MS-8
JEROME C. SMILEY COLLECTION
INTRODUCTION
The Jerome C. Smiley Collection was accessioned into the Flesh Public Library Archives January 29, 1986. It was part of a book collection given to the Flesh Public Library in 1969. The collection fills one Hollinger box and sixteen individual file folders. There are no restrictions on the use of this collection and the literary copyright has been deeded to the public.
SCOPE AND CONTENTS
The Smiley Collection is divided into two series: Correspondence and Miscellaneous.
SERIES I: CORRESPONDENCE
Correspondence contains letters and telegrams from 1875 through 1885, 1888, 1891, 1895, 1898, 1918, 1919, and also one folder of undated material. The correspondence is mainly concerned with political matters in the nation, state, and county pertaining to the Democratic Party.
SERIES II: MISCELLANEOUS
Sallie c. Morrison’s Examiners Certificates to teach school 1866-1869. The collection has a copy of an article regarding the Smiley Collection that was run in the Piqua Daily Call April 8, 1978. A poem written by Madge Smiley Reynolds October 17, 1897 is included along with miscellaneous envelopes.
BIOGRAPHY OF JEROME CONSTANT SMILEY
Jerome C. Smiley was born in Hamilton, Butler Co. Ohio October 27, 1849. He was the second son of the nine children of James R. and Clara Iliff Smiley. His paternal grandfather was Thomas R. Smiley and his paternal great-grandfather was John Smiley. John Smiley can to Cincinnati from Pennsylvania in 1806.
James and Clara Smiley and children moved from Hamilton to Madison, Indiana in 1845 and on February 27, 1876 came to Piqua. At this time, Jerome, with his brother Samuel, purchased the Miami Democrat. Jerome filled the position of Editor and Samuel attended to the mechanical department. During the 1890s Jerome disposed of his newspaper interests and moved to Denver, Colorado, where he worked for a newspaper and served as Curator of the Colorado State Museum. He also, in conjunction with the Times-Sun Publishing Co. of Denver, edited The History of Denver in 1901. Upon retirement in 1919, he returned to Piqua, residing at the YMCA. He donated his collection of eighteenth and nineteenth century books and maps to Piqua High School. This collection number 1400 volumes and folios and dealt primarily with the Northwest Territory and Great Lakes Region. In 1969 the School Board donated the books to the Local History Section of the Flesh Public Library.
Jerome Smiley died in the Masonic Home in Springfield, Ohio May 12, 1924 at the age of 74 years. He is buried in Forest Hill Cemetery in Section 1, Plot 187, on the west half of the Rebecca Morrow Lot. He is buried along side of his mother Clara I. d. 2-25-1888*, his father James R. d. 9-13-1899; his sister Clara d. 3-24-1917, his sister Florence Ziegenfelder d. 1-18-1937, and his brother-in-law William O. Ziegenfelder d. 4-16-1914.
*At the time of Clara Iliff Smiley’s death in 1888 all nine children survived: Edward C., Madison, Indiana; Thomas H., Chicago, Illinois; James R., New York, N.Y.; Jerome C., Samuel, Florence Ziegenfelder, Mary and Clara of Piqua and Madge Reynolds (Mrs. J.B.F.) of New York. **
**Madge Smiley Reynolds was born in Hamilton, Ohio in c. 1860, the youngest daughter of James R. and Clara Iliff Smiley. She graduated from Piqua High School in 1880. She married J.B.F. Reynolds, a manager of Continental Oil Co. and lived in Denver, Colorado for 15 years. She and her husband shared an interest in astronomy and are credited with the discovery of a new comet. Mrs. Reynolds died in Denver February 22, 1908 at the age of 38 years. At this time Jerome, Robert, Thomas, Clara and Florence survived her.
CONTAINER LISTING
SERIES I: CORRESPONDENCE
BOX 1
File
1 Correspondence – 1875
2 Correspondence – 1876
3 Correspondence – 1877
4 Correspondence – 1878
5 Correspondence – 1879
6 Correspondence – 1880-1881
7 Correspondence – 1882
8 Correspondence – 1883
9 Correspondence – 1884
10 Correspondence – 1885
11 Correspondence – 1888
12 Correspondence – 1891, 1895, 1898
13 Correspondence – 1918-1919
14 Correspondence – undated
SERIES II: MISCELLANEOUS – 1866, 1867, 1869
BOX 1 – continued
File
15 Sallie C. Morrison’s teaching certificates
16 [1] Article regarding Smiley Collection – 1978
[2] Poem written by Madge Smiley Reynolds – 1897
[3] Miscellaneous envelopes