Foster-Smith family papers
Collection
Identifier: Ms-0465
Scope and Content
The Foster-Smith family papers span the years 1860-2003. The bulk of the collection dates from 1918 to 1923. Bennett, his wife, Aileen, and his sister Trace Foster are predominantly featured in this collection. The materials have been divided into five series: William Bennett Foster, Edna Aileen Smith Foster, Eleanor Trace Foster, Family papers, and Photographs. Correspondence between various family members over the years documents details of their family’s lives. Much of it dates from the early and mid 1900’s, including the letters from Bennett and his sons William and Russell to family members during World Wars I and II. Other papers pertaining to military service are also found here.
Aileen and Trace’s work as school teachers is represented by teaching plans, music books and programs, college materials, and memo books. The collection also contains legal documents of various family members, including Bennett, Aileen, Trace, Bill and Russell Bennett, and the Smith family. Included are wills, abstracts, property bills of sale, quit claim and warranty deeds, receipts, inventories, mortgages, surveys, probate papers, and real estate contracts. Mention is also made of the many books and magazine stories that Bennett authored and that were published during the years 1929 to 1971. The bulk were published between the years 1929 to 1953 and many were featured in magazines such as the Saturday Evening Post, Street and Smith’s Western Story Magazine, Argosy, Country Gentleman, West, and many others.
Photographs, both loose and in albums, depict family members, friends, houses, buildings, landscapes, and various Navy vessels. The collection includes many picture postcards exchanged between family members and friends, which show pictures of landscapes, buildings, cars, famous sites, and clothing and fashion dating from 1914 to 1945. Many of these are hand drawn and colored.
Aileen and Trace’s work as school teachers is represented by teaching plans, music books and programs, college materials, and memo books. The collection also contains legal documents of various family members, including Bennett, Aileen, Trace, Bill and Russell Bennett, and the Smith family. Included are wills, abstracts, property bills of sale, quit claim and warranty deeds, receipts, inventories, mortgages, surveys, probate papers, and real estate contracts. Mention is also made of the many books and magazine stories that Bennett authored and that were published during the years 1929 to 1971. The bulk were published between the years 1929 to 1953 and many were featured in magazines such as the Saturday Evening Post, Street and Smith’s Western Story Magazine, Argosy, Country Gentleman, West, and many others.
Photographs, both loose and in albums, depict family members, friends, houses, buildings, landscapes, and various Navy vessels. The collection includes many picture postcards exchanged between family members and friends, which show pictures of landscapes, buildings, cars, famous sites, and clothing and fashion dating from 1914 to 1945. Many of these are hand drawn and colored.
Dates
- 1860-2003
- Majority of material found in Placeholder Unit Date Text
Language of Materials
English
Access Restrictions
Open. All materials in this collection are available for research under supervised conditions in the Research Room.
Copy Restrictions
Copyrights associated with materials in this collection have not been transferred to New Mexico State University.
Biography / History
William Bennett Foster was born in Omaha, Nebraska on August 26, 1897 to William Bray Foster and Eleanor (Nellie) LeFevre Foster. He had one sister, Eleanor Trace Foster, who was born on September 20, 1891. Bennett, as he was known, was reared by various family members after his father died when he was three years old. Growing up, he attended several schools including St. John’s Military Academy in Delafield, Wisconsin. Later, he moved to Las Cruces, New Mexico and lived with his uncle Luther Foster, who was a president and faculty member of New Mexico College of Agriculture and Mechanical Arts (now New Mexico State University). Bennett attended New Mexico College of Agriculture and Mechanical Arts from 1916 until January 1918, when he joined the Navy.
Foster was discharged from the Navy in August 1919. He returned to Las Cruces and started college again on October 1, 1919. He left college a second time and moved to Roy, New Mexico in 1920. He worked for the State of New Mexico Co-operative Extension Work in Agriculture and Home Economics in Roy and was active in the Wheat Belt Fair Association, eventually being elected secretary. However, he decided to return to college in Las Cruces in fall 1920, graduated in June 1921, and then moved to Raton, New Mexico where he taught high school for many years.
After a long courtship, Bennett married Edna Aileen Smith in Las Cruces on August 23, 1922. Both the Foster and Smith families were early settlers in the Mesilla Valley of southern New Mexico in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. Aileen’s family originally homesteaded in Vaughn, New Mexico in 1908 and later moved to Las Cruces. Her father, George Washington Russell Smith was a traveling doctor in the area for many years.
