Smith Burr

Smith Burr was born on September 22, 1803, in Commack, New York, United States. His lineage traced back to Benjamin Burr, an early Massachusetts settler who came to New England aboard the Winthrop Fleet in 1630. He was also related to Aaron Burr. Smith's side of the family settled on Long Island in the 1700s, eventually holding significant farmland in East Northport and Commack. The Burr family of Commack, New York, of which he was a member, acquired 166 acres of land. ==Career==

Burr managed a Long Island farm and a hotel at Townline and Burr Roads, with a talent for spotting good horses. At the 1853 American Institute of the City of New York livestock show, Smith Burr received 1st premium, earning a silver cup for the best three-year-old colt and a certificate for his stallion Columbus. Columbus, one of Burr's prized horses, fetched $3,000 from buyers in Detroit, Michigan. Around this time, two full sister fillies by "Burr's Napoleon" were purchased by a supporter of Napoleon III and presented to the French Emperor, who prized and drove them in his prime. His son, Carll S. Burr Sr., succeeded him in the family enterprise. He expanded the family stables into a business that drew clients like the Vanderbilts, Morgans, and U.S. Presidents Grover Cleveland and Ulysses S. Grant. ==Political career==

Smith Burr, once a Whig, joined the Republican Party in the 1850s and held firm to the party's values throughout his life. During the Crimean War, he actively and vocally supported abolition. He spent much of his career as overseer of highways, under whose direction many of Commack's notable roads were built. He was also elected school trustee multiple times and served as one of the trustees for the township of Huntington, New York, in 1852, 1855, 1859, and 1860. ==Personal life==

His first marriage was to Huldah Soper on January 10, 1824, with whom he had six children: Emeline, Ann M., Eliza, Carl S., George P., and Elizabeth. Following her death in 1836, he married Lavinia Soper of New York and had eight children: Elmina C., James B., Brewster R., Andrew R., Franklin S., Frederick B., Evelina, and Josephine. His grandson was American politician Carll S. Burr Jr. ==Death==

Smith Burr died in Commack, New York, United States, on April 6, 1887. ==Legacy==

Smith Burr established the Burr family's reputation in the horse industry. He was among the first to realize that breeding horses for trotting speed could become a major business. The name Burr held national prestige for three generations in harness racing and the breeding of trotting horses. Smith Burr owned foundation stock trotting horses such as the renowned Napoleon, Washington, and Columbus. Credited with building the first sulky in America, Smith Burr repurposed a doctor's gig, removing the top and altering the structure to create a lighter, faster rig. His grandson noted that this design was a major breakthrough for trotters. Burr also believed light equipment was essential to developing speed, and through this insight and his deep knowledge of horses, he transformed the training process. ==References==