Tuesday, January 28, 2025

Ask AI: NotebookLM Podcast and Podcast Transcription of "Devier James Lamphier Smith (1839-1894) Life Story"

I experimented with the Google NotebookLM AI tool several months ago, and have created biographies, interrogatories, and audio podcasts for a number of ancestors, based on the information that I uploaded to NotebookLM, primarily my genealogical sketches.  

The audio podcasts created by NotebookLM are informative and often illuminating, and I wanted to have a transcription of the audio podcast.  After evaluating a number of "audio to text" tools, I determined that Descript.com and Otter.ai provided the most opportunity to create free, occasional transcriptions.  I may have missed other free transcription tools because my search was not exhaustive.  I found two that worked fairly well, and provided what I wanted.  

Here are the steps I used to create the audio podcast transcription for the life story of my 2nd great-grandfather Devier James Lamphier Smith (1839-1894):

1)  I created a PDF file from my genealogical sketch for Devier.  

2)  I uploaded the PDF file of his life story to Google NotebookLM, and the AI tool created a summary, a Briefing Document, notes concerning his life, occupations, residences, family members, etc., and an Audio Overview.

The Briefing Document of Devier's life provided by NotebookLM was:

Devier James Lamphier Smith: A Life of Movement and Enterprise

This briefing document examines the life of Devier James Lamphier Smith (1839-1894) based on a provided biographical excerpt. It highlights key themes and events in his life, drawing directly from the source material.
Early Life and Adoption:
Devier James Lamphier was likely born in Jefferson County, New York in 1839, though various sources present conflicting information about his exact birth year. 
He was adopted by Ranslow and Mary (Bell) Smith before 1843, leading to a name change that would be formalized later in life.  Ranslow Smith's will refers to Devier as "Devere J. Lamphear, Commonly called Devere J. Smith, my adopted son." [Source 2]
This led Devier to petition the Wisconsin State Senate for a formal name change in 1866, officially becoming Devier J. Smith. [Source 3]
A Life of Migration:
Devier's life was marked by frequent moves across the American Midwest. Starting in Wisconsin, he lived in Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, and finally settled in Nebraska. Census records and newspaper articles document this constant movement, showcasing his adaptability and entrepreneurial spirit.
"He was a farmer and hotel-keeper in Wisconsin, a farmer and in the livery business in Iowa and Missouri, and handled cattle in Missouri." [Source excerpt]
This pattern of relocation reflects the westward expansion and opportunities of the era, with Devier engaging in various professions as he moved.
Entrepreneurial Ventures:
Devier was involved in a diverse range of businesses throughout his life, including farming, hotel-keeping, livery stables, cattle trading, and even selling hair tonic. His most notable achievement was patenting a harness rack in 1885.
"Be it known that I, DEVIER JAMES SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residing at McCook, in the county of Red Willow and State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Harness-Racks;" [Source excerpt]
This patent demonstrates his ingenuity and desire to improve existing tools, capitalizing on the needs of his community.
Land Ownership and Settling Down:
Despite his nomadic tendencies, Devier eventually established roots in Cheyenne County, Kansas, acquiring land and building a home he called "Spring Ranch."
"He and the other members of his family have about seventy acres of breaking done, and four thousand dollars worth of improvements made." [Source 13]
This period represents a shift towards stability and agricultural pursuits, showcasing Devier's commitment to establishing a legacy for his family.
Final Years and Legacy:
Devier J. Smith died in McCook, Nebraska in 1894, leaving behind a wife and three children. His obituary highlights his involvement in the community and his membership in the A.O.U.W. lodge.
"He was taken sick last Friday evening and gradually became weaker until death relieved his suffering." [Source 19]
While probate records remain elusive, Devier's story is pieced together through census data, newspaper articles, and personal letters, painting a portrait of a hardworking individual who embraced the challenges and opportunities of the American West. His life exemplifies the spirit of westward expansion, showcasing adaptability, entrepreneurship, and the pursuit of a better life for himself and his family.

Note:  The "sources referred to are specific locations in the uploaded PDF; NotebookLM takes you right to the correct material on the website.

