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This collection is made up of letters that Selina Sherwood Funnell ("Lena") received from friends in Binghamton, New York, while attending the State Normal and Training School at Oswego, New York, in the late 1860s.

This collection (23 items) is primarily made up of letters that Selina Sherwood Funnell ("Lena") received from friends in Binghamton, New York, while attending the State Normal and Training School at Oswego, New York, in the late 1860s. A brother and three friends wrote 5 letters from Binghamton, New York, between March 1866 and March 1867. They often discussed topics related to education, such as examinations and local schools, and shared news of mutual acquaintances. William W. Rope wrote 11 letters to Funnell from August 18, 1869, to January 24, 1871, primarily concerning his life in Binghamton and his romantic feelings for Lena. Some of his letters mention aspects of her life as a schoolteacher in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and he occasionally commented on his work in the lumber industry. Between January and February 1871, Lena responded to his letters with 4 of her own about her life in Fort Wayne and her upcoming return to New York. Lena also received personal letters from friends named Jennie C. Whitney (ca. 1883) and Julie (undated). The collection also includes 2 name cards addressed to Lena in Oswego, New York.

The William H. Coats papers are made up of incoming correspondence to Coats from his mother and acquaintances, who wrote about life in Connecticut and Michigan during the Civil War, and documents related to his studies at the Connecticut Literary Institution and other aspects of his life.

The William H. Coats papers are made up of incoming correspondence to Coats from his mother and acquaintances, who wrote about life in Connecticut and Michigan during the Civil War, and documents related to his time at the Connecticut Literary Institution and other aspects of his life.

The Correspondence series (24 items) contains letters to Coats from friends and family members. Acquaintances in New York, Connecticut, and Michigan corresponded with Coats throughout the Civil War period, providing updates on their daily lives and, in one case, offering humorous advice on dealing with women (March 20, 1861). Schuyler Grant wrote a letter from Ann Arbor, Michigan, where he attended school, and shared news of mutual acquaintances who had recently graduated from the University of Michigan; he also requested career advice (May 7, 1864). His letter of June 1, 1865, discusses events that followed Confederate troops' surrender and optimism about Reconstruction. The Hines family of Binghamton, New York, wrote to Coats about an employment opportunity that Coats accepted in the summer of 1863. Later items include 4 letters by Abby L. Coats, who wrote to her son about family health and news of North Stonington, Connecticut, and 1 by "Ella," a friend, who congratulated him on his upcoming marriage (March 8, 1868).

The Ephemera and Documents series (5 items) includes a "Notice of Enrollment" informing Coats of his eligibility for military service (July 15, 1864). Other items are a school report from the Connecticut Literary Instutition (March 22, 1859), printed programs, and calling cards for residents of East Saginaw, Michigan.