The Smedley Family

The Smedley Family are 5th generation Coloradans with proud appreciation for nature and our beautiful state. At the age of 26, William Smedley made a memorable trip West, from Pennsylvania, on the Oregon Trail. After this adventure he would return home to Philadelphia to go to dental school at the Pennsylvania College of Dental Surgery to become the first in a long lineage of dentists. In 1870, Dr. William Smedley came to Denver and settled here as one of four dentists in a town of 4,000, and practiced dentistry until his death at the age of 90, in 1926.

In 1872, William and his wife Ellie built their first home at 1020 9th Street, which still stands today on the Auraria Campus, and is a Historic Landmark for being the oldest lap board home in Denver. It’s in this home that they started their family of three sons and two daughters.

Two of Dr. William Smedley’s sons, Clyde and Will, who also became dentists, practiced with their father and their sister Anges’ husband, Dr. Max Giesecke, and formed the Smedley Dental Group, whose offices were in the stately Republic Building in Downtown Denver. A third son, Chester, was a well known attorney, practicing for 60 years, and served as the City Attorney of Aurora and a member of the Colorado House of Representatives. The other of Dr. William Smedley’s daughters, Annie, was a writer of many pioneer stories, including helping her father compile his Oregon Trail diary into a book, “Across the Plains in 1862.”

Among Dr. William Smedley’s many accomplishments, were the founding and serving as the first President of the Denver Dental Association, serving as the first President of the Colorado Dental Association, serving as the Superintendent of North Side School District for 17 years, having Smedley Elementary School, built in 1903, named after him, and having two of his grandsons become dentists also.

One of those grandsons was Dr. Charles Smedley, and after serving in World War II as a Naval Officer, “Chuck” returned home to buy farm land and a little one-bedroom home in Littleton in 1947.

He married Margaret Jane Putterbaugh and soon after they started their family in that one-bedroom cottage. Chuck and Jane would raise two boys, Tom and Steve for 12 years in the original cottage before building their family home on the property in 1960.

The first horse came to Sumac Hill Farm in August of 1967, when Chuck took Tom to Centennial Race Track, where they bet $2 on a “100 to 1 long shot” and won $200. That evening they looked in the Rocky Mountain News, and there was an Appaloosa mare for sale for $200. Sumac Hill Farm’s herd grew from Princess’ bloodline, one by one, as Chuck traded some of his dental fees for “stud fees” from thoroughbred race horses, that gave us five beautiful foals over 20 years. Sumac Hill Farm’s herd has grown with our new mare Dream in recent years, giving us Chas and Prince William.

In our beautiful little “Oasis in the Middle of the City,” we teach partnering with horses through Natural Horsemanship. We learn about the “nature and psychology of the horse,” which are important parts of safely building relationships with our equine friends. Whether you are a beginner or studying to be a professional you will be developing your knowledge on an ongoing basis at Sumac Hill Farm.