Asa Bowen Smith, also known as A.B. Smith (July 16, 1809 – February 10, 1886), was a Congregational missionary posted in
Oregon Country
Oregon Country was a large region of the Pacific Northwest of North America that was subject to a long dispute between the United Kingdom and the United States in the early 19th century. The area, which had been created by the Treaty of 1818, co ...
and Hawaii with his wife Sarah Gilbert White Smith. In 1840, Smith wrote the manuscript for the book ''Grammar of the Language of the Nez Perces Indians Formerly of Oregon, U.S.''. He conducted the first census of the Nez Perce. After eight years as a missionary, he returned to the
Northeastern United States
The Northeastern United States, also referred to as the Northeast, the East Coast, or the American Northeast, is a geographic region of the United States. It is located on the Atlantic coast of North America, with Canada to its north, the Southe ...
where he was a pastor of the Buckland Congregational Church in Massachusetts and of the Congregational Church in
Southbury, Connecticut
Southbury is a town in western New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. Southbury is north of Oxford and Newtown, and east of Brookfield. Its population was 19,879 at the 2020 census.
Southbury comprises sprawling rural country areas, sub ...
.
He attended
Middlebury College
Middlebury College is a private liberal arts college in Middlebury, Vermont. Founded in 1800 by Congregationalists, Middlebury was the first operating college or university in Vermont. The college currently enrolls 2,858 undergraduates from all ...
,
Andover Theological Seminary
Andover Theological Seminary (1807–1965) was a Congregationalist seminary founded in 1807 and originally located in Andover, Massachusetts on the campus of Phillips Academy. From 1908 to 1931, it was located at Harvard University in Cambridge. ...
, and
Yale Theological Seminary
Yale Divinity School (YDS) is one of the twelve graduate and professional schools of Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut.
Congregationalist theological education was the motivation at the founding of Yale, and the professional school has ...
and was ordained in 1837.
Early life and education
Asa Bowen Smith was born in
Williamstown, Vermont
Williamstown is a town in Orange County, Vermont, United States. The population was 3,515 at the 2020 census, making it the second largest municipality in the county.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total ar ...
on July 16, 1809.
His parents were Asa and Polly Waller Smith
and four of his twelve siblings were Laura, Marcia, Lucia, and John Curtis Bowen Smith.
There were only six children that made it into Smith's adulthood. They grew up on the family farm in
Middlebury, Vermont
Middlebury is the shire town (county seat) of Addison County, Vermont, United States. As of the 2020 U.S. Census, the population was 9,152. Middlebury is home to Middlebury College and the Henry Sheldon Museum of Vermont History.
History
One of ...
.
Smith worked on the farm until he was 21 years of age. From 18 to 21, he prepared for college by studying at home and reciting to a local lawyer.
He first attended the
University of Vermont
The University of Vermont (UVM), officially the University of Vermont and State Agricultural College, is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Burlington, Vermont. It was founded in 1791 and is amon ...
,
and taught school to pay for his education. He joined the Congregationalist Church in 1831 and was inspired to become a preacher. He encouraged his three sisters and two of his brothers to convert to the
Congregational Church
Congregational churches (also Congregationalist churches or Congregationalism) are Protestant churches in the Calvinist tradition practising congregationalist church governance, in which each congregation independently and autonomously runs its ...
. He received a scholarship from the
American Education Society American Society for the Education of Pious Youth for the Gospel Ministry was organized in 1815 for the purpose of aid in the education of Protestant clergymen. It was renamed American Education Society (AES) in 1820, 1911-1913 It was formed under a ...
to become a minister. He transferred to
Middlebury College
Middlebury College is a private liberal arts college in Middlebury, Vermont. Founded in 1800 by Congregationalists, Middlebury was the first operating college or university in Vermont. The college currently enrolls 2,858 undergraduates from all ...
, a Congregational-supported school, in 1832 and he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1834.
He attended
Andover Theological Seminary
Andover Theological Seminary (1807–1965) was a Congregationalist seminary founded in 1807 and originally located in Andover, Massachusetts on the campus of Phillips Academy. From 1908 to 1931, it was located at Harvard University in Cambridge. ...
(1834–1836) and
Yale Theological Seminary
Yale Divinity School (YDS) is one of the twelve graduate and professional schools of Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut.
