Oren Thoits Letter
Scope and Content
This collection consists of a single letter written by Oren Thoits, a farmer living in Fort Fairfield, Maine, during the American Civil War. Writing to his aunt and uncle on May 5, 1861, Thoits relays family news and local farm conditions and crop prices before discussing the outbreak of war and pledging to enlist if a local regiment is organized. The final page of the letter is written by Jennet, presumably Oren Thoits's wife, sharing and soliciting personal news.
Dates
- 1861
Creator
- Thoits, Oren (Person)
Language of Materials
The materials in the collection are in English.
Conditions Governing Access
The collection is open for research.
Conditions Governing Reproduction and Use
The copyright status of this collection is unknown. Copyright restrictions may apply. Contact Special Collections and University Archives for assistance in determining the use of these materials.
Reproduction or digitization of materials for personal or research use can be requested using our reproduction/digitization form: http://bit.ly/scuareproduction. Reproduction or digitization of materials for publication or exhibit use can be requested using our publication/exhibition form: http://bit.ly/scuapublication. Please contact Special Collections and University Archives (specref@vt.edu or 540-231-6308) if you need assistance with forms or to submit a completed form.
Biographical / Historical
Oren Thoits was born in 1820. In the 1860 federal census, Thoits appears as a 39-year-old farmer living in Fort Fairfield (Aroostook County), Maine. Also in the household is Jeanette Thoits, 39, and four Thoits children. Thoits enlisted as a private in Company I, 30th Maine Infantry on January 6, 1864. Following his discharge on June 26, 1865, Thoits returned to Maine, and the 1870 census shows the family living in Portland (Cumberland County), with no occupation given for Oren Thoits. The family continued to live in Portland through 1880. Oren Thoits died in Portland on August 3, 1887 and was buried in Forest City Cemetery, Portland.
Jennet Thoits, daughter of Bela and Mary Mitchell True, was born in Pownal (Cumberland County), Maine, ca.1821. Following the death of her husband, Jennet Thoits continued to live in Portland, where she worked as a dressmaker, through 1900. Jennet Thoits died in Auburn, Maine on June 18, 1910.
Extent
0.1 Cubic Feet (1 folder)
Abstract
Letter from Oren Thoits, a farmer living in Fort Fairfield, Maine, during the American Civil War, written May 5, 1861, to aunt and uncle, relaying family news and discussing the recent outbreak of war.
Source of Acquisition
The Oren Thoits Letter was purchased by Special Collections and University Archives in 1989.
Rights Statement for Archival Description
The guide to the Oren Thoits Letter by Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, is licensed under a CC0 (https://creativecommons.org/share-your-work/public-domain/cc0/).
General
This writer of this letter had been originally identified as Oren Shorts of Fort Fairfield, Iowa, but a closer examination and additional research showed the writer to have been Oren Thoits of Fort Fairfield, Maine.
Processing Information
The processing and description of the Oren Thoits Letter commenced and was completed in January 2022.
- Title
- Oren Thoits Letter, 1861
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- John M. Jackson
- Date
- 2022 (CC0 1.0)
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Revision Statements
- 2020-08-31: Finding aid notes updated to new department standards. juliags
- 2021-05-10: LM Rozema added missing notes for an unprocessed collection (abstract, source, processing), added FA title, added FA date from EAD, and added component with instances previously attached to collection level.
Repository Details
Part of the Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech Repository
Special Collections and University Archives, University Libraries (0434)
560 Drillfield Drive
Newman Library, Virginia Tech
Blacksburg Virginia 24061 US
540-231-6308
specref@vt.edu