| 1850 |
| Elisha and Julia Smith Move to Menasha |
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| In July 1850, Elisha Smith travels from his home in Woonsocket, Rhode Island, to Menasha, Wisconsin, after receiving a letter from an acquaintance encouraging him to do so. After visiting, he returns to his home to marry Julia Mowry. The morning after their wedding, they head to Menasha, Wisconsin. The 1000-mile journey takes more than a week. They travel by train, steamship, horse-drawn carriage and boat. Once in Menasha, they live in a small two-room cabin and Elisha becomes a partner in the dry-goods store of his acquaintance, Dr. Doane. |
| 1852 |
| Elisha Smith Buys the Pail Factory |
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| In addition to the dry goods store, Elisha ventures into a second business. He buys the then-struggling Pail Factory for $1200 and runs it himself. He operates the machinery and delivers products by horse-drawn wagon. The business grows and he is able to hire his first employees, and sells products as far away as Chicago. By this time, his primary product is barrels that are used for shipping wheat. Wisconsin is one of the largest growers of wheat at this time. |
| 1857 |
| Panic of 1857 |
| The Panic of 1857 strikes and drives thousands of businesses into bankruptcy. The Pail Factory is not one of them. Until this time Elisha was lobbying for a railroad to be built from Menasha to Manitowoc, but the idea dies with the Panic of 1857. By 1857, he is selling his tubs and pails in almost every town of any size in Wisconsin and Illinois. |
| 1858 |
| Elisha Smith: A Devout Christian |
 Smith influences the community through his philanthropies, as well as his business. He keeps a small ledger of benevolence that shows he gives money to those in need steadily between 1858 and his death in 1899. When he dies, Smith's secret philanthropies are revealed and praised. Among them are such acts as providing a fund at the local bookstore for students unable to pay for their own books, and anonymously distributing groceries and clothing to poor families. Smith also gives large, public donations and supports colleges and religious institutions in Wisconsin and across the United States. According to his own accounts, Smith's religious enthusiasm increases in 1858 and he becomes diligent in his support of Christianity. His factories are closed on Sundays, and he closes the factory for a few hours on holy days that occur during the workweek. |
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