Smith Family Papers
00074

Summary Information

Repository
Michigan State University Archives and Historical Collections
Creator
Smith family, (George Anson Smith, 1825-1885)
Title
Smith family papers
ID
00074
Date [inclusive]
1853-1927
Extent
3.0 Cubic feet , 24 volumes on shelf
Language
English

Preferred Citation note

Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information: "Item title, Collection title, Collection Identifier, Michigan State University Archives & Historical Collections, East Lansing,Michigan".

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Biographical Note

In 1856, George A. Smith purchased the Gamble farm near Somerset, Michigan, and he later bought several other farms near it. In 1858, he and his brother, Legrand J., built a brick store near the flour mill which they had purchased in Addison, Lenawee County, Michigan. In 1859, George became postmaster of Somerset. In 1871, he built a brick general store there. Smith's property was later taken over by his sons, Fred, Azariel, and Frank R. Smith was President of the G. A. Smith Exchange Bank in 1893, with his son Azariel as cashier. After George's death, the farm was operated jointly by his sons under the name "Oak Hill Farms."

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Scope and Contents note

This collection consists of the business and farm records of George Anson Smith, his brother (Legrand J. Smith), and his sons (Fred, Azariel, and Frank R.), of Somerset, Hillsdale County, Michigan. George A. Smith owned several farms and with his brother operated two general stores and a grain exchange, which were later taken over by his sons. In 1856 he purchased the Gamble farm near Somerset and later purchased several other farms near it. In 1858 he and his brother built the brick store near the flour mill they had purchased in Addison, Hillsdale County, Michigan, and in 1871 George built the brick store in Somerset (see Smith, Howard Remus, The Azariel Smiths, Michigan Pioneers, and Their Descendants) (see folder 132 in box 1).

In addition to the farm and business records, the collection contains the papers (1859-1864 & undated) of George A. Smith when he was postmaster of Somerset.

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Administrative Information

Publication Information

Michigan State University Archives and Historical Collections January 1969

Conrad Hall
888 Wilson Road, Room 101
East Lansing , MI, 48824
517-355-2330
archives@msu.edu

Revision Description

  November 2011

Conditions Governing Access note

Collection is open for research.

Legal Status

Copyright: Michigan State University Property Rights: Michigan State University

Conditions Governing Use note

Permission to publish material from this collection must be obtained from University Archives & Historical Collections, Michigan State University.

Custodial History

Gift of Mrs. Hazel Littlefield Smith, Miss Katherine Smith, and Mrs. Howard R. Smith

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Related Materials

Related Archival Materials

See also collection 00046, Howard Remus Smith papers.

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Controlled Access Headings

Corporate Name(s)

  • Oak Hill Farms.

Family Name(s)

  • Smith family, (George Anson Smith, 1825-1885)

Genre(s)

  • Journals (accounts)
  • Letters (correspondence)
  • Photographs

Personal Name(s)

  • Smith, Azariel
  • Smith, Fred S.
  • Smith, George Anson, 1825-1885
  • Smith, Hazel Littlefield, Mrs.
  • Smith, Howard Remus, 1872-1962
  • Smith, Howard Remus, Mrs.
  • Smith, Katherine, Miss

Subject(s)

  • Agriculture -- Michigan
  • Flour mills -- Michigan
  • General stores -- Michigan
  • Legal instruments
  • Possessory actions
  • Postal service -- Law and legislation -- United States
  • Postal service -- United States
  • Postmasters -- Michigan -- Somerset
  • Real property, Exchange of

