The fonds contains 14 of John Smiths diaries, starting on July 14th, 1892, and running until December 19th, 1949. (There are no diaries for the periods between March 1, 1901 to May 31, 1903 or February 24, 1912 to December 31 1922.) The first diary records his emigration to Canada and purchase of his homestead. The rest record daily activities and weather conditions relating to operation of his farm, the community, and family life.;A separate diary was kept by Smith when he traveled to the Yukon from March 15 to August 31, 1898. This diary was transcribed by his daughter Olga in the late 1940s. In 1952 this diary was published in the British Columbia Historical Quarterly, with an introduction and annotations by Walter N. Sage. The diary was thought to have been donated to the provincial archives, although no record of the donation exists. A copy of the published article by Sage is included in the fonds. During Smiths absence, his wife Rose maintained the diary recording the daily events of their homestead. The fonds also contains four letters patent appointing Smith to public office, and one letters patent rescinding one of these appointments.