Smith’s Marine Railway, Inc. Summer 2011

SMITH’S MARINE RAILWAY

Living a Legacy

Like Father, Like Son

Who doesn’t grow up

wanting to be just like dad? The Smith sons of Yorktown,

Va, certainly did. In today’s

society, businesses still

owned and operated by the

families who started them

are rare but not extinct. At Smith’s Marine Railway, Inc.,

dad is always in charge and

family is what it’s all about.

Jamie Smith, sixth-

generation Railway owner, laughs as he looks over old

family photos; but one in

particular catches his eye.

“This was the first day that I really got to work at the

Railway. Not doing chores or

running errands but actually working on the boats and

learning the techniques and

skills of building boats from

my dad,” says Smith, looking

at the photograph intently.

In the picture, a young Jamie

Smith stands alongside his father, K.T. Smith Jr., with

eager and attentive eyes,

looking up at a newly built

boat frame. His boyish excitement to learn about the

craft of his ancestors, from

his biggest role model, is

visible on his face.

Also in This Edition

3

K.T. Smith Jr. (left) and son Jamie Smith (right) work at their family boatyard. Taken Aug. 12, 2010, in Yorktown, Va. (AP Photo/Nathan Smith)

Continued on page 2

! K.T. Smith Jr. Commemoration Picnic

! Summer Maintenance for Your Boat: What You Should Know

Media Contacts:

Nathan Smith Smith’s Marine Railway, Inc. 757-898-7768 kirby_online@cox.net Alaina Nunn Public Relations Representative 757-817-9857 nunnan@dukes.jmu.edu

Smith’s Marine Railway, Inc. Summer 2011

2

Smith’s Marine Railway services

a wide variety of wooden boats, including commercial fishing

vessels, historical replicas (such

as The Godspeed of Jamestown, Va) and pleasure boats of up to

100 feet in length. Services

include boat carpentry,

construction, electrical work, painting, sheathing, caulking,

framework, engine work, restore

and repair.

Boat building, repair and maintenance are strenuous activities requiring constant

physical strength and skill. Every day, the employees work

long hours outdoors, but despite poor weather conditions and

dangerous tasks there are no complaints.

“It’s just a family thing…it’s in your blood, and you can’t help but

love what you do for a living,” explains Jamie Smith.

K.T. Smith Jr.’s ancestor, Peter

B. Smith, of Mathews County, Va, moved to Yorktown in 1840,

in need of a waterfront property

with a large supply of trees to

build his boatyard. In 1842 he

established the Smith’s Marine

Railway on Chisman’s Creek.

The term marine railway comes from the method of using

wooden blocks and rollers to

haul a boat onto shore and then

placing it in a wooden structure or “cradle” to allow easy access

to all areas of the boat for repair.

Now, seven generations and 169 years later, the Smith family

continues to build and repair

boats on the land which Peter B.

Smith first purchased and where he started his business. The

men work on the boats, and the

women attend to the office while creating and maintaining positive

client relations. However,

working in the family business

has not hindered other career aspirations of family members.

“We’ve all been able to work at

the Railway while also pursuing

other careers, talents and hobbies. The Railway has just given us discipline and a family

work ethic that benefits us all,” says Smith.

Jamie Smith, the youngest of the

three brothers, studied

architecture at James Madison

University (JMU) and designs not

only boats but also buildings and office spaces. Tim Smith

graduated from the Shenandoah University conservatory and

served as a high school band

and theatre teacher for many years. He has also played many

roles in historical films such as Gods and Generals and The Patriot. Nathan Smith, the “jack

of all trades,” is the family

historian, a farmer and

handyman that “we just couldn’t

do without,” says Tim Smith.

The combined dedication of K.T.’s three sons has kept the

family business alive and well.

In December 2010, K.T. Smith

Jr. passed away, leaving Nathan,

Tim and Jamie in joint ownership

of the Railway. K.T. was known

by family members for his

Living a Legacy (Continued from page 1)

Jamie Smith paints the letters on the V.J. O’Neal. Taken June. 21, 2011, in Yorktown, Va. (AP Photo/Nathan Smith)

humor, hard work and dedication.

The Smith brothers now carry on the legacy of their father.

“It sometimes feels like he never left,

like he’s still there showing us how to

do something more efficiently, not to

mind the heat, and laughing as he

tells us to stop goofing off,” says

Nathan Smith, K.T.’s eldest son. “We miss him, but he taught us so

much; now it’s our turn to teach

those same skills to our sons.”

And that’s exactly what they’ve done. During summer vacation, the

seventh generation of Smiths learns the trade that is so dear to the family.

Working alongside fathers, uncles,

brothers and cousins, the family

atmosphere “just warms your heart,”

says Lillian Smith, K.T.’s wife, who

has been in charge of the Railway’s

records and accounts for the past 50

years.

“We hire out too, but friends and

employees eventually just seem so

much like family that we call them cousins anyway,” jokes Tim Smith.

