27 Research Document
(This is an excerpt from a story written by Fran Wells who is licensed through CC-BY 4.0 where the names have been changed for the purpose of using this document as a research file for CAPS 111 OER.)
P. Smithson and Julia Firborn – My Grandparents
From Oberlin J. P. went to teach in the Missionary American University of Beirut, Syria. Considering that his BA was in Philosophy, he had to rely on more than scholastic accomplishments to fill his appointment as athletic coach at this institution. However, his natural gift for handling boys would have assured his success even if he had not been the excellent athlete he was.
From an excerpt in Smith Geneology:
Among the young ladies he met in the American Colony of Beirut, was Julia Firborn, daughter of Colonel Philip Firborn an engineer in the Dutch army and later Director of the Rotterdam Water Works. Miss Firborn had come to Syria to the Dutch Consulate, but her beautiful voice had quickly made her a favorite in foreign colonies and native circles alike. Within a year she had been engaged to teach French, German and Music at the American Faculty School, although her major, too, was a very different one–European history. J. P. and Julia Firborn were married 15 April 1916, during the lean world war years in the Near East, their wedding standing out in those dark days as the one joyous celebration of the entire American colony, for which badly depleted stocks of sugar, currants, white flour and other home comforts had been saved.
“Originally they were to be married in Holland at a later time. It was safer for a couple to travel during that time than a single person. Because of the war, trains were irregular and they had trouble getting across Europe as they proceeded to Holland. They got a ride on a German Army truck and J. P. had to ride in the back with the soldiers and Julia rode up front. The German soldier asked Julia, ‘Why did you marry an American?” She said it was because she loved this American. The German soldier then stated, ‘Oh, well. You’re rich now!’
In a newspaper article written in 1959, the news man writes:
This was in 1916 while Europe was embroiled in war. Because Mrs. Smithson spoke German, although her first language was Dutch, the couple was able to travel through Asia Minor by German military transport. They reached Rotterdam by way of Constantinople, Budapest and Berlin. From there a sixteen-day journey across the Atlantic, threaten by danger from German U-Boats, brought them to Pennsylvania.
- P. and his new bride settled on the old Silas Farm on Silas Road in Reading called the “lower place.” This was the first farm the Dutch bride had ever visited. This was J.P.’s parents home. His parents had moved to Florida by this time.
The first two of the six children were born in the “lower place.” First was Edna Marie 6 February 1917 and the second was Jean Louise 24 July 1918.
When J. P. and Julia arrived in Reading, Pennslyvania, J.P. wanted to start a farm, so he bought a cow that cost $400. The cow died of milk fever just before giving birth to her calf. After two not very successful years of farming following that incident, J.P. accepted the position of principal of the local high school in 1918 which meant he was both the principal and an instructor, teaching algebra and Latin. There were six persons on staff including the janitor and J. P. who earned $1000 for the year.
In 1920 with a third child on its way, J. P. bought the adjoining farm that had previously been owned by Renselear Carpenter. The purchase of Carpenter’s farm gave the family 240 more acres of land. The same year daughter number three arrived, Jeorgia Firborn 6 July 1920. Three boys followed: John Philip,Jr. 16 February 1922, Peter Henry 17 April 1924 and George Caleb 19 August 1928.
The place known as the “lower place” received a new title of “tenant house.” Here a family would stay and work for shares at the farm. When the brothers got older, they worked the farm. J. P. didn’t physically work too much on it.
In 1921, J. P. was elected District Superintendent of schools for the Towns of Reading, Altoona, and Fremont. At that time there were forty-one school districts in the three towns. He visited them in a horse and buggy or on horseback.
The advent of the automobile created great changes in education. It was now possible to close some of the country schools and contract for instruction in nearby Union School districts. Then came centralization. Mr. Smithson played an important role in this phase of school reorganization, serving as liaison officer between the districts and the State Department of Education in State College, PA. The 41 districts under his jurisdiction through five separate centralizations were reduced to two—Reading and Fremont. He points out, however, that there were now about 30 more teachers in the two schools than there were in the 41 districts he originally served. J. P. was involved in the schools systems until his retirement in 1959.