After Bennett and Aileen’s marriage, Bennett returned to Raton and continued teaching. Aileen remained in Las Cruces to finish college, and gave birth to their first son, William Bennett, Jr. on June 21, 1923. They had another son, Russell Nesbit, on September 7, 1925 in Mesilla, New Mexico. Bennett eventually moved to Springer, New Mexico and continued teaching. Aileen joined him there with their two sons. Eleanor Patricia, their third child, was born in Springer on December 10, 1929. Besides teaching, Bennett wrote and published many books and short stories about the Old West.
Bennett moved his family to Albuquerque on July 7, 1941, where he continued teaching and where Aileen began to teach music. At the start of World War II, their two sons, William and Russell, joined the Army Air Force and Bennett joined the army in 1943. He attained the rank of Captain in 1945 and was stationed in India for some time. He was discharged in May, 1946 and returned to Albuquerque where he continued teaching until he retired. He died in Albuquerque on September 29, 1969.
Aileen continued living in Albuquerque after his death and died on November 11, 1986. Trace Foster, Bennett’s sister, lived in Mesilla, N.M. for several years and then moved to Chicago, Illinois, where she taught school until retiring. She remained unmarried and died in Chicago on November 2, 1972.
Foster was discharged from the Navy in August 1919. He returned to Las Cruces and started college again on October 1, 1919. He left college a second time and moved to Roy, New Mexico in 1920. He worked for the State of New Mexico Co-operative Extension Work in Agriculture and Home Economics in Roy and was active in the Wheat Belt Fair Association, eventually being elected secretary. However, he decided to return to college in Las Cruces in fall 1920, graduated in June 1921, and then moved to Raton, New Mexico where he taught high school for many years.
After a long courtship, Bennett married Edna Aileen Smith in Las Cruces on August 23, 1922. Both the Foster and Smith families were early settlers in the Mesilla Valley of southern New Mexico in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. Aileen’s family originally homesteaded in Vaughn, New Mexico in 1908 and later moved to Las Cruces. Her father, George Washington Russell Smith was a traveling doctor in the area for many years.
After Bennett and Aileen’s marriage, Bennett returned to Raton and continued teaching. Aileen remained in Las Cruces to finish college, and gave birth to their first son, William Bennett, Jr. on June 21, 1923. They had another son, Russell Nesbit, on September 7, 1925 in Mesilla, New Mexico. Bennett eventually moved to Springer, New Mexico and continued teaching. Aileen joined him there with their two sons. Eleanor Patricia, their third child, was born in Springer on December 10, 1929. Besides teaching, Bennett wrote and published many books and short stories about the Old West.
Bennett moved his family to Albuquerque on July 7, 1941, where he continued teaching and where Aileen began to teach music. At the start of World War II, their two sons, William and Russell, joined the Army Air Force and Bennett joined the army in 1943. He attained the rank of Captain in 1945 and was stationed in India for some time. He was discharged in May, 1946 and returned to Albuquerque where he continued teaching until he retired. He died in Albuquerque on September 29, 1969.
Aileen continued living in Albuquerque after his death and died on November 11, 1986. Trace Foster, Bennett’s sister, lived in Mesilla, N.M. for several years and then moved to Chicago, Illinois, where she taught school until retiring. She remained unmarried and died in Chicago on November 2, 1972.
Extent
9.21 Linear Feet
Abstract
Personal papers of William Bennett Foster, a graduate of New Mexico College of Agriculture and Mechanical Arts, high school teacher in Raton, Springer, and Albuquerque, New Mexico and author of many books of Old West fiction. It also includes papers of his wife Aileen Smith Foster and sister Trace Foster and other family members.
Acquisition
- RG2003-083 Gift of Patrice F. Williams
Processing Information
Dora Gonzales, December 2005.
Revisions made during encoding by Charles Stanford, April 2008.
Revisions made during encoding by Charles Stanford, April 2008.
- Title
- Guide to the Foster-Smith family papers, 1860-2003
- Status
- Edited Full Draft
- Author
- Dora Gonzales
- Date
- © 2007
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Code for undetermined script
- Language of description note
- Finding aid is in English
Revision Statements
- Monday, 20210524: Attribute normal is missing or blank.
Repository Details
Part of the New Mexico State University Library Archives and Special Collections Repository