This charming photograph, circa
1904, pictures members of the Smith family on the steps of College Home,
renamed for Oreon Mann Smith in 1911.
The identification of Sam and his brother Frank was added years later by
Sam Hill himself, whose mother Claire, was the daughter of President and Mrs.
Smith. Following the death of his
mother, the then four year old Sam, and his siblings spent a number of years in
the care of their beloved aunt, Miss Maidee Smith. Mr. Hill treasured this photograph and his
childhood recollections.
Isabel Smith Ratliff, daughter of
Rev. Hubert M. Smith and granddaughter of Rufus Wright Smith also treasured her
memories of those times. Both her father
and mother served as faculty members. In
1901 after an absence of several years her father returned to the College to
teach and history and then to serve as vice president from 1903 until
1908. Although Mr. Hill was not able to
identify the other cousins in the photograph years later when he added the
notations, it is quite possible that Isabel, born about 1898, is also
pictured.
Included in Mr. Hill’s collection of
family memorabilia is a copy of his Cousin Isabel’s volume of poetry, While the Iron is Hot. Published in 1970 and sent to him by Mrs.
Ratliff, the book includes several poems based on memories of her early Georgia
childhood. Shortly afterward she also sent
copies of “some poems that need polishing up a bit, but may interest you,
anyway.” Among these additional poems recalling
the College years is “Bedlam” which captures the essence of that time when the
cousins shared their college home.
Bedlam
Seven little
cousins on THE HILL;
Seven little
cousins never were still;
Seven had the
whooping cough,
And if that
wasn’t enough,
They ate seven
dozen batty-cakes
And had seven
dozen stomach aches.
When their
mothers kept them in
There was such a
howl and din,
running up and
down the hall,
Chasing, racing,
playing ball;
Then they
whooped like everything,
And, brother,
did the welkin ring!
So the uncles
and the aunts
Came and tanned
their little pants.
The
photograph, correspondence from Isabel Smith Ratliff and the gift copy of While the Iron Is Hot which includes handwritten notes by the author were presented
to LaGrange College by Patricia Hill Schmidt, daughter of Sam Hill and
great-granddaughter of Rufus Wright Smith.
Prepared
by:
Visit the Archives to discover for yourself
the collection of rich resources which preserve the history of LaGrange
College. Generous and often unexpected
donations insure that the collection continues to expand. Displays on the main floor of Lewis Library
and just outside Suber Archives on the ground floor of the Library provide a
sampling of our holdings. Let us know if
we can be of assistance.
Suber
Archives and Special Collections
Frank
and Laura Lewis Library
LaGrange
College
LaGrange,
Georgia
