Talk:Smithfield, Pennsylvania

John Henry Kinkead
The National Cyclopaedia of American biography, downloadable here states that John Henry Kinkead was born at Smithfield (now known as Somerville), Somerset Co., PA., on page 201 of Volume 11, published in 1901. As such, until there is some other reference, Kinkead is removed from the Fayette County Smithfield.

Of interest is the article "A bridge to the 19th century" from the Post Gazette (1999), which says that there was a town in Somerset County called "Smythfield", which was renamed in 1827 to "Somerfield". The Cyclopaedia references Somerville, not Somerfield, but the Cyclopaedia article does mention that Kinkead's father built a bridge at Smithfield across the Youghiogheny river. The father is known to have built a tavern on the Smythfield/Somerfield end of the bridge. The Smithfield in Fayette is about 20 miles from Smythfield/Somerfield in Somerset (with the bridge, tavern, and river). Smythfield/Somerfield, and the bridge, were covered by a lake as part of a flood control project in 1943. The bridge reappears from time to time when there is a drought. Generic1139 (talk) 22:53, 2 November 2015 (UTC)