Continued on page 3

Smith’s Marine Railway, Inc. Summer 2011

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One thing is for certain: The Smith’s Marine Railway will last a long time, so long as family values and the

father-son relationship remain a constant in the

family’s structure. Nathan, Tim and Jamie’s sons

are just as dedicated and hardworking as their fathers and grandfather have been.

“People who know me well will tell you I’m proud of

where I come from and what my family does for a

living,” says Taylor Smith, Virginia Military Institute (VMI) graduate and seventh generation member.

“Although I’m in the Army, I apprenticed at the

Railway and plan to go back after I serve my duty to my country.”

“I think that’s why this business has lasted so long,”

says Jamie Smith. “We’ve all grown up to be proud

of the work our family does and aspire to be just like

Dad.”

The Railway gear system used to haul the vessels onto the cradle for repair (upper-right corner picture).Taken Jun. 3, 2011,

in Yorktown, Va. (AP Photo/Nathan Smith)

Seaford Scallop Co. fishing fleet harbors at the Railway for

routine summer maintenance (below). Picture taken June 21, 2011, in Yorktown, Va. (AP Photo/Time Smith)

Living a Legacy (Continued from page 2)

Summer Maintenance for Your Boat

What You Should Know

Whether you own a pleasure boat or a commercial fishing boat, routine maintenance should be a priority each summer. Boat ownership is a huge responsibility, but maintenance is imperative to prolong the life and condition of your vessel. In summertime, your vessel’s performance and reliability are essential, and by staying on track with repairs and tune-ups you will be able to safely enjoy your boat for a long time. Here are a few tips from the Smith’s Marine Railway to keep your boat in great condition and to protect your passengers during the long summer days:

! Always check your engine before going out on the water. Make sure to keep oil and fuel levels high and to check for signs of corrosion or rust. Have your engine periodically checked by professionals to ensure that it is working properly.

! Check hoses, fittings and tanks for leaks before leaving the dock. Leaky hoses, oil tanks and fuel tanks are easy to fix but extremely dangerous if left unattended.

! Make sure that you have a first-aid kit, life jackets and a lifeboat for emergencies. ! Keep the boat painted. Routine painting is essential to prevent wooden boats from rotting or

splintering. ! Fix it, if it’s broken. If you don’t have time to do it yourself, bring it to the Railway!

Smith’s Marine Railway, Inc. Summer 2011

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Smith’s Marine Railway Commemorates the Life and Work of the Late K.T. Smith

Jr. Smith’s Marine Railway, Inc. hosted its annual “Picnic at the Railway” June 25, 2011. The event is held annually to celebrate the history, employees and clients of the Railway, and to recognize the Smith family’s contributions in the area. This year’s picnic honored the late K.T. Smith Jr.’s 74 years of dedicated service to the business. Smith was a fifth-generation owner and a respected citizen of York County, Va. He willed the Railway to be jointly owned by his three sons: Nathan, Tim and Jamie Smith.

The Smith family welcomed friends, clients and the Yorktown community to the Railway to honor the life and work of their father, the late K.T. Smith Jr. (1928-2010). Biographical accounts and photographs of K.T. Smith Jr. accompanied displays of the business’s tools, historical artifacts and documents. Tours of the boatyard were offered as well.

“We wanted to celebrate the things in life that K.T. loved so much; and those were the Railway, his friends and his family,” says Lillian Smith, K.T.’s wife.

K.T. Smith Jr. passed away Dec. 19, 2010. He was recognized as a watercraft expert whose experience and long years of service to both his family and his community serve as a tribute to the history and character of Yorktown, Va. In addition to his work at the Railway, Smith was a trustee and lifelong member of Providence United Methodist Church in Dare, Va; a member of the board of directors of SunTrust Bank in Yorktown, Va; secretary of the York County electoral board and the secretary and treasurer of the State Council of Virginia Junior Order of United American Mechanics.

Smith began working at the Railway at age 14 and was given full ownership of the boatyard by his father at age 21. Friends of Smith remarked that he was an extremely smart man who possessed a strong passion for his work.

Clients at the picnic said that he always went above and beyond his work requirements while also taking

the time necessary for quality service. Co-workers of Smith knew that he wouldn’t stop until a job was perfectly complete.

“One time at the Railway, the guys and I decided it was so hot that we should take a quick break,” says former employee Buster Stevens. “But K.T. just looked at us and said, ‘I can’t imagine a cooler place to be than under that boat,’ and just went along doing his work.”

Guests at the picnic shared the many memories they had of K.T. and the times they shared with him, highlighting his charismatic and friendly nature.

“It was so comforting to hear all the wonderful things people said about my dad,” says Linda Matthews, Smith’s daughter. “I’m still having a hard time with his loss, but the commemoration picnic made me realize that he lived a long and fulfilled life.”

The Smith family thanks all guests who attended the picnic for their kind words and support.

“I’m so grateful for the community and how much they have embraced our family and our business,” says Jamie Smith. “Dad would truly be awed.”

K.T. Smith Jr. stands by the boat cradle at the Railway. Taken Sept. 9, 2010, in Yorktown, Va. (AP Photo/Nathan Smith)