Finding Aid for David Todd and Charlotte Farnsworth Letters, 1846-1874 | Illinois History and Lincoln Collections

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Collection Overview

Title: David Todd and Charlotte Farnsworth Letters, 1846-1874

Collection identifier: 327

Primary Creator: Todd, David, and Charlotte Farnsworth

Extent: 0.2 cubic feet

Subjects: Antislavery movements, Arkansas, Baseball, Bureau County--Buda (Ill.), Bureau County--Princeton (Ill.), Bureau County--Providence (Ill.), Clergy, Cook County--Chicago (Ill.), Crops, Douglas, Stephen Arnold, 1813-1861, Education, Elections, Farms, Henry County--Wethersfield Township (Ill.), Illinois--Politics and government, Kansas, Knox College (Galesburg, Ill.), Knox County--Galesburg (Ill.), Knox County--Henderson (Ill.), Knox County--Victoria (Ill.), Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865, Lincoln, William Wallace, 1850-1862, Lovejoy, Owen, 1811-1864, Medicine--practice, Military, Missionaries, Native Americans, Nebraska, Oberlin College, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Putnam County--Granville (Ill.), Railroads, Religion, Rock Island County--Rock Island (Ill.), Schools, Seward, William H. (William Henry), 1801-1872, Slavery, Students, Teaching, Travel, United States--Civil War, 1861-1865, United States--Politics and government, Weather

Forms of Material: Copies, Personal papers

Abstract

This collection contains the correspondence of David Todd and Charlotte Farnsworth, as well as correspondence to and from John Todd, David's brother. The letters discuss topics including religious beliefs, politics, slavery, Owen Lovejoy, Oberlin College, the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln, and life in Illinois.

Scope and Contents of the Materials

The collection consists of 20 letters between David Todd and Charlotte Farnsworth, sent in 1846 and 1847. Charlotte's letters mainly discuss her academic and social life, as well as her attachment to David. David's letters describe the Illinois countryside, his desire to establish a church, and family matters. The couple's correspondence ends with Farnsworth's unexpected death in 1847. The collection also contains 48 letters, dated 1855-1870, from David Todd to his brother John Todd. Finally, the collection includes a single letter in 1864, from John Todd to David Worcester, and two letters from C. B. French to John Todd regarding David Todd's death in 1874.

Collection Historical Note

David Todd (1821-1874) was a minister in Providence, Bureau County, Illinois. Prior to leading the Providence Congregational Church, David temporarily served as minister of the Congregational Church of Princeton, Illinois, while the Church's pastor, the abolitionist Owen Lovejoy, traveled east. David attended Oberlin College, earning his Bachelor of Divinity in 1846. While attending Oberlin, he became romantically interested in a fellow student, Charlotte Farnsworth (1825-1847) of New Hampshire, and they maintained a correspondence after he graduated. John Todd (1818-1894) was David Todd's brother and a fellow graduate of Oberlin. John Todd was one of several founders of the town of Tabor, Iowa, and was the pastor at Tabor Congregational Church.

Subject/Index Terms

Antislavery movements
Arkansas
Baseball
Bureau County--Buda (Ill.)
Bureau County--Princeton (Ill.)
Bureau County--Providence (Ill.)
Clergy
Cook County--Chicago (Ill.)
Crops
Douglas, Stephen Arnold, 1813-1861
Education
Elections
Farms
Henry County--Wethersfield Township (Ill.)
Illinois--Politics and government
Kansas
Knox College (Galesburg, Ill.)
Knox County--Galesburg (Ill.)
Knox County--Henderson (Ill.)
Knox County--Victoria (Ill.)
Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865
Lincoln, William Wallace, 1850-1862
Lovejoy, Owen, 1811-1864
Medicine--practice
Military
Missionaries
Native Americans
Nebraska
Oberlin College
Ohio
Pennsylvania
Putnam County--Granville (Ill.)
Railroads
Religion
Rock Island County--Rock Island (Ill.)
Schools
Seward, William H. (William Henry), 1801-1872
Slavery
Students
Teaching
Travel
United States--Civil War, 1861-1865
United States--Politics and government
Weather

Administrative Information

Repository: Illinois History and Lincoln Collections

Acquisition Source: In 1973, Margaret C. Shedd of Urbana, Illinois, loaned the letters to the Library for copying, and later donated the originals. In 1975, Grace Wilson, also of Urbana, Illinois, donated her transcription of most of the letters in a spiral-bound volume of 253 pages. This volume, titled "Letters of David Todd," includes an inventory of the letters and a biographical sketch of David Todd.

Box/Folder List

URL: https://files.archon.library.illinois.edu/ihlcsfa/todd-farnsworth.pdf

PDF finding aid for David Todd and Charlotte Farnsworth Letters