Congregationalist theological education was the motivation at the founding of Yale, and the professional school has ...
, graduating in 1837.
Believing that it would be helpful as a missionary to have medical training, he studied medicine as well at three medical schools. While away at college and the seminaries, he began livelong correspondence with his brother and sisters, which are archived at the
Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library
The Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library () is the rare book library and literary archive of the Yale University Library in New Haven, Connecticut. It is one of the largest buildings in the world dedicated to rare books and manuscripts. Es ...
of the
Yale University Library
The Yale University Library is the library system of Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut. Originating in 1701 with the gift of several dozen books to a new "Collegiate School," the library's collection now contains approximately 14.9 milli ...
. In the spring of 1837, he preached at the Congregationalist Church in
Woodbridge, Connecticut
Woodbridge is a New England town, town in New Haven County, Connecticut, New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 9,087 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. The town center is listed on the National Register of H ...
, five miles northwest of New Haven.
He lived a spartan lifestyle. For a time, he ate crackers soaked in warm water and molasses. He walked where he needed to go, like to medical school and to the family home. He had a number of walks between 20 and 100 miles. Friends helped with expenses, like room and board and books. He also worked as a carpenter building furniture.
Sarah Gilbert White Smith
Smith met Sarah Gilbert White in the fall of 1835. She wanted to become a missionary.
Her parents, Sarah Gilbert and Alfred White of
West Brookfield, Massachusetts
West Brookfield is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 3,833 at the 2020 census. Lucy Stone was born in West Brookfield, and George and Charles Merriam, the publishers of Webster's Dictionary, were rai ...
,
had been missionaries.
Her older sister Adeline was a missionary stationed in
Singapore
Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...
, where she married
Ira Tracy
Asa Bowen Smith, also known as A.B. Smith (July 16, 1809 – February 10, 1886), was a Congregational missionary posted in Oregon Country and Hawaii with his wife Sarah Gilbert White Smith. In 1840, Smith wrote the manuscript for the book ''Gramma ...
. Both of them were missionaries of the
American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions
The American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions (ABCFM) was among the first American Christian missionary organizations. It was created in 1810 by recent graduates of Williams College. In the 19th century it was the largest and most imp ...
. Sarah had a brother Samuel and another sister Roxanna. The family lived at the White homestead, now known as the
Salem Cross Inn
The Salem Cross Inn is a restaurant on a working farm at 260 West Main Street (Massachusetts Route 9) in West Brookfield, Massachusetts. It is located in the White Homestead, a c. 1740 Georgian style house built on the site of a c. 1707 house whi ...
.
Sarah studied at a seminary in
Pittsfield, Massachusetts
Pittsfield is the largest city and the county seat of Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is the principal city of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of Berkshire County. Pittsfield ...
in 1835. In 1836, she attended Murdock Place Seminary in
New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven is a city in the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is located on New Haven Harbor on the northern shore of Long Island Sound in New Haven County, Connecticut and is part of the New York City metropolitan area. With a population of 134,02 ...
, while Smith attended the seminary at Yale. She had been a school teacher and became an engaged woman by March 3, 1837. On March 13, 1838, she was appointed as a missionary.
Smith married Sarah Gilbert White on March 15, 1838.
Sarah kept a diary of her experiences from March 10, 1838 through September 14, 1839,
which narrated the Smith's journey from
Springfield, Massachusetts
Springfield is a city in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, United States, and the seat of Hampden County. Springfield sits on the eastern bank of the Connecticut River near its confluence with three rivers: the western Westfield River, the ...
to the
Whitman Mission
Whitman Mission National Historic Site is a United States National Historic Site located just west of Walla Walla, Washington, at the site of the former Whitman Mission at Waiilatpu. On November 29, 1847, Dr. Marcus Whitman, his wife Narcissa ...
in
Waiilatpu in present-day Washington. They and others joined missionary
Marcus Whitman
Marcus Whitman (September 4, 1802 – November 29, 1847) was an American physician and missionary.
In 1836, Marcus Whitman led an overland party by wagon to the West. He and his wife, Narcissa, along with Reverend Henry Spalding and his wife, E ...
.
