Henry Smith Henry Smith, a prominent horticulturist and florist, is one of Kent county’s native sons, and dates his birth from the 24th of July 1859. His father was from Canada. He was a thorough farmer, and earnest worker, and leader in all church work of the Methodist Episcopal denomination. His mother, Mrs. Sarah Escott Smith, came with her parents from New York city to Grand Rapids in 1839, where she soon learned the names of the forest trees and plants, and loved them as companions. She was a pioneer teacher of Kent county, was married to George Smith in 1854, and went with him into the dense forest west of Englishville Station, where the road was marked with blazed trees, and hewed them out a home of 100 acres, which was sold in 1869. They then located just west of the city on Bridge street, where four years later George Smith died after an illness of twenty months, leaving a home of twenty acres, encumbered by debt, to the wife and son. The son being then in high school continued his studies there, afterward taking a course in the commercial college, fitting himself for a business career, but the love of horticulture and floriculture predominated in their choice of a vocation for a living. With an unvarying trust in divine help in time of need, Mrs. Smith commenced the cultivation of plants under glass in a very limited way, which, with careful industry, grew from year to year, so that, with the fruit interest, they have been able to add both farm and glass. There are now over twenty greenhouses, where they gather thousands of roses, carnations, violets, etc., every day, for a fine trade here and throughout the state; also several hundred dollars’ worth per month are shipped to Chicago; they also raise thousands of potted plants for spring trade. Their 20 acres of farm are covered with almost all kinds of fruits adapted to this climate, which have paid well. They employ from fifty to 100 people during the fruit season, and have thirty employed during the winter months; have a boarding house where they care for about twenty men, also furnish homes for two or three families that work for them. The greenhouses are at the farm, the store at the corner of Monroe and Division streets. They have also an interest in the Citizens’ Telephone company. They have a fine modern residence, where they annually entertain the G. R. V. H. society, their church societies, etc., in which they are interested. Mr. Smith is enthusiastic in the pursuits to which he devotes his time and attention, and is likewise devoted to his home and business. He is a public-spirited man, active in all movements looking to the prosperity of the city, and also a zealous worker in the church. He is a Methodist in his religious belief and a trustee of the congregations worshiping on Second street. In politics his is a republican, and fraternally belongs to lodge No. 52, I..O. O. F., in Grand Rapids.