From "History of Wheeling City and Ohio County, West Virginia and  
Representative Citizens," by Hon. Gibson Lamb Cranmer, 1902. 
 
Typed by E. J. Heinemann 
 
p. 648 
 
G. O. SMITH is probably the oldest established real estate dealer in  
the city of Wheeling, West Virginia, where he has been located since  
1863.  One of his first acts after locating in this city was in company  
with the late O. T. Wild, to ring the St. Matthews (now the Baptist)  
church bell, to give alarm of Morgan's threatened raid on the city of  
Wheeling. 
     Mr. Smith has been identified with many of the important interests
Of Wheeling, and has, in fact, grown up with the city.  He served a term  
as deputy sheriff under R. S. Brown, and then opened a real estate  
office on Twelfth street, as a member of the firm of Todd & Smith.  His  
partner soon retiring, Mr. Smith continued the business, and early in  
the "nineties" added insurance and surety bonds to his already  
extensive dealings; he was the first agent in West Virginia to  
represent a bonding company.  He was local agent for the Fidelity  
Deposit Company of Baltimore, Maryland.  He has always made a specialty  
of handling estates and business property, and many of the old  
established merchants of Wheeling are in business locations, as owners  
or tenants, secured through Mr. Smith.  During his career of twenty-six  
years in this business, he has negotiated loans for enough money to buy  
a good block in the business district of Wheeling.  He sold land on the  
National Pike by the acre, which he now has for sale as building lots  
at the same price per front foot as was the acre price.  He has been  
manager of the office building of the National Exchange Bank of  
Wheeling since its completion, and occupies one of the pleasant offices  
of that building.  He is now assisted in his real estate and insurance  
business by his son, Vivian K., who has displayed exceptional business  
ability. 
     Mr. Smith and his family enjoy the comforts of a good home at No. 51  
South Front street, a choice residence location, which a few years ago  
was nothing more than a garden truck farm.  Mr. And Mrs. Smith have two  
daughters, Ada Barton and Helen Knight.