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Collection Inventory

Papers 
Box

Correspondence 

 1
Box Folder

 October 1854 - June 18, 1855 

 1 1

 June 20 - July 31, 1855 

 1 2

 August 6 - October 31, 1855 

 1 3

 November 1 - December 11, 1855 

 1 4

 December 12, 1855 - January 20, 1856 

 1 5

 January 21 - March 15, 1856 

 1 6

 March 20 - May 3, 1856 

 1 7

 May 5-24, 1856 

 1 8

 May 25 - June 16, 1856 

 1 9

 June 20 - July 10, 1856 

 1 10-11

 August 7-27, 1856 

 1 12

 August 28 - September 8, 1856 

 1 13

 September 13 - October 8, 1856 

 1 14

 October 9-30, 1856 

 1 15

 October 31 - November 11, 1856 

 1 16

 November 12 - December 1, 1856 

 1 17

 December 6-20, 1856 

 1 18

 December 22, 1856 - January 20, 1857 

 1 19

 January 21 - February 12, 1857 

 1 20

 February 14 - March 25, 1857 

 1 21

 March 27, - May 5, 1857 

 1 22

 May 6 - June 8, 1857 

 1 23

 June 10-19, 1857 

 1 24

 June 20 - July 16, 1867 

 1 25

 July 17 - August 29, 1857 

 1 26

 September 1 - October 6, 1857 

 1 27

 October 9- November 3, 1857 

 1 28

 October 4 - November 3, 1857 

 1 29

 November 25 - December 10, 1857 

 1 30

 December 11, 1857 - January 1, 1858 

 1 31

 January 2-18, 1858 

 1 32

 January 19 - February 1, 1858 

 1 33

 February 2-19, 1858 

 1 34

 February 22 - March 8, 1858 

 1 35

 March 9-24, 1858 

 1 36

 March 25 - April 15, 1858 

 1 37

 April 19 - May 14, 1858 

 1 38

 May 17 - June 2, 1858 

 1 39

 June 3-21, 1858 

 1 40

 June 22 - July 12, 1858 

 1 41

 July 14 - August 6, 1858 

 1 42

 August 9 - September 11, 1858 

 1 43

 September 12-29, 1858 

 1 44

 October 2-28, 1858 

 1 45

 October 29 - November 9, 1858 

 1 46

 November 11-27, 1858 

 1 47

 November 30 - December 6, 1858 

 1 48

 December 9-23, 1858 

 1 49

 December 24, 1858 - January 7, 1859 

 1 50

 January 10-29, 1859 

 1 51

 January 31 - February 14, 1859 

 1 52

 February 16 - March 14, 1859 

 1 53

 March 16 - April 19, 1859 

 1 54

 April 21 - May 16, 1859 

 1 55

 May 20 - June 9, 1859 

 1 56

 June 10 - July 8, 1859 

 1 57

 July 15 - August 11, 1859 

 1 58

 August 13-31, 1859 

 1 59

 September 1-23, 1859 

 1 60

 September 27 - October 24, 1859 

 1 61

 October 25 - November 19, 1859 

 1 62

 November 22 - December 12, 1859 

 1 63

 December 13, 1859 - January 3, 1860 

 1 64

 January 6 - February 9, 1860 

 1 65

 February 10-29, 1860 

 1 66

 March 5-29, 1860 

 1 67

 April 10-27, 1860 

 1 68

 May 7-31, 1860 

 1 69

 June 7-29, 1860 

 1 70

 July 4-16, 1860 

 1 71

 July 19 - August 23, 1860 

 1 72

 August 25 - September 29, 1860 

 1 73

 October 4-31, 1860 

 1 74

 November 1-20, 1860 

 1 75

 November 21-30, 1860 

 1 76

 December 1-11, 1860 

 1 77

 December 13-31, 1860 

 1 78

 January 2-16, 1861 

 1 79

 January 17-28, 1861 

 1 80

 January 29 - February 18, 1861 

 1 81

 February 19 - March 2, 1861 

 1 82

 March 4-16, 1861 

 1 83

 March 18 - April 9, 1861 

 1 84

 April 11-30, 1861 

 1 85

 May 1-22, 1861 

 1 86

 May 23 - June 13, 1861 

 1 87

 June 14-29, 1861 

 1 88

 July 1-29, 1861 

 1 89

 August 1-30, 1861 