3)  The Audio Overview "Podcast") can be listened to, downloaded to a WAV file, and shared with anyone who has the link.  For Devier's 11 minute, 28 seconds podcast, the link is   https://notebooklm.google.com/notebook/f84d511a-22a9-49b0-a16d-9bbfb86fe447/audio

4)  The Podcast WAV file was then uploaded to Descript.com Descript transcribed the audio podcast fairly quickly (like in less than two minutes, how does it do that?).  Here is the unedited transcription:

Right, so get this, we're diving into the life of DeVere James Lanphier Smith. Talk about a life full of twists and turns. Oh yeah. Coast to coast, this guy left his mark. Mm hmm. And wow, you guys sent us some amazing stuff. Census records, a family bible. Land patents. Even some personal notes. It's like, whoa, a time machine.

It's a genealogist's, uh, dream. It really is. You don't often get this level of detail, so we can piece together, not just, you know, the dry facts, but the motivations, the emotions. And speaking of mysteries, we got one right out the gate. Yeah. De Vere's birth year. It's a puzzle. It is. The Smith family Bible looks like De Vere's own handwriting.

It says 1842. Okay. But then we have notes from his wife, Abby. Pointing to 1839, and to make it even more, uh, interesting, census records, 1850 to 1880, they consistently say he was born, you know, between 1838 and 1840. Even an 1889 newspaper article about him backs up the 1839 date, so like, what's going on here?

It's like he's playing hide and seek with history. Right. Was this normal back then? To be, like, uh, unsure about your birthday. Well, maybe a little. Or is there something more to it? Right. You know? Record keeping, it wasn't always so precise, especially back in the early to mid 1800s. Yeah, that's true. But see, the consistency of the 1839 date.

Across so many sources, it makes you wonder if De Vere, maybe he chose to, uh, present himself as a little younger, you know? Oh, interesting. Maybe there was a stigma about being older, especially in certain jobs. Right, right. Or maybe he just liked it better. Who knows? Well, this mystery, it gets even juicier when we add in the adoption.

Oh, yeah. 1850 and 1860 census records show, with all of this, Ranslow and Mary Smith in Wisconsin. Ranslow's will, 1866, no doubt about it, calls DeVere his adopted son. And we even find out DeVere's original name. Wow. DeVere James Lamphere. That's a mouthful. That is. Yeah. And get this, that same year, there's a Wisconsin State Senate Act officially changing his name.

This legal stuff, it wasn't always the norm for adoptions back then. Not really, no. So why go through all that? Yeah, why bother? Makes you think, was it about? Making his inheritance rights super clear. Could be. So he's for sure Ranslow's heir. Makes sense. Or maybe he wanted a total break from his biological family.

Mm. A fresh start, new name, whole new identity. It's fascinating, isn't it? All, all the possible reasons. For a name change like that, especially back then, it could be a bunch of things all mixed together. Right. Legal stuff, wanting a clean slate. And speaking of clean breaks, This guy did not stay put. Oh no, not at all.

Marries 1861. They're off to Iowa by 1870. Then Missouri, just a bit after. And then Kansas by 1875. Wow, constantly moving. Like they're caught up in the whole westward expansion thing, you know. Yeah. Always searching. For what though? Was this Typical back then, or is DeVere extra, uh, restless? Well, Western Expansion, it was a big deal.

Right. Promise of land, new opportunities, a chance to, you know, be someone new. Reinvent yourself. But DeVere, he moved around a lot, even for the West. So maybe he was extra ambitious, maybe a little restless. Yeah. It wasn't just about finding a place to settle. It was, like, Always wanting more. Always on the move.

Yeah. And, look at all his jobs. Farmer, hotel keeper. Livery business owner, cattle handler. Even a land speculator. Wow. He was not content with just settling down, was he? Not really, no. I mean, did all this job hopping even make sense back then? Or was Devere a total outlier? It was a time of, uh, a lot of change, lots of opportunity too.

Right. People had to wear many hats. Yeah. But DeVere, he was all over the place, so many different fields. Shows you he was an entrepreneur, willing to adapt, take a risk, jump into something new. Okay, so we've got this guy. Maybe fudging his age. Right. Changes his name, jumps from state to state, tries a zillion different jobs.

