The Claude (now Sonnet 4) artificial intelligence tool can be used to write family-friendly biographies of my ancestors that might interest and engage my relatives and descendants to help them learn about and understand their ancestry. Using the ABC method described in Using Artificial Intelligence In the Ancestor Biography Creation (ABC) Process, here is one ancestor biography.
2) For the Claude AI biography, I attached the PDF of the genealogical sketch for the specific ancestor using the plus (+) sign, and then prompted the AI tool with: "You are an expert genealogist. Please create a draft biography from the attached file, including parents, siblings, spouses and children (with birth and death dates and places), summarize life events, and add historical facts as appropriate, but do not add or embellish any extra genealogical details. Use section headings. Expand the information in each section to add more details. The tone should be engaging and suitable for family members."
Abigail A. (Vaux) Smith: A Pioneer Woman's Journey (1844-1931)
Early Life and Family Origins
Abigail A. Vaux was born on October 28, 1844, in Aurora, Erie County, New York, to Samuel and Mary Ann (Underhill) Vaux. She entered the world as the third daughter and third child in what would become a family of six children. Her father Samuel, an immigrant from England, had established himself as a farmer in western New York, accumulating real property worth $1,166 by 1850—a substantial sum for the time.
The Vaux household was a bustling one, filled with the energy of growing children. Abigail's siblings were Mary Almeda Vaux (1839-1880), Celia Ann Vaux (1842-1919), James P. Vaux (1847-1902), Elizabeth B. Vaux (1849-1931), and the youngest, Amos Vaux (1854-1876). The 1850 census reveals a family committed to education, with young Abigail, then just five years old, already attending school alongside her older sisters.
The Great Migration West
The Vaux family exemplified the westward movement that characterized mid-19th century America. In 1855, when Abigail was eleven, Samuel Vaux made the momentous decision to sell the family's land in Aurora, New York, and relocate to Burnett Township, Dodge County, Wisconsin. This move represented the hopes and dreams of countless American families seeking better opportunities on the frontier.
The transition from established New York farmland to the Wisconsin frontier would have been both exciting and challenging for young Abigail. Wisconsin in the 1850s was still very much a developing territory, offering vast opportunities but requiring tremendous resilience and adaptability from its settlers.
Marriage and Early Family Life
At the age of sixteen, Abigail's life took a significant turn when she married Devier J. Smith on April 4, 1861, in Rolling Prairie, Dodge County, Wisconsin. This union occurred during one of the most tumultuous periods in American history—just as the Civil War was beginning. The young couple would begin their married life against the backdrop of a nation at war.
Devier J. Smith proved to be an enterprising husband, and together they would welcome five children into their family:
- Abbey Ardelle "Della" Smith (April 11, 1862 - January 1, 1944) was born in Rolling Prairie, Wisconsin. She would later marry Henry Austin Carringer on September 11, 1887, in Wano, Cheyenne County, Kansas, and eventually settle in San Diego, California, where she would provide a loving home for her mother in later years.
- Devier David "Davie" Smith (October 15, 1863 - February 2, 1920) was also born in Rolling Prairie. He would marry twice—first to Leava A. Smith in 1889 in McCook, Nebraska, and later to Amy A. Ashdown in 1908 in San Diego, California.
- Mary Ann "Matie" Smith (May 7, 1866 - July 14, 1922) was born in Rolling Prairie as well. Her life would be marked by multiple marriages—to George Miles Chenery in 1889, Joseph Cyrus Cramer in 1919, and John Frank Morrill in 1921.
Tragically, the family also experienced the profound sorrow that was common in the 19th century.
- Agnes Bell "Aggie" Smith was born on February 26, 1868, but died at just two years of age on April 23, 1870, in Bedford, Taylor County, Iowa.
- Lucian H. "Lutie" Smith, born June 16, 1875, in Lincoln, Cloud County, Kansas, lived only until March 19, 1878, dying at age two in Concordia, Kansas.
The Pioneering Years: Iowa, Missouri, and Kansas
The Smith family embodied the restless spirit of 19th-century America, moving frequently in search of better opportunities. In 1867, they joined other Dodge County families in relocating to Bedford, Taylor County, Iowa. By 1870, the family had established themselves in Benton Township, where Devier worked as a farmer and had accumulated substantial wealth—$10,000 in real property and $800 in personal property.
The family's journey continued with moves to Andrew County, Missouri, and then to Cloud County, Kansas by 1875. In Kansas, the family's entrepreneurial spirit flourished. The 1875 Kansas State Census shows Devier operating a "livery and sale stable" while Abigail worked as a milliner—a skilled trade involving the design and creation of women's hats. This occupation demonstrated both her practical skills and her ability to contribute to the family's income.
Life on the Kansas Frontier
Kansas in the 1870s and 1880s was a land of opportunity and hardship. The Smith family moved between several Kansas counties, including Cloud, Marshall, and Pottawatomie, as they sought the best opportunities. In 1885, they made another significant move, purchasing a farm from John Dunbar in McCook, Red Willow County, Nebraska.