 1 90

 September 3 - October 29, 1861 

 1 91

 November 1-19, 1861 

 1 92

 December 2, 1861 - February 24, 1862 

 1 93

 March 1-28, 1862 

 1 94

 April 1-26, 1862 

 1 95

 April 29 - May 14, 1862 

 1 96

 May 15-28, 1862 

 1 97

 June 1-27, 1862 

 1 98

 July 1-31, 1862 

 1 99

 August 2 - September 19, 1862 

 1 100

 September 20-29, 1862 

 1 101

 October 1-13, 1862 

 1 102

 October 14-20, 1862 

 1 103

 October 21 - November 6, 1862 

 1 104

 November 10-17, 1862 

 1 105

 November 18-29, 1862 

 1 106

 December 2-16, 1862 

 1 107

 December 17-30, 1862 

 1 108

 January 2-31, 1863 

 1 109

 February 2-25, 1863 

 1 110

 February 27 - March 20, 1863 

 1 111

 March 21 - April 2, 1863 

 1 112

 April 4-29, 1863 

 1 113

 May 4-16, 1863 

 1 114

 May 18 - June 24, 1863 

 1 115

 June 25 - August 18, 1863 

 1 116

 September 4 - November 7, 1863 

 1 117

 November 9 - December 22, 1863 

 1 118

 January 2 - May 4, 1864 

 1 119

 May 12 - July 13, 1864 

 1 120

 July 21, 1864 - December 11, 1865 

 1 121

 January 7 - April 29, 1866 

 1 122

 July 2 - October 20, 1866 

 1 123

 November 2 - December 4, 1866 

 1 124

 December 10, 1866 - January 26, 1867 

 1 125

 February 1-27, 1867 

 1 126

 March 2, 1867 - August 14, 1899 

 1 127

 Undated 

 1 128-131
Box Folder

The Azariel Smiths, Michigan Pioneers, and Their Descendants 

 1 132

Howard R. Smith, A Biography 

 1 133
Box

Promissory Note 

 2
Box Folder

 1853-1855 

 2 1

 1856 

 2 2

 January - October 1887 

 2 3

 November 1857 - March 1858 

 2 4

 April - June 1858 

 2 5

 July - September 1858 

 2 6

 October 1858 - March 1859 

 2 7

 April - September 1859 

 2 8

 October - December 1859 

 2 9

 January - April 10, 1860 

 2 10

 April 11 - June 1860 

 2 11

 July - September 1860 

 2 12

 October - November 1860 

 2 13

 December 1860 

 2 14

 January - April 1861 

 2 15

 May - September 1861 

 2 16

 October 1861 - May 1862 

 2 17

 June 1862 - April 1863 

 2 18

 May 1863-1864 

 2 19

 1865-1867 

 2 20

 1868-1902, n.d. 

 2 21

Business Receipts 

 2
Box Folder

 1854 - September 1856 

 2 22

 October 1856-1857 

 2 23

 1858 

 2 24

 1859 

 2 25

 January - May 1866 

 2 26

 June - December 1866 

 2 27

 1861 

 2 28

 1862-1863 

 2 29

 1864-1867 

 2 30

 1868-1876, n.d. 

 2 31

Business Accounts 

 2
Box Folder

 1854-1855 

 2 32

 1856 

 2 33

 January - June 1857 

 2 34

 July - December 1857 

 2 35

 January - March 1858 

 2 36

 April - July 1858 

 2 37

 August - October 1858 

 2 38

 November - December 1858 

 2 39

 January - July 1859 

 2 40

 September - December 1859 

 2 41

 January - April 1860 

 2 42

 June - September 1860 

 2 43

 October - December 1860 

 2 44

 January - February 1861 

 2 45

 March - April 1861 

 2 46

 May - June 1861 

 2 47

 August - November 1861 

 2 48

 January - June 1861 

 2 49

 July - December 1862 

 2 50

 1863 

 2 51

 1864-1865 

 2 52

 1867-1871 

 2 53

 1872-1897 

 2 54

 1903-1909, n.d. 

 2 55

 1915-1926 

 2 56

 n.d. 

 2 57-59
Box Folder

Miscellaneous individual accounts -- 1855-1864, n.d. 