Yeah. What could possibly come next? Well, this is where things take a turn. Oh. Towards, you know, ingenuity and family. Okay. And those land patents you mentioned, they play a big part. All right, tell me more. What's Devere up to now? So, remember that patent for a harness rack? Back in 1885. Yeah, the one De Vere got.

Right, right. It seemed like he was, you know, settling down finally. Yeah. Building a life, family, and all that. Well, that's what makes it so interesting. He was really into his Nebraska thing. Hmm. We have this 1889 newspaper article, right? Talks about how he bought a farm in 85, built a barn, starred the Blue Front Livery Stable.

Oh, right. Which his son, David, ended up running, actually. Sounds pretty stable, right? Yeah, long term plan. But, here's the thing, at the same time, he's buying land in Kansas, Cheyenne County. Land patents, lots of acres, including a place called Spring Ranch, all between 1889 and 1890. Talk about having it all.

Yeah, what's the deal with that? Was he hedging his bets or something? Spreading his investments? Across states, yeah. It's a good question. It gets to the heart of who DeVere was, you know? Was he just a super smart businessman, seeing opportunities everywhere? Right, right. Or was it something else? That restless spirit again, couldn't be contained.

Always expanding. Even when things were good in Nebraska. Exactly. And don't forget that note in the family bible. Oh yeah, that's a powerful one. November 10th, 1889. DeVere, alone on his Kansas ranch, thinking about his family. Spread out all over the country. Wife and daughter in California. Son and another daughter in Nebraska.

Doesn't exactly scream successful entrepreneur, does it? It adds, uh, another dimension. On the surface, he's got it all, materially. But underneath, you feel this, like, deep loneliness. A longing for connection. His family's spread across the West, you know. It's a big country. It makes you think about the cost of it all.

All that ambition, the whole westward expansion. Sure, you got land, opportunity, but what about the sacrifices? Right. Families separated, isolation. Always striving. Do you think he ever wondered if it was worth it? Maybe that Bible entry gives us a clue. Maybe he was wrestling with some regret. You know, wondering if all that success cost him his family's happiness.

It's a question a lot of pioneers probably ask themselves. Facing the challenges of a new life. It reminds you that history, it's not just dates and events. People. Real people. Their stories, their feelings, their triumphs, their heartbreaks. And with De Vere, it's all happening against this backdrop of a country that's changing so fast.

Exactly. And those complexities, they keep coming as we get to the last part of his story. Okay. His death in 1894, he was only 52. Heart disease. Wow, that's young. It kind of casts a shadow, you know. Oh, those achievements? Was it all too much? The constant moving, striving? Hard not to wonder, right? Yeah. His obituary in the McCook Times Democrat calls him a respected member of the community.

Part of the ancient order of United Workmen. Devoted father. But it also says that only his son, David, was there when he died. The other kids, they were scattered. Living their own lives, far away from their father. And then there's the summons for his heirs. In 1901. Yeah, a legal notice about some unpaid taxes on a property in McCook lists his wife, Abby, and their four kids.

David, Eva, Matty and Della. Oh wow. Plus Della's husband. Dunno his name though. Interesting. It's just a document, but it shows you how complicated it was to settle an estate back then, right? When you've got assets all over the place. Yeah. Uh, it shows how de Vere's choices affected his family. Even after he was gone.

It's like every little piece of information we find adds to the picture of DeVere James Lanphier Smith. the ambition, the drive of ingenuity. but also the loneliness, the family being apart. The unanswered questions. It's a story that makes you think. Yeah. DeVere's life, it's like a snapshot of America in the late 1800s.

All that energy, all those challenges. He was a man of his time, for sure. Ooh! Driven by the possibilities. A nation on the move. So, as we go into the last part of our deep dive, let's think about what we've learned. What his story tells us about success, about family. And what we leave behind. Yeah. It's amazing, we started with just some old papers, you know, census records, a Bible, land patents.

