Scope and arrangement
The letters of the Homans family span the years 1850-1938 with the bulk of the correspondence falling between the years 1862 and 1864. The correspondence is of interest not only for its record of Homans family history, but also for the information it provides on daily life in the 19th century. There are no letters at all between 1902 and the one letter for 1938, which was written by Charles D. Fuller to his mother, Lois Homans Fuller.
The letters for the years 1862 to 1864 which make up the bulk of the collection are for the most part letters from Ned Homans to Fannie Eells during their courtship and engagement. The correspondence reflects Ned's interests in theatre, sports, current literature, the Masons and his experimentation with marijuana and hasheesh. Of particular interest are Ned's letters from Harper's Ferry where he was stationed in 1862, in which he describes various aspects of camp life.
Fannie's letters to her father during her school years (c. 1859-1862) include many details of her life as a student. During this period she attended the Lake Erie Female Seminary in Ohio, the Englewood Institute and a school in Brooklyn, New York.
In addition the collection contains letters from Ned and Fannie to their children and siblings and letters between other family members.
The Homans family correspondence is arranged in two series: