Eric Blair Presents – Daily Knowledge: Stephen Smith (Day 27)
Stephen Smith was one of the wealthiest Afrian-Americans in the United States. He was born in Columbia, Pennsylvania, and went on to build an empire that included the Smith, Wipper and Company Lumber and Coal yard. He was a leading agent on the Underground Railroad when he was living in Columbia. In 1867, he donated property and cash worth $250,000 for the establishment of a home for the aged and infirm. The home, which bears his name, was dedicated two years before Smith’s death and still operates today.