This collection is made up of 8 letters that Edward Parsons wrote to his father, Reverend Levi Parsons of Marcellus, New York, from February 1842-August 5, 1847, about his life in Grand Blanc, Michigan. Parsons frequently discussed his farm work, livestock, real property, and crops, which included wheat, potatoes, and corn. He sometimes reported on his personal finances and recorded the amount of taxes he owed. His letters also provide news of his immediate family, other relatives, and acquaintances. Israel Parsons, another of Levi's sons, contributed to Edward's letter of March 1843, describing recent travels through Ohio and Michigan. Jacob Parsons, Edward's son, wrote 2 brief notes on his father's letter of January 20, 1847, about his progress in reading.
Edward Parsons was born on August 29, 1810, the son of Reverend Levi Parsons (1779-1864) and Almira Rice (1787-1859). He had six siblings who survived to maturity: Ann Eliza (1814-1855), Almira Rice (1817-1889), Mary Abigail (1819-1897), Israel (1821-1904), Margaret (1823-1901), and Levi (1829-1901). After attending Williams College, he moved to Grand Blanc, Michigan, in 1837, where he was a founder and deacon of the First Congregational Church. On June 13, 1836, he married Sarah Baldwin of Lysander, New York. They had four children: twins James Cyrus (b. 1837) and Jacob (1837-1866), Almira (1841-1895), and Edward Dorr (b. 1846). Edward Parsons died on November 1, 1889.
