Town Family Papers
c.00132

Summary Information

Repository
Michigan State University Archives and Historical Collections
Creator
Town family, (Oka Town, 1806-1895)
Title
Town family papers
ID
c.00132
Date [inclusive]
1830-1932
Extent
0.1 Cubic feet , 4 folders
Language
English

Preferred Citation

Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information: "Item title, Collection title, Collection Identifier, Michigan State University Archives & Historical Collections, East Lansing, Michigan."

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Biography of Oka Town

Oka and Sarah Ann Town farmed near Otsego in Allegan County, Michigan. Oka was a delegate to the Michigan Constitutional Convention in 1850, and he returned to Lansing as a legislator in 1851.

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Scope and Contents note

This collection consists primarily of letters between Oka and Sarah Ann while he was in Lansing, Michigan. Sarah Ann's letters deal mainly with family matters and the farm. In his letters, Oka describes Lansing and the politics of the Constitutional Convention and the legislature.

Their son, Carlton, married Nellie Faling and the couple settled in Clam Lake, Michigan (now Cadillac), where they ran a store. A series of letters from Nellie to her family in 1875-1876 describes their life there and discusses family news.

Also included in the collection is a letter book kept by Nellie's brother, Charles Faling. A student at West Point, Charles copied letters he received into the book. The book was later used to record accounts, some personal and some for an unidentified business. The collections contains a tintype photograph of Charles Faling.

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Administrative Information

Publication Information

Michigan State University Archives and Historical Collections March 1965

Conrad Hall
888 Wilson Road, Room 101
East Lansing , MI, 48824
517-355-2330
archives@msu.edu

Revision Description

 revised 12/2013 March 2000

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open for research.

Legal Status

Copyright: Michigan State University. Property Rights: Michigan State University.

Conditions Governing Use

Permission to publish material from this collection must be obtained from University Archives & Historical Collections, Michigan State University.

Custodial History

Gift of Doris Turner, 1962-06-25. Transferred by Michigan State University.

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Controlled Access Headings

Genre(s)

  • Letters (correspondence)
  • Tintype

Geographic Name(s)

  • Allegan County (Mich.)
  • Cadillac (Mich.)
  • Lansing (Mich.)
  • Michigan -- Politics and government
  • Otsego (Mich.)

Personal Name(s)

  • Faling, Charles
  • Town, Nellie Faling, 1855-
  • Town, Oka, 1806-1895
  • Town, Sarah Ann, 1822-
  • Turner, Doris F.

Subject(s)

  • Agriculture -- Michigan
  • Women -- Michigan

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Collection Inventory

Papers 
Folder

 1830-1850 

 1

 1851 

 2

Letter book 1867-1870 

 3

 1875-1932 

 4
Folder

Tintype - Faling, Charles 

 Tintype