Born on Dec. 20, 1808 in Leeds (Ontario), Laura was the daughter of Daniel and Sene Blancher Smith. They moved to N.Y. (State) in 1815. At age 16 she married Charles Haviland, Jr. (d. March 13, 1845), a Quaker and abolitionist. With her relatives and friends, the Havilands organized the first anti-slavery society in Mich. In 1837 she opened the first school to educate children of color. She wrote "A Woman's Life Work" (1881). Laura helped freedmen and slaves by providing relief services and helping the Underground Railroad. She established the Haviland Home for Homeless and Destitute Children during the Civil War, which later became the State Public School for Dependent Children (Coldwater, Mich.) (1870/1871); the Raisin Institute of Learning (1839); the State Industrial Home for Girls; and the State Industrial School for Boys (Adrian, Mich.). She died on April 20, 1898. A statue/fountain were erected in her honor in front of the City Hall in Adrian(Mich.).
From the description of Laura Smith Haviland / by Caroline R. Humphrey, 1921. (Clarke Historical Library). WorldCat record id: 45423685
