Scope and Contents:
This collection consists of one letter from John C. Dodge to his cousin, Samuel Johnson, in Salem, Massachusetts. In the letter, Dodge provided genealogical findings, offered his impressions of Illinois, and requested updates on Johnson's well-being and prospects. He noted the promise of the West, speculating that "new States will be granaries for those on the Sea board." He described the incredible growth of Chicago's population, as well as the lush environment of Geneva, Illinois, and suggested that Johnson would enjoy visiting. Dodge also offered his opinions on Theodore Parker after reading some of his works.
Biographical/Historical Context:
John Crowninshield Dodge (1809-1889) was born in Salem, Massachusetts. A Chicago merchant and businessman, Dodge moved to the young city in 1837. He served as the first secretary of the Chicago Board of Trade (1849-1853), became a Chicago alderman in 1851, and directed the land department of the Illinois Central Railroad in the 1850s.
Samuel Johnson (1822-1882) was born in Salem, Massachusetts. He graduated from Harvard College in 1842 and Harvard Divinity School in 1846. A known non-sectarian, Johnson founded Free Church in Lynn, Massachusetts, in 1853. Johnson took a special interest in the politics of transcendentalist and abolitionist Theodore Parker (1810-1860), composing a lecture on his work and philosophy that would be published posthumously.
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