The family's business acumen was evident in their establishment of the Blue Front livery stable in downtown McCook, near the railway station. This enterprise, run by their son David Devier Smith, positioned them well in the growing railroad economy of the Great Plains.
During these Kansas years, the family experienced both success and separation. The 1880 census reveals an interesting situation where Abigail was living in Blue Rapids Township, Marshall County, with daughter Della, while Devier was listed separately in Shannon Township, Pottawatomie County. This may have been a temporary arrangement related to their business interests or family needs.
A New Chapter in California
The 1880s brought significant changes to Abigail's life. When her daughter Della's first child was born in 1889, Abigail traveled to California to help with the new baby. This journey would prove to be life-changing, as she may never have returned to her husband in Nebraska. After Devier's death in 1894, Abigail made the permanent decision to remain in California.
California offered Abigail a chance to be close to her family while enjoying a more temperate climate. She divided her time between San Diego, where she lived with Della's family, and Long Beach, where she visited her sister Elizabeth (Vaux) Crouch. This arrangement provided both family support and independence for the widowed Abigail.
The San Diego Years
Abigail's life in San Diego represented a period of stability and family closeness after decades of frontier movement. The 1900 census shows her living comfortably with her daughter Della, son-in-law Henry Carringer (a carpenter), and grandson Lyle. The Carringer family owned their home on Watkins Avenue (now Hawthorn Street), reflecting their economic success.
In 1908, Abigail acquired property in the City Heights area of San Diego—Lots 15 and 16 in Block 97, located at what is now 3537 41st Street. This investment demonstrated her continued independence and financial acumen even in her sixties. She lived there off and on the rest of her life.
The subsequent decades in San Diego were marked by the warmth of multi-generational family life. The 1910, 1920, and 1930 censuses all show Abigail living with the Carringer family, watching her grandson Lyle grow to adulthood. Henry Carringer's work as a carpenter and later as an aviation mechanician with the Army Air Services reflected the changing times and San Diego's growing importance as a military center.
Final Years and Legacy
Abigail's final years were spent surrounded by the love of her California family. In 1922, she transferred her City Heights property to her daughter Della, ensuring her daughter's financial security. The 1930 census, taken just a year before her death, shows an 85-year-old woman still living independently within her family's household.
On September 11, 1931, at 10:10 a.m., Abigail A. Smith passed away at 2115 30th Street in San Diego, California. She was 86 years, 10 months, and 14 days old. Her death certificate indicates she had battled breast cancer for four years, with her heart finally giving out in her final days. She had been under the care of Dr. Charles R. Langsworth, who had attended her from January 1928 until September 1931.
Following her wishes, Abigail was cremated at Clover Lawn Crematory on September 15, 1931, and her remains were inurned at Cypress View Mausoleum in San Diego, where they rest today next to Austin and Della (Smith) Carringer.
Historical Context
Abigail's life spanned one of the most transformative periods in American history. Born during the presidency of James K. Polk, she witnessed the California Gold Rush, the Civil War, westward expansion, the Industrial Revolution, and the dawn of the modern age. Her journey from a New York farm to the California coast exemplified the American dream of her generation.
Her story reflects the experiences of countless pioneer women who helped build the American West—women who raised families, contributed to household income through skilled trades, and maintained family connections across vast distances. Through her 87 years, Abigail A. (Vaux) Smith lived through the transformation of America from a primarily agricultural nation to an industrial power, leaving behind a legacy of resilience, adaptability, and family devotion that continues to inspire her descendants today.
4) A poem and song lyrics to commemorate the life of Abigail A. (Vaux) (1844-1931) can be found in "Abbey's Journey" --- A Family History Poem and Song Created by Artificial Intelligence. The song created from the song lyrics can be heard in that blog post, and on Suno.com in https://suno.com/song/6cd8ab03-3e24-4148-8d34-6582d18debab.
An audio overview (essentially a podcast created by the Google ContentLM AI tool) discussing the life of Abigail A. (Vaux) (1844-1931) can be heard at https://notebooklm.google.com/notebook/dd4733ae-d156-4875-bb8c-149f6ee9054c/audio.
5) I wrote a historical fiction AI-assisted dialogue between Devier and Abbey about the hair tonic advertisement in Ask AI: "Please Create a Dialogue Between Devier Smith and His Wife About the Hair Tonic Ad'."
6) Information about Devier J. Smith's life can be found in ABC Biography of #26 Devier James Lamphier Smith (1839-1894) of New York, Wisconsin, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas and Nebraska.
7) I lightly edited the Claude biography text to add more family detail and correct minor errors. Every large language model (LLM) AI tool writes descriptive text much better than I can write. I was an aerospace engineer in my former life, and my research reports and genealogical sketches reflect "just the facts gleaned from my research." The AI tools are very perceptive, insightful and create readable text in seconds, including local and national historical events and social history detail.
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