I know this post is very old, however I thought I would give this a shot. I would love to see the article where Ephriam Pickett tells a story about his boyhood. I have hit a brick wall with his parents and/or grandparents and wonder if that article gives any clues. What paper did you find the article in and do you have it available to share? Also, is the Smith family Alpheus and Catharine Smith who are Finandes' parents? Thank you.