Mary Smith was the wife of the Rev. Jacob Henry Smith (1820-1897), pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Greensboro, and the mother of seven children. Her diaries recount family matters, people and events related to the church, and commentary on life in Greensboro in the early twentieth century. Some events discussed in this include the opening of a new hospital and library, the deaths of Dr. Charles Duncan McIver and other local figures, and the demolition of the Smith family home. She remarks on the passing of Mrs. Varina Jefferson Davis and reminisces about the Confederacy, writing that "the Lost Cause shall live in the hearts of nations yet unborn."