Smith Norton Papers, c. 1856-1891
| Oberlin College Archives
Administrative/Biographical History
Smith Norton (1824‑1912), a Congregational minister, was born on April 18, 1824 in Madison, Maine to Earl Marshall and Sally (Weston) Norton. He attended Bloomfield Academy Maine, and then received an Oberlin AB degree in 1855. He studied at Andover and Newton Theological Seminaries, 1855‑57. At Andover Norton was influenced by Edwards Amasa Park (1808-1900), who was the recognized champion of Edwardsean Calvinism in the United States. For reasons yet to be identified, young Norton completed his divinity course at Oberlin, graduating from the Seminary in 1858. He was ordained at Lebanon, Ohio, in 1859, and then began a typical life of changing pastorates and home missionary stations. This explains why he never remained long the minister in any one place. During the next 40 years he was at Granville, Illinois (1859-60); Churchill, New York (1861-62); in Michigan and Indiana (1862-67); at East Concord, New Hampshire (1867-69); Baraboo, Wisconsin (1869-70); Evanston, Illinois (superintendent of a ladies college) (1870-74); Concord, New Hampshire; Harwich, Massachusetts; Bethlehem, New Hampshire (1880-82); Pierre, South Dakota (1882-85); Warner, New Hampshire; in Wisconsin; and at Shoreham and Newfane, Vermont (1890-1900). While in the Dakota Territory, Norton and his wife at the time Minerva wrote a book about their experience as missionaries, “Service in the King’s Guards”. Norton lived in retirement in Oberlin, 1900‑06 and at Albany, Oregon, 1906‑11 before his death at Portland, Oregon from heart failure on April 13, 1912. Norton was married three times: to Morilla E. Hill (1859‑65), to Sarah Minerva Brace (1867‑94) and to Mary E. Drake (1895‑ ). He had three children.
Sources Consulted
William E. Bigglestone’s unpublished “[preliminary] Guide to the Oberlin College Archives,” which was prepared as individual entry sheets in a three-ring binder in the early 1980s.
Smith Norton entry in Necrology section of the 1913 Congregational Yearbook, copied from correspondence between David Lemon and Betty Close, Nov. 2000.
Author: Roland M. Baumann Forms of Material (links to similar genres) Administrative Information
The papers consist of Norton's manuscript sermons and notes plus some occasional addresses of his, 1883‑91 and n.d. Of main interest are his notes. They were taken upon Charles Finney's lectures on pastoral theology and on his Thursday Lectures, c.1858‑61; on Professor Horatio B. Hackett's lectures at Newton Theological Seminary, 1855; and at Andover Theological Seminary on Professor E.A. Park's lectures, 1856‑57; and on Professor Austin Phelps' lectures, 1857‑58. Also included are three letters written in 1887 to young people by Minerva B. (Mrs. Smith) Norton describing her travels in Germany and Sweden.
Note: Entry taken from William E. Bigglestone's unpublished "[preliminary] Guide to the Oberlin College Archives," which was prepared as individual entry sheets in a three-ring binder during the early 1980s.
INVENTORY
Box 1
Sermons and notes on sermons, n.d.
Box 2A
Notes on sermons & lectures, 1855-57; also, notes
on President Finney's lectures on pastoral
theology (2 notebooks)
Notes on Thursday Lectures in Oberlin, mostly by
President Finney, 1858-61 (1 notebook)
Notes on the Psalms, c. 1856 (1 volume)
Harmony of the Gospels. Lectures by Professor H.B.
Hackett, Newton Theological Seminary,
1855 (1 volume)
Professor Phelps' Lectures on Homiletics, etc.,
1857-58 (1 volume)
Memoranda, 1870-75 (1 volume)
Notes on lectures, sermons, wife’s last words (Morilla),
1865 (1 volume)
Box 2B
Occasional addresses, 1883-91, n.d.
Minerva B. (Mrs. Smith) Norton's letters to young
people, 1887
Box 3
Professor Edwards A. Park's lectures on systematic
theology, 1856-57 (4 volumes)
Professor William G. Shedd's lectures on church history,
Andover Theological Seminary, 1857 (1 volume)
"Scrap Book": Anecdotes, thoughts & news items of
interest to Norton, 1857 & n.d. (1 notebook)