Program looks at life of Peter Smith

Dr. Norman K. Dann will discuss his new book about Peterboro’s founder on Thursday at the library.

ONEIDA » Oneida Public Library will host Dr. Norman K. Dann as he introduces his new book, “Peter Smith of Peterboro: Furs, Land, and Anguish,” on Thursday, March 15 at 2 p.m.

Peter Gerrit Smith (1768-1837), founder of the Village of Peterboro and the Town of Smithfield, came out of obscurity from a Hudson Valley town when he teamed with John Jacob Astor in fur trading and land speculation in the terri- tories of the Iroquois Nations.

Dann is the author of the recent biography “Ballots, Bloomers and Marmalade: The Life of Elizabeth Smith Miller.” He is a founder and member of the Cabinet of Freedom for the National Abolition Hall of Fame and Museum, a steward of the Gerrit Smith Estate National Historic Landmark and a member of the Peterboro Area Historical Society, Peterboro Civil War Weekend Committee and Smithfield Community Association.

For information, stop by the library, 220 Broad St., or call (315) 363-3050.