Now we have this whole picture of Devere James Lancair Smith. Yeah. He's not just a name anymore. He's real. It's like you could almost have a cup of coffee with the guy. It shows you, uh, Uh, the power of these old records, they connect us, you know? To the past. Yeah, let us go beyond the textbooks and like, experience history.

And DeVere, he's anything but a textbook story. That's for sure. Reinventing himself, always pushing, never settling. Makes you wonder, what was it about that time? The late 1800s, it was a wild time. Yeah. America was changing fast, westward expansion, new industries, technology booming. Bing. Lots of chances to get rich, or lose it all.

If you were bold enough, you could really move up in the world. And Daveer, he was bold, took risks, changed direction, adapted. We see it in everything. The adoption, the name change, heading west, all those different jobs. Like he was the American Dream, you know? Always reaching for something more. Like we saw, it came with a price, the family split up, that loneliness in the Bible makes you think, did he ever really find happiness?

All that chasing after success. Like he had two dreams, right? Success and a close family. But they didn't really fit together, did they? It makes you ask, what does it mean to make it in America? Right. Is it money, land? Or is it belonging? Connection. Purpose. Big questions. I don't know about you, but Tavir's story, it makes me think about my own idea of success.

Yeah, me too. It's a good reminder, you know. There's more to life than just getting ahead. Sometimes the best things are what you already have. Family. Community. A place where you belong. That's Tavir's legacy, maybe. Reminding us to think about our choices, the consequences. For ourselves and the people we love.

Success isn't the finish line, it's the journey. And how you travel that road, it shapes your life. And the lives of those who come after you. Wow, this deep dive, it's been quite a ride. It has. Amazing moments, sad moments, really makes you think. That's the power of history, getting personal with it. It's not just facts, it's connecting with people.

And I bet there are people listening, thinking about their own families now. Yeah, hopefully. Maybe Daveer's story inspires them to do some digging of their own. Any advice for someone starting out? Start with what you know. Talk to your relatives. Dig out those old pictures, those letters. Ask questions.

Don't be shy. You never know what you might find. That's great advice. Well, thank you so much for taking us through DeVere's incredible life. My pleasure. And to our listener, thank you for sharing your family history. It's been an honor to explore together. Really has. And to everyone listening, keep those stacks of sources coming.

You never know whose story we'll uncover next. Until then, keep exploring, keep questioning, and keep diving deep.

5)  How good are the briefing document and transcription?  I think they are excellent.  I have not edited the transcription output above.  I think it is fairly true to the podcast WAV file.  It does not provide which speaker says the words.  The paragraphs contain lines by both speakers.  

What I really want to save here is the audio and the textual content.  There are some excellent insights into the life of the person, and some speculation by the speakers.  Some of the speculation may be wrong, but all of it is useful.  There were a few errors too, but very few considering the length of the podcast.    

Unfortunately, the NotebookLM briefing document and podcast did not capture his wife's full name and the names of all of his five children, two of whom died young.  It pretty much skipped discussing the Iowa and Kansas (1867-1885) years.  Perhaps I should have added more requests to NotebookLM about the family so that the podcast included them.  

6)  The Descript.com Help Center is at https://help.descript.com/hc/en-us.  

Descript.com is much more than audio-to-text; there is a video component to the subscription site.

A free Descript account can create 60 minutes of audio-to-text transcriptions every month.  A one-seat "Hobbyist" subscription is $19/month for 10 hours of transcription, a "Creator" subscription is $35 for 30 hours, or a "Business" subscription is $50 for 40 hours.  All have limitations on other features, including video and AI text-to-speech and video.

7)  I don't have the technical ability to make my own podcasts or video at this time, but I can do this audio-to-text for my recent ancestors to tell their stories.  I can copy and paste, then edit, the audio-to-text result into a word document, and share it with my family members.  

8)  What do you think about this capability?  Is the free Google NotebookLM useful?  Is the audio overview interesting and useful?  Is the Descript audio-to-text transcription useful?  

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My blog posts, and those of other genealogists, using Artificial Intelligence tools are on my AI and Genealogy Compendium page.

Copyright (c) 2025, Randall J. Seaver


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