Datus C. Smith Photograph Collection
Collection
Identifier: Photo 2187
Scope and Content
The Datus C. Smith Photograph collection contains 6 photographs of Datus Smith, his farm, and agricultural scenes from the 1880s to 1912.
Dates
- 1880s - 1912
Access
The collection is open under the rules and regulations of the NDSU Archives.
Copyrights
Copyrights to this collection is held by the NDSU Archives.
Biography
Datus Clifford Smith was born July 6, 1853 in Michigan. His father was from Jackson, Michigan. Datus worked a variety of jobs in both Illinois and New York, and at the age of twenty-two, he started his journey west after hearing about the rich farmland in Dakota Territory. He arrived in North Dakota, in Fargo, in 1880 and then found work at the Grandin #1 farm in Halstad, North Dakota. He worked for them for some time before finely homesteading near Blanchard, North Dakota, naming his farm Belle Prairie Farm.
While farming, he worked with North Dakota Agricultural College on wilt-resistant grains and testing fertilizers. He also raised horses, mules, and sheep on his farm. In addition to farming, he was an inventor and filed a patent in 1908 on a barbed wire machine.
Datus married Marion Houston (1870-1956) on August 10, 1904 in Manhattan, New York. Together they had three children, Helen, Datus Clifford, Jr. and Houston. Belle Prairie was eventually sold in 1942 and divided up. Datus and Marion had begun to winter in Pasadena, California. They were there when Datus died on October 17, 1932. Marion died June 1, 1956 in Los Angeles, California.
While farming, he worked with North Dakota Agricultural College on wilt-resistant grains and testing fertilizers. He also raised horses, mules, and sheep on his farm. In addition to farming, he was an inventor and filed a patent in 1908 on a barbed wire machine.
Datus married Marion Houston (1870-1956) on August 10, 1904 in Manhattan, New York. Together they had three children, Helen, Datus Clifford, Jr. and Houston. Belle Prairie was eventually sold in 1942 and divided up. Datus and Marion had begun to winter in Pasadena, California. They were there when Datus died on October 17, 1932. Marion died June 1, 1956 in Los Angeles, California.
Extent
6 Photographic Prints (6 photographic prints)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
Owner and operator of bonanza farm, Belle Prairie Farm (formerly Cloverlea Farm), near Blanchard, N.D., in Traill County.
Provenance
Donated by Marion Houston Smith, 1954 (Acc. 159).
Separated Materials
Correspondence, newspaper clippings, reminiscences, and other ephemera processed into Small Collection 159.
Property rights
The NDSU Archives owns the property rights to this collection.
- Title
- Finding Aid to the Datus C. Smith Photograph Collection
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the Institute for Regional Studies Repository
Contact:
West Building N
3551 7th Avenue North
Fargo North Dakota 58102 United States
ndsu.archives@ndsu.edu
West Building N
3551 7th Avenue North
Fargo North Dakota 58102 United States
ndsu.archives@ndsu.edu