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The Avery family correspondence consists of letters sent to Robert S. Avery and John Avery of Preston, Connecticut, in the mid-19th century. The letters display a strong Congregationalist religious sensibility and chronicle life in Connecticut during the pre-Civil War era.

The Avery family correspondence consists of letters sent to Robert S. Avery and John Avery of Preston, Connecticut, in the mid-19th century. The letters display a strong Congregationalist religious sensibility and chronicle life in Connecticut during the pre-Civil War era. A majority of the letters in the collection were addressed to John Avery, then a student at Yale College and, later, Yale Divinity School, from family members and friends. Avery's siblings, Robert S. Avery, Jr., and Sarah Avery, were some of John's most frequent correspondents, along with his friend James A. Darrah. Higher education was a prominent theme throughout the correspondence, and in a letter of February 14, 1842, John laid out an extensively detailed summary of his expenses at Yale for his brother Robert. The letters John received during his time in New Haven often originated from his siblings, who described weddings (February 15, 1847 et al.) and deaths, among other occurrences in their daily lives. His correspondents also displayed a pronounced religious fervor, discussing the nature of God and of Christianity in mid-19th century Connecticut; these ruminations often came to dominate their letters. Of particular interest among the religious correspondence is a lengthy letter from James A. Darrah, who described various religious denominations in Leesburg, Virginia, including Presbyterians and Methodists (June 21, 1848). John Avery received two printed commissions, dated May 1, 1851, and May 1, 1852, from the American Home Missionary Society and the Connecticut Missionary Society, both of which affirmed his position as head of the congregation of Exeter parish, in Lebanon, Connecticut.

Though the writers in the collection most frequently focused on daily life, higher education, and religion, political consciousness was not entirely absent from their thoughts. On March 22, 1841, John Avery wrote to his sister Sarah, "The Amistad captives who have been in New Haven till recently have now gone to Farmington to be brought to labor." Later, William L. Prather, one of Robert's acquaintances, provided his opinion on the Mexican War: "There is no news of importance…except the news from Mexico, which is glorious indeed, some of the most briliant [sic] victories are gained by the arms of the United States, there has been many valuable lives lost, which is to be lamented but the war with Mexico (in my humble opinion) is a just one in every sense of the word but it seems to be the opinion of every one [sic] that there will be no more fighting there now of any consequence" (April 4, 1847). Also of note is a letter dated April 11, 1848, in which F. D. Avery reported that he recently heard a "sermon by Henry W. Beecher of Brooklyn, he also preached 2 evenings. I liked him very much." Overall, the collection provides a detailed look at the religious and personal life of a Connecticut family in the mid-19th century.

This collection is made up of 50 incoming letters to George Underwood of Auburn, New York, as well as cartes-de-visite and other card photographs. Underwood's acquaintances wrote about college preparation, political issues, and their lives in northern New York.

This collection is made up of 50 incoming letters to George Underwood of Auburn, New York, as well as cartes-de-visite and other card photographs. The Correspondence series is comprised of Underwood's incoming personal letters, written from January 30, 1835-January 2, 1837, and from May 5, 1838-December 26, 1838. J. S. Sherwood, Underwood's friend and most frequent correspondent, often discussed educational issues in his early letters, particularly related to his preparations for college. Sherwood mentioned his current studies in Canandaigua, New York, anticipated a round of examinations, and reported the collegiate plans of mutual friends. Underwood also received letters from Joel Whitney, a friend who lived in New Woodstock and Clinton, New York, and from other acquaintances, most of whom discussed secondary education. He received a printed invitation to the exhibition of Hamilton College's junior class on May 18, 1836 (April 11, 1836) and wrote a letter to John H. Lathrop about his intention to return to Hamilton College as a junior in the fall of 1836 following a period of ill health (July 11, 1836). Jane Underwood, George's sister, and A. Underwood, his father, provided news from Auburn, New York, after George's enrollment at Hamilton College.

After a break in correspondence from 1837-1837, Underwood continued to receive letters from family and friends. J. S. Sherwood and other acquaintances usually concentrated on local political issues, especially related to the Whig Party and to a recent election. They discussed the Locofoco movement, a states' rights party, and abolitionists' voting habits, among other issues. On November 28, 1838, a friend commented on recent military disturbances near Prescott, Canada.

The Photographs series contains 6 cartes-de-visite, 10 card photographs (4" x 6.5"), and 1 photographic print. Most are formal studio portraits of men, women, and children, and many are labeled. Other photographs depict a horse-drawn carriage and a house belonging to "General Dimon."

This collection contains 22 letters that Orville E. Watson wrote to his mother while attending Ohio Wesleyan University in Delaware, Ohio, between 1878 and 1882, as well as 2 letters he wrote after graduating. He discussed his coursework and his social life, which included membership in a fraternity.

This collection contains 22 letters that Orville E. Watson wrote to his mother while attending Ohio Wesleyan University in Delaware, Ohio, between 1878 and 1882, as well as 2 letters he wrote after graduating. He discussed his coursework and his social life, which included membership in a fraternity.

Watson generally wrote every month or two between April 5, 1878, and July 8, 1882, with a few longer gaps between letters. He mentioned some of his courses, lectures, and examinations, and commented on faculty-student relations. Watson wrote most frequently about his social activities and those of other university students, occasionally focusing on relations between the junior and senior classes. As a member of the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity, he discussed Greek life and houses' recruitment efforts, as well as his experiences after briefly leaving his own fraternity. During his later years in school, Watson also participated in a literary society. Though much of his social life revolved around fellow students, he interacted with other Delaware residents, including an older woman named Sadie West, the subject of a humorous anecdote and sketch in his letter of March 5, 1882. He also described his search for lodgings (September 18, 1881), his landlady, "Mrs. Carlisle" (September-December 1881), and the floor plans of his room and the apartment he later shared with a fraternity brother (September 18, 1881, and January 14, 1882). Watson and his friends sometimes traveled outside of Delaware, taking a hunting trip (May 6, 1882) and visiting a haunted house (December 14, 1879). Though most of Watson's letters are lighthearted and humorous in tone, he wrote 2 more serious letters around the time of his graduation about the possibility of joining the United States Army Signal Corps and corps members' daily routine (June 17, 1882, and July 8, 1882). He wrote his final 2 letters from Cardington, Ohio, on December 25, 1884, and June 16, 1885, providing his mother with family news. His brother Clarence, who occasionally visited Delaware, contributed to 2 of the letters.