 2 60
Box

Checks 

 2
Box Folder

 1855-1858 

 2 61

 1859-1860 

 2 62

 1861-1866, n.d. 

 2 63

Tax Receipts 

 2
Box Folder

 1855-1863 

 2 64

 1864-1879, n.d. 

 2 65

Individual Orders 

 2
Box Folder

 1860 - September 1862 

 2 66

 November 1862-1867, n.d. 

 2 67

Gamble Papers 

 2
Box Folder

 1854-1856 

 2 68

 1857-1858 

 2 69

Post Office Materials 

 2
Box Folder

 1859 - April 1860 

 2 70

 June 1860 - April 1861 

 2 71

 July 1861 - April 1862 

 2 72

 July 1862 - July 1863 

 2 73

 October 1863 - 1864, n.d. 

 2 74

Miscellaneous 

 2
Box Folder

 1855-1857 

 2 75

 1858-1862 

 2 76

 1863-1883 

 2 77

 1893-1925 

 2 78

 n.d. 

 2 79-80

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Volumes 
Box

vol. 1: Grain and wool purchases -- 1857-1871 

 1

vol. 2 General Store Accounts 1858-1861 

 3

vol. 3: General store accounts -- 1861-1864 

 3

vol. 4: Cashbook, depot transactions, general store accounts -- 1861-1871 

 3
Volume

vol. 5: General store daybook -- 1862-1863 

 5

vol. 6: General store daybook and accounts in full -- 1863-1881 

 6
Box

vol. 7: General store accounts -- 1869-1873 

 3
Volume

vol. 8: General store daybook -- 1869-1873 

 8
Box

vol. 9: Shipping records - Somerset freight agent -- 1872-1873 

 3

vol. 10: General store cashbook -- 1872-1875 

 1
Volume

vol. 11: General store daybook -- 1873-1874 

 11

vol. 12: General store daybook -- 1874-1875 

 12
Box

vol. 13: General store accounts -- 1874-1880 

 3

vol. 14: Purchase and sales accounts - freight agent - D.H. & I.R.R. -- 1874-1877 

 1
Volume

vol. 15: General store daybook -- 1875-1876 

 15

vol. 16: General store daybook -- 1876-1878 

 16

vol. 17: General store daybook 

 17

vol. 18: Exchange bank cashbook, daybook -- 1878-1882 

 18

vol. 19: General store daybook of Azariel Smith -- 1880-1881 

 19

vol. 20: General store ledger -- 1880-1899 

 20

vol. 21: General store accounts -- 1881-1884 

 21

vol. 22: General store daybook -- 1884 

 22

vol. 23: General store daybook -- 1885-1886 

 23

vol. 24: General store daybook -- 1886-1887 

 24

vol. 25: Exchange bank cashbook -- 1887-1889 

 25
Box Folder

vol. 26: Cashbook -- 1890-1892 

 2 81
Volume

vol. 27: General store daybook -- 1893-1894 

 27
Box Folder

vol. 28: Cash accounts -- 1895-1897 

 2 82
Volume

vol. 29: General store ledger -- 1910-1922 

 29
Box Folder

vol. 30: Cash accounts and work records until bought out by A. Leutheuser -- 1895-1909 

 2 83
Volume

vol. 31: Farm records -- 1858-1897 

 31
Box Folder

vol. 32: Purchase and sale accounts for -- 1878-1884 

 2 84

vol. 33: Farm accounts of Fred S. Smith -- 1882-1922 

 2 85

vol. 34: Purchase and sale accounts for wheat -- 1886-1887 

 2 86
Volume

vol. 35: Grain accounts of Frank R. Smith (includes the estate records of George A. Smith) -- 1895-1909 

 35

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Photographs 
Drawer

Subject Photographs 

 Subject Photographs

Animals. Cattle 

Animals. Horses 
Box

Oversize Photographs 

 OS 17

International Champion Bullock Challenger 1903 

Mallory Commission Co. Ad 1903 

Prince of View Point Undated 

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