Ancestors and Descendants of Asahel, Jr. and Mary (Smedley) Foote

Asahel Foote, Jr., grandson of Jonathan Foot, a founder of Lee MA, was born in 1804. He graduated from Williams College in 1827 and soon married Mary Smedley, granddaughter of Williamstown founding father, Nehemiah Smedley. Asahel ran a successful boarding school, followed by a thriving horticultural enterprise–but left it all behind when he emigrated to Pasadena CA with his grown children and grandchild in 1879. His journal presents a vivid picture of life in rural western MA between 1843 and 1868, and provided an invaluable research resource. Asahel’s ancestors are traced from their arrival in MA in 1633. The next edition will include the story of the Smedley family and their role in Williamstown during the Revolutionary War.