by Milton C. Sernett (Author)
This is the story behind the granite boulder that sits along Oxbow Road, about a quarter mile north of the Hamlet of Peterboro in the Town of Smithfield, Madison County, New York. Dedicated on August 17, 1929 by the New York Holstein-Friesian Association, the historical marker honors Gerrit Smith Miller, grandson of the famous abolitionist and reformer Gerrit Smith, for his pioneer work as a breeder of purebred Holstein cattle.
Author Biography
Dr. Milton C. Sernett grew up in the farm country of Northern Iowa. He taught history at Syracuse University for thirty years, retiring in 2005. The author of eight books on topics in American history, Dr. Sernett became interested in the story of Gerrit Smith Miller and his Kriemhild Herd as a volunteer with the Town of Smithfield's Steward Program. Sernett and his wife Janet live near Cazenovia, New York, about a twenty minute drive from the Holstein Historical Site north of the Hamlet of Peterboro.