This collection (0.75 linear feet) is primarily made up of correspondence related to Rochester H. Rogers of Rochester, New York, and his wife, Lois Smith Rogers.
The earliest 4 items are letters from Estelle A. Boyden to Clinton Rogers (Rochester's father) and to her cousin Helen (Rochester's sister). Rochester and Lois Smith Rogers received a few additional letters from other family members and friends throughout the late 1910s.
The bulk of the collection consists of correspondence between Rochester H. Rogers and Lois Smith (later Rogers), including items written during the couple's courtship. These letters often refer to literature and to Rochester's life and legal practice in Rochester, New York, prior to the couple's marriage in April 1917. After August 1917, Rochester Rogers wrote to Lois about his experiences while serving with the United States Army at Fort Niagara, New York; Camp Upton, New York; and Camp Grant, Illinois.
Rogers sometimes remarked on his efforts in the defense of soldiers in legal proceedings and on his other duties, including miscellaneous office tasks and work with "raw recruits." His clients included a group of Russians who supported the Bolshevik cause (August 15, 1918) and an African-American soldier who had disobeyed a commanding officer. Rogers sometimes commented on the progress of the war and discussed politics. His letter of December 13, 1918, contains a discussion of the Hawaiian rebellions of the late 19th century.
Lois Smith Rogers wrote the majority of the letters to her husband during his military service. She provided news of their families and of their two young children, born around late 1917 and late 1918. Similar to her husband, she occasionally commented on the progress of the war and the involvement of European nations. While staying in Center Moriches, New York, in the spring of 1918, she considered volunteering for a Red Cross hospital; she also wrote from Rochester and Williamson, New York. Several letters from 1918 refer to the influenza epidemic and to wounded soldiers returning from the war. An envelope postmarked December 5, 1918, contains printed information about army administration, the use of intelligence tests, and corresponding ratings.
Rochester Hart Rogers was born in Rochester, New York, on April 3, 1881. After earning his law degree from Harvard University in 1908, he practiced law in Rochester. During World War I, he trained at the Officers' Training Camp at Fort Niagara, New York; served with the 305th Infantry, Company B, and the 152nd Depot Brigade at Camp Upton, New York; and trained at the Central Infantry Officers' Training School at Camp Grant, Illinois. He was commissioned as 1st lieutenant in August 1917. He received a promotion to captain in October 1918 and received an honorable discharge on April 3, 1919. Rogers married Lois Hungerford Smith on April 19, 1917; their children included Rochester Hart, Jean Dawson, Nathaniel R., and Francis Clinton. Rochester H. Rogers died on October 3, 1965.
