Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Center
Lydia Norton Russell Chase Slocum
LH-MISC. MSS.
Correspondence from Lydia Norton Russell Chase Slocum to her daughter Lydia Beach of Princeville, Illinois between the years 1841 and 1869. The correspondence was preserved by descendants of Lydia Beach and donated to the Center by Barbara Frost Wallace of Antioch, California and Margaret Nicely of Bellevue, Ohio.
Lydia Norton Russell Chase Slocum, born 1777 and a native of New Canaan, Massachusetts, married John Russell in 1797. She migrated with him to Graham, Ontario County, New York around 1801. In 1813, she was left a widow with five children. She later married James Chase, having one child, Lydia (Beach), before his death. In 1828, she migrated to Clyde, Sandusky County, Ohio to be near her children from her first marriage: Cynthia Russell McPherson, Norton Russell, and Judge William S. Russell. Daughter Rowena Swartout remained in New York and James Russell died at the age of ten. In 1840, she married Isaac Slocum whom she survived by eighteen years. Her daughter, Cynthia, had married William McPherson. They were the parents of General James Birdseye McPherson. The Russells, McPhersons, and Nathan Birdseye were among the first pioneers of Green Creek Twp., Sandusky County, Ohio. Lydia died in 1876 at the age of 99 years.
The collection consists primarily of the correspondence of Lydia Norton Russell Chase Slocum to her daughter, (Mrs. Lester Orville) Lydia Beach of Princeville, Peoria County, Illinois. The ten letters, dating from 1841 to 1869, provide information on the activities of the McPherson and Russell families of Sandusky County, Ohio. Of special note are Lydia's comments about her grandson, Major General James Birdseye McPherson. They offer rare insights into his early character as well as the family influences that shaped his life. The collection also contains several Clyde newspapers and news clippings with items of local interest and obituaries of McPherson-Russell family members. Typed transcripts of the letters were provided by Margaret Nicely. Additional transcripts for some of the letters were produced by the Hayes Presidential Center.
Ac. 5155, 5449
19 items
Correspondence:
Lydia Slocum to Lydia Beach: 21 February 1841
Lydia Slocum to Lydia Beach: 19 June 1843
Lydia Slocum to Lydia Beach: 3 March 1846
Lydia Slocum to Lydia Beach: 2 February 1857
Lydia Slocum to Lydia Beach: 27 July 1845
Lydia Slocum to Lt. James B. McPherson: 15 September 1858 (photocopy of letter in the Library of Congress Manuscript Division)
Lydia Slocum to Lydia Beach: 2 May 1859
Lydia Slocum to Lydia Beach: 21 August 1864
Lydia Slocum to Lydia Beach: 20 December 1864
Lydia Slocum to Lydia Beach: 1 March 1868
Lydia Slocum to Lydia Beach: 28 June 1869
William R. Swartout to Norton Russell: 30 March 1876 (photocopy)
Newspapers:
Clyde Enterprise: 28 July 1881
Clyde Sentinel: 14 October 1876
Clyde Sentinel: 6 May 1876
Miscellaneous news clippings
Artifacts:
Transferred to the Museum: Quilting pieces