nov 1887), Harrison L (b Aug 1889), Oleta (daughter b May 1890), Noel C (b Apr 1894) and Attalee H (son b Apr 1898).
They were living in a rented home, and Amasa was working as a "Yard Master," presumably for the railroad. All but the youngest child was in school. Amasa's father was born in NY and his mother in NH; Isidor's parents were both from Ohio.

Amasa J also appears in 1910, this time in Spokane, WA (Spokane Ward 1). With him are wife Dora, daughter Leta (19), and sons Noel (16) and Hale (11). He was working for the railroad. Lots of other Smiths appear on the same page, so there may be family nearby.

In 1880 Jay Smith (23) and his wife Dora (19) are living in Saint James, Watonwan, Minnesota. Jack Dougherty (16), a brother (to Dora) is living with them, working on the trains.

In 1870, Jay Smith (12) is living in Butternut Valley, Blue Earth, Minnesota with his parents Amasa Smith (50, from NY) and Anna C (35, from NH). Amasa is a Farmer. Jay has three sisters and a brother: Ella (10), Cordelia (6), Etta (4), and Ernest (2).

The older Amasa Smith (Amasa J's father), was living in Waverly, Martin, Minnesota in 1880. His household consisted of himself (60), his wife Anna C (45), daughters Luella A (21), Ada C (19), and Ella M (14), and sons Ernest L (12), William A (10), Charles A (8), and Archie H (5).
Amasa was still farming--his parents were both from NY, and Anna's were both from NH.

In 1900 there are two widowed Ann C Smiths from NY of the right age, both living in NY at the time--one in Catskill and one in Canisteo. None from NH show up. More searching necessary.

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There is a good candidate for Dora's parents living in MN, with the information below, but there are a lot of Dougherty families living in IA with birthplace OH, so more comparison is necessary.

Isaiah (49) and Ruth (43), both born in OH (Ruth's parents from VA and CT), have a large household: son Lucius (23), daughter-in-law Frances E (23) and grandson James J; daughters Acalda (13), Effie (9), and Katy (3); and sons Jarvis (20) Daniel (11), and Edgar (7). *my pairing of Frances with Lucius is just guesswork--she is listed after Jarvis, and her son is at the very end.

I had trouble finding Dora or her brother Jack in 1870