While in the
Sandwich Islands
The Hawaiian Islands ( haw, Nā Mokupuni o Hawai‘i) are an archipelago of eight major islands, several atolls, and numerous smaller islets in the North Pacific Ocean, extending some from the island of Hawaii in the south to northernmost Kur ...
(
Hawaii
Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...
), they took in three orphaned girls, Lucy, Martha and Mary.
Their parents were Edwin Locke (1813–1843) and Martha Laurens Rowell Locke (1812–1842) of the
Eight company of missionaries.
The Smiths adopted Lucy and Martha.
Martha, also known as Maude, married G.M. Hubbard of New York City.
Lucy Maria Locke Smith married Rev. Elijah Harmon. She died in June 1871, and Smith continued to have a relationship with his son-in-law. He was named in Smith's will, along with Martha.
Mary Sabin Locke was adopted by her uncle Dr. Samuel Newell Bowell of
Malta, New York
Malta is a town in Saratoga County, New York, United States. The town is in the central part of the county and is south of Saratoga Springs. The population was 17,130 as of the 2020 census.
Malta, along with Stillwater, is home to the Luther ...
. She married a man named Wilson, lived in San Francisco, and had a son who was a missionary in Hawaii.
Sarah died of consumption (
tuberculosis
Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease usually caused by '' Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body. Most infections show no symptoms, in ...
)
on May 27, 1855.
She was buried in
Buckland, Massachusetts
Buckland is a town in Franklin County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 1,816 at the 2020 census. The town shares the village of Shelburne Falls with neighboring Shelburne. The town center at Shelburne Falls is the western end of ...
.
Missionary
He was ordained on November 1, 1837 and decided to become a missionary.
Soon after, the
American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions
The American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions (ABCFM) was among the first American Christian missionary organizations. It was created in 1810 by recent graduates of Williams College. In the 19th century it was the largest and most imp ...
appointed him as a missionary to
Oregon Country
Oregon Country was a large region of the Pacific Northwest of North America that was subject to a long dispute between the United Kingdom and the United States in the early 19th century. The area, which had been created by the Treaty of 1818, co ...
.
On March 15, 1838, the same day that they were married, the Smiths traveled across the American continent towards the Pacific Ocean. They travelled west with other missionaries—
Cushing Eells
Cushing Eells (February 16, 1810 – February 16, 1893) was an American Congregational church missionary, farmer and teacher on the Pacific coast of America in what are now the states of Oregon and Washington. His first mission in Washington State ...
,
Elkanah Walker
Elkanah Walker (1805–1877) was an American pioneer settler in the Oregon Country in what is now the states of Oregon and Washington.
Early life and education
Walker was born August 7, 1805, the sixth child of Jeremiah and Jane Walker, on a far ...
, and
William H. (W.H.) Gray—and their wives.
Whitman Mission, Waiilatpu
The were initially at
Waiilatpu in present day Washington. After a falling out with
Marcus Whitman
Marcus Whitman (September 4, 1802 – November 29, 1847) was an American physician and missionary.
In 1836, Marcus Whitman led an overland party by wagon to the West. He and his wife, Narcissa, along with Reverend Henry Spalding and his wife, E ...
, Smith stated that if he was to be stationed with Whitman, he would leave the mission. The missionaries had a difficult time establishing themselves with the local Native Americans, due to language barriers and vast differences in religious concepts. Among the missionaries, there were philosophical differences in approach. Smith thought that the missionaries should learn their language and work amongst them to develop relationships.
Smith was against evangelization of Native Americans and forced resettlement. This was at odds with the approach of
Henry H. Spalding
Henry Harmon Spalding (1803–1874), and his wife Eliza Hart Spalding (1807–1851) were prominent Presbyterian missionaries and educators working primarily with the Nez Perce in the U.S. Pacific Northwest. The Spaldings and their fellow missio ...
of the Oregon missions.
Smith felt that the natives should not acquire the white people's way of life, concerned that they would become "worldly minded". He was unsure of his usefulness at the Whitman mission and pessimistic that the mission would be successful.
The mission established a farm, blacksmith shop, printing press, and mills. Smith conducted the first census of the Nez Perce people. In the Smith's letters and diaries, they wrote in great detail about the lives of the Nez Perce people. This provided a "wealth of new information not only upon the customs, traditions, and manner of life of the Nez Perces, but also upon the difficulties which the pioneer missionaries faced in their isolated stations." Sarah's mental and physical health were very poor and Smith took care of the farm and the housekeeping.
