The name is derived from the old 'fermtoon' of Smiths Toun which was simply the farmhouse together with accomodation for the farmers family, employees and animals plus barns, byres etc.  This farm complex was demolished in recent years to make way for a new housing complex overlooking Croy Railway Station and Holy Cross Croy Primary School.
 
Before the establishment of the A80 road from Falkirk / Stirling / Cumbernauld to Glasgow, there was a very basic road passing through Smithston Farm on the way to Kirkintilloch. Few remains of this old road are still to be seen and these are now parts of small pathways in the area. The sections of this old road close to Smithston Farm and Croy Railway Station were, not so long ago, locally known as "Zoar Road", Zoar simply meaning east. cf Zoar Cottages at the side of the present A80 and just beyond Eastfield Cemetery gates. 
 
With the coming of the whinstone quarrying and coal industries, housing had to be provided for the associated workers. Baird Company had expanded very rapidly and had need of large numbers of workers and they built the long, seventy house Smithston Row to house the mainly Irish  and Roman Catholic workers. The row was traditionally referred to as "Smeeston Row".  It is said that these houses were put up in such a hurry that families sometimes moved in before windows were fitted, such was the demand for the coal being extracted from the Gartshore Pits. It was to be about twenty years before this community was to get a proper water supply spout at the houses. Prior to this all water was collected from a field drain pipe at the east end of the row. There is a classical photo of the Smeeston ladies and children at this old supply pipe about the time of the installation of the new common cast iron standpipe or well.
 
Despite the primitive conditions at this row, a vibrant community was established here for almost one hundred years. One lasting remnant is the Croy Silver Band which still continues to go from strength to strength. The founding of this band was in Smeeston Row in the 1870's and today the band is still competing in contests at the highest level countrywide and a Junior Croy Silver Band is flourishing with aproximately fifty members. Tickets for regular concerts organised by the two are eagerly snapped up and hard to obtain.
 
Sport played a very important part in the lives of the people from Smeeston Row and their football teams, Smithston Albion and Smithston Hibernian, were regularly at the top of any football competition in which they were competing. Descendants of Smeeston folk are always proud to tell the tale of the day the mighty Glasgow Celtic came to play a friendly match at the football pitch at Smeeston. It was presumed that Celtic would put on a good show for the locals, however the Smeeston men were not to be underestimated and gave Celtic a few lessons in the art of scoring goals. Needles to say that from this experience Celtic management were out to sign up a number of the Smeeston players including the now legendary Jimmy Quinn (the mighty Quinn). Croy Historical Society have the ball which was used in the 1904 Scottish Cup Final at Hampden Park when Jimmy scored three goals to win the Scottish Cup for the Celtic. It would be fitting if the old derelict area where Smeeston football pitch once was, were again to be used for recreational purposes 
 
By the 1930's the old housing had deteriorated so badly that they were all demolished as part of  countrywide rebuilding project and most of the people move to the present village of Croy. Croy Historical Society has a number of photos and many other documents and memorabilia relating to the now nostalgic miners' row at Smeeston.