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This collection contains 3 letters that Honor Ferguson of Salem, Ohio, wrote to James Creighton Odiorne, an acquaintance in Boston, Massachusetts, between 1838 and 1840. Ferguson wrote of her ailing health and shared news of her life, including her visit to Cincinnati and her husband's decision to sell their property.

This collection contains 3 letters that Honor Ferguson of Salem, Ohio, wrote to James Creighton Odiorne, an acquaintance in Boston, Massachusetts, between 1838 and 1840.

While corresponding with Odiorne, the elderly Ferguson expressed her conviction that her life would soon end and shared her belief that grieving should be done in moderation; her letter of May 8, 1840, offers condolences to Odiorne after the death of one of his sons. Ferguson also discussed the religious beliefs of Salem residents and listed the area's prominent denominations (October 18, 1838), mentioned her fear that her son did not lead a religious life (October 18, 1839), and shared her joy after hearing that her grandchildren had joined a Methodist church (May 8, 1840). She commented on the necessity of frugality, her husband's efforts to sell their property, and her intention to move to Chillicothe, Ohio. In October 1839, she described a riverboat trip to Cincinnati, Ohio.