Michael Smith born somewhere in Ireland on or around 1829. The big question is, was he related to James Smith? Two Smith brothers marrying two Sloan sisters, each brother coming to a abrupt and tragic end.

The first record we have of Michael is the 1855 New York State census where he is already married to Mary Sloan and living in Clay, Onondaga County, New York. The record shows him as having lived there for 3 years and Mary 7 months. This means they must have married in Clay but the absence of any vital statistic records makes it impossible to verify. The apparent lack of a local Catholic Church at that time also raises the question has to where they would have been married. The census was taken on the 13th of June, Michael having bought the land, 15 acres of subdivision 1 of Lot 78, on the 1st of April from Jerome Tirrell for the sum of $450 {$17,225 as at 2026}. On the 10th March 1862 Michael and Mary sold the plot to Patrick Malaughney for $635 {$20,937 as at 2026}.

Also in 1862 Michael applied for naturalization (document no2), dated 18th October, which is interesting in the fact that his guarantors were Patrick Sloan and James Smith, the former his brother-in-law and the inclussion of the latter sugests they were related, but neither at that time were in fact citizens of the United States. James was naturalized on the same date, Patrick Sloan not until 2 years later, which makes a mockery of the whole system. Not much has changed in the intervening 150 years.

On the 1st November 1864, four days after Patrick Sloan did acquire his naturalization, he and Michael Smith purchased a 100 acre plot in Lot 100 in the township of Onondaga, which they divided equally between them. The purchase from Sidney Allen cost $820 ($17,393 as at 2026... Interesting to note that the value of the dollar had pratically halved between 1855 and 1864). Unfortunately Michael wasn't to enjoy life on his new property as just over 2 months later he was killed while felling trees.