Laura Smith Haviland was born a Quaker in Leeds County, Ontario, Canada, in 1808. Her family moved to western New York. In 1825, she married Charles Haviland Jr., a devout Quaker, whose parents were respected ministers, in Lockport, New York. They organized an active Underground Railroad network that ventured into Michigan.
Laura founded the racially integrated Raisin Institute in 1837, on the Raisin River, with the abolitionists’ beliefs that Black Americans must have a formal education. Raisin Institute included classical academics, moral and religious instruction, and teacher instruction. Black and white students studied together, lived together, and followed the same curriculum. The school was not just a school but also a reform-minded community built around equality and discipline.
Because of the forward-looking school principals, it became a target of pro-slavery opponents. In 1847, the main building was destroyed by arson. Although rebuilt, it struggled financially and was later forced to close. Raisin Institute was one of the earliest integrated schools in America and a direct challenge to racial hierarchy.
Laura Haviland went on to work with freedom seekers, aid formerly enslaved families, and advocate for civil rights and prison reform. She was one of the most active female abolitionists in the Midwest.