Smith had a Hawaiian laborer named Jack.
Kamiah
About early May 1839, the Smiths went to
Kamiah, south of
Lapwai
Lapwai is a city in the Northwestern United States, northwest United States, in Nez Perce County, Idaho, Nez Perce County, Idaho. Its population was 1,137 at the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census, and it is the seat of government of the Nez Pe ...
in present-day Idaho, which was the heart of
Nez Perce
The Nez Percé (; autonym in Nez Perce language: , meaning "we, the people") are an Indigenous people of the Plateau who are presumed to have lived on the Columbia River Plateau in the Pacific Northwest region for at least 11,500 years.Ames, K ...
country. They lived in a make-shift shelter, in an "open house" without windows or a floor. Initially he was there to learn the
Nez Perce language
Nez Perce, also spelled Nez Percé or called Nimipuutímt (alternatively spelled ''Nimiipuutímt'', ''Niimiipuutímt'', or ''Niimi'ipuutímt''), is a Sahaptian language related to the several dialects of Sahaptin (note the spellings ''-ian'' vs. ...
, but after some time, a new mission station was opened at Kamiah. By November 11, a cabin was built for them on the north bank of the Clearwater, near their former shelter, and their belongings were brought to the village for the cabin. Smith preached on Sundays, and taught, although there was no official school. He also ran his farm. Sarah's health was poor beginning about August 1839. Smith described her condition as feeble in a letter. She took
mercurial remedies for her liver.
Nez Perce grammar
Smith learned the
Nez Perce language
Nez Perce, also spelled Nez Percé or called Nimipuutímt (alternatively spelled ''Nimiipuutímt'', ''Niimiipuutímt'', or ''Niimi'ipuutímt''), is a Sahaptian language related to the several dialects of Sahaptin (note the spellings ''-ian'' vs. ...
from
Hol-lol-sote-toot. Mountain men called him "Lawyer" because of his astuteness. Lawyer knew two native languages, that of his father Chief Twisted Hair and his mother a Flathead woman—as well as some English. Lawyer, from Kamiah, was their guide and assistant.
Smith developed a
Nez Perce grammar by adapting the missionary alphabet used in Hawaiian missions.
In 1840, Smith wrote the manuscript for the book ''Grammar of the Language of the Nez Perces Indians Formerly of Oregon, U.S.''. It is written in
Nez Perce language
Nez Perce, also spelled Nez Percé or called Nimipuutímt (alternatively spelled ''Nimiipuutímt'', ''Niimiipuutímt'', or ''Niimi'ipuutímt''), is a Sahaptian language related to the several dialects of Sahaptin (note the spellings ''-ian'' vs. ...
and English.
Leaving the Whitman mission
Insinmalakin and Inmtamlaiakin, subchiefs of the Nez Perce at Kamiah, ordered Smith to leave the village on October 14, 1840. The natives resented that the whites were encroaching on their land and lives without their permission. They wanted Smith to pay for the land where his house and farm were established. The Smiths left the mission on April 19, 1841.
By that time, both of the Smiths were in poor health, Sarah so much so that the only way that they could leave the mission was in a canoe. They first went to
Fort Walla Walla
Fort Walla Walla is a United States Army fort located in Walla Walla, Washington. The first Fort Walla Walla was established July 1856, by Lieutenant Colonel Edward Steptoe, 9th Infantry Regiment. A second Fort Walla Walla was occupied Septemb ...
and then went to
Vancouver
Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...
where they convalesced. Needing a better climate, they went to the Sandwich Islands, arriving on January 25, 1842, where the couple's health improved significantly.
Hawaii
At his request, Smith was transferred to the Sandwich Islands (Hawaiian) Mission in 1842
and stayed there until October 1845.
They were stationed at
Waialua
Waialua () is a census-designated place and North Shore community in the Waialua District on the island of Oahu, City & County of Honolulu, Hawaii, United States. As of the 2020 census, the CDP had a population of 4,062.
Waialua was one of the ...
on the island of
Oahu
Oahu () (Hawaiian language, Hawaiian: ''Oʻahu'' ()), also known as "The Gathering place#Island of Oʻahu as The Gathering Place, Gathering Place", is the third-largest of the Hawaiian Islands. It is home to roughly one million people—over t ...
