Laura Smith Haviland, who published her autobiography entitled "A Women’s Life Work," depicting thirty years’ labor in the cause of humanity, was born in Kitley, Leeds county, Ontario, December 20, 1808. At the age of seven years she was taken to Niagara county, N. Y., by her parents, Rev. Daniel and Sene (Blancher) Smith, who located at Cambria, now Lockport. When a mere child, Laura was of an inquiring disposition and inclined to skepticism, but at the age of thirteen experienced religion. She nevertheless kept on the even tenor of her life in deference to her parents, who were members of the society of Friends, and at the age of sixteen was married in Friends’ meeting, to Charles Haviland. In 1829, they settled at Raisin, Lenawee county, Mich., near her parents, and still convinced that her soul was lost, and was in despair, but she later discovered that she had misinterpreted Paul’s letter and that she could still hope for salvation, and after earnest effort felt that she had found it: On account of the position assumed by the society of Friends on the slavery question, she, with several others, withdrew from ’25 that society and united with the Wesleyan Methodists, and in 1837 established the Raisin institute, the first school in Michigan to open its doors to colored youth. But the institution lost some of its white pupils in consequence of this step. The Raisin institute was later connected with the Michigan orphan asylum and finally it was made a state institution and became the state public school, located at Coldwater. Fugitive slaves, however, always found succor and help at the home of the Havilands, and the house was stigmatized as "the nigger den." Laura S. Haviland had always been impressed with the significance of dreams in foreshadowing the events that were to happen in her family. In some of her visions were depicted the loss of her husband and infant; but it was not until after twenty years of married life that her husband passed to the great beyond, and she was called upon to mourn the loss of five of her family, including her parents, within six weeks; she was herself stricken, but happily recovered, to thoroughly identify herself with the "underground railroad," and in a hundred ways assist unfortunate fugitive slaves. Laura S. Haviland, in 1863, went to the hospitals of Cairo, Ill. and Memphis, Tenn., carrying supplies for our soldiers of the Civil war, as well as for freedmen in camp on Island No. 10, and alleviating much suffering. Returning to Michigan, she assisted in organizing the Freedman’s Relief association, and soon returned south to the succor of 4,000 freedmen, who were concentrated at Natchez, Miss., in condemned army tents, and also extended her work to various other places, including Baton Rouge and New Orleans, La. In April, 1864, she went to Ship Island in the gulf of Mexico, then occupied as a prison for about 3,000 Federal soldiers, who had been convicted of trivial offenses by the infamous Judge Attocha, a former Rebel captain who, on taking the oath of allegiance to the United States government, was appointed judge-advocate by Gen. Butler. The records showed that, for the petty offense of intoxication, he had sentenced hundreds of men to fifteen years of imprisonment, with ball and chain attached to the person, and the additional penalty of a forfeiture of part of their pay, and he also perpetrated many other similar atrocities. She was determined to right the wrong done these men. She secured a petition to Gen. Weitzel, signed by seventy ex-soldiers, appealing for the deliverance of these unfortunates, but, owing to red tape, little or nothing was accomplished. She therefore wrote out a full report of the case, accompanied it with a copy of the records and forwarded it to the members of congress from her home district, who placed the documents before the secretary of war, and she soon had the satisfaction of learning that the infamous judge had been removed and a commission sent to investigate the case, which resulted in the liberation of the 3,000 prisoners. Most of these were returned to their regiments, and thus one of the most disgraceful episodes of the war was partially righted. In June, 1864, she was made agent of the Freedman’s Aid society and at once reported to Kansas to assist refugees, both white and black, who had fled to that state from Missouri to escape the raids of Gen. Price. The last six years of Laura S. Haviland’s life were spent with her brother, Rev. S. B. Smith, at Grand Rapids, where she passed away April 20, 1898, but was active in the cause of humanity to the last, and when unable to make addresses, continued to write messages to various societies. Her remains were interred in the old churchyard in Lenawee county, beside those of her husband and parents. Her portrait still depends from the walls of the State public school at Coldwater, and the Industrial Home at Adrian, which she, associated with Mrs. Mary T. Lathrop, representing the W. C. T. U., secured, and which she named, and the teachers and pupils of Raisin institute still hold anniversaries in memory of one of the noblest philanthropists that ever lived in Michigan.