. They adopted three girls who were the orphaned daughters of Mr. and Mrs. Locke. Smith's voice failed in 1845 and they left the islands, traveling a seven-month journey to
Canton, China
Guangzhou (, ; ; or ; ), also known as Canton () and alternatively romanized as Kwongchow or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of Guangdong province in southern China. Located on the Pearl River about north-northwest of Hong Kong ...
and around
Cape Horn
Cape Horn ( es, Cabo de Hornos, ) is the southernmost headland of the Tierra del Fuego archipelago of southern Chile, and is located on the small Hornos Island. Although not the most southerly point of South America (which are the Diego Ramírez ...
, and then to Massachusetts.
His voice recovered in 1846.
Congregational minister
He was the pastor of a church in
South Amherst, Massachusetts
South Amherst is a census-designated place (CDP) in the town of Amherst in Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 4,994 at the 2010 census. The CDP includes the village of South Amherst and residential subdivisions so ...
in 1847, and then of the Buckland Congregational church in March 1848 in Massachusetts.
There was a controversy that arose in 1859, which was investigated by the Congregational ecclesiastical committee. Smith was cleared of the complaints, but it was recommended that he find another church. He left in August 1859.
He was the pastor of the Congregational Church in
Southbury, Connecticut
Southbury is a town in western New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. Southbury is north of Oxford and Newtown, and east of Brookfield. Its population was 19,879 at the 2020 census.
Southbury comprises sprawling rural country areas, sub ...
from January 1860 to May 1871.
The Smiths moved to
Rocky Hill, Connecticut
Rocky Hill is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 20,845 at the 2020 census. It was originally land of the Wangunks (a tribe of Native Americans). Europeans began to settle the area of Rocky Hill in 1650, as ...
.
Marriage to Harriet E. Nutting
In June 1856, Smith married Miss Harriet E. Nutting of
Amherst, Massachusetts
Amherst () is a New England town, town in Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Connecticut River valley. As of the 2020 census, the population was 39,263, making it the highest populated municipality in Hampshire County (althoug ...
.
She had been a teacher in Ohio and other places. She was also described as a scholar.
Harriet had poor health that prevented the Smiths from going to Minnesota for the
American Home Missionary Society
The American Home Missionary Society (AHMS or A. H. M. Society) was a Protestant missionary society in the United States founded in 1826. It was founded as a merger of the United Domestic Missionary Society with state missionary societies from ...
.
She was living at the time of his death.
Later years and death
Smith lived in
Rocky Hill, Connecticut
Rocky Hill is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 20,845 at the 2020 census. It was originally land of the Wangunks (a tribe of Native Americans). Europeans began to settle the area of Rocky Hill in 1650, as ...
until 1884 when he moved to
Sherwood, Tennessee
Sherwood is an unincorporated community in Franklin County, Tennessee, United States. It is located along Tennessee State Route 56 southeast of Winchester, and just north of the Alabama state line. Sherwood has a post office with ZIP code 37376. ...
.
He organized a church there and was its minister until his death of pneumonia on February 10, 1886.
He was initially buried in Sherwood and later moved next to Sarah at a cemetery in
Buckland, Massachusetts
Buckland is a town in Franklin County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 1,816 at the 2020 census. The town shares the village of Shelburne Falls with neighboring Shelburne. The town center at Shelburne Falls is the western end of ...
.
Harriet died in Rocky Hill on May 22, 1886 at the age of 60.
Papers regarding his position with the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions are among the collection of the Research Library of the
Oregon Historical Society
The Oregon Historical Society (OHS) is an organization that encourages and promotes the study and understanding of the history of the Oregon Country, within the broader context of U.S. history. Incorporated in 1898, the Society collects, preser ...
.
Notes
References
Sources
*
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Further reading
* – online ebook resource
{{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, Asa Bowen
1809 births
1886 deaths
American missionaries
People from Williamstown, Vermont
Congregationalist missionaries in North America
American Congregationalist ministers
Middlebury College alumni
Andover Theological Seminary alumni
Yale Divinity School alumni
American Civil War casualties
Union Army soldiers
American Congregationalist missionaries
Linguists of Sahaptian languages
People from Rocky Hill, Connecticut