| Abstract: |
The Severance family was a prominent Cleveland, Ohio, family known for its philanthropic activities. Solon Severance, a Cleveland
banker, was the son of Solomon Severance and Mary Helen Long, and a brother of Louis Severance. He was also a descendent of
John Walworth, an early settler of Cleveland who was a civil engineer and was appointed in 1806 as the Custom Collector for
the District of Erie. Solon's wife, Emily Allen, was the daughter of Dr. Dudley Allen, and the sister of prominent surgeon
Dudley P. Allen. Solon and Emily's daughter, Julia Severance Millikin, was the wife of Benjamin Millikin, a noted Cleveland
opthalmologist. Julia's children included Helen Millikin Nash and Severance, Marianne, Dudley, and Louise Millikin. The collection
consists of historical and biographical data on various family members; diaries and travel journals, especially of Julia Severance
Millikin and her mother, Emily Allen Severance; correspondence, especially between Julia and her mother, Emily Severance;
wills, genealogical notes, deeds, notices of events, and newspaper clippings. Among the correspondence are numerous letters
from Julia's friends from Wells College. The collection also includes a certificate appointing John Walworth collector for
the district of Erie, 1806, and a journal kept by Dudley Allen detailing early medical practice in the area. There is also
material on author Samuel L. Clemens (Mark Twain) and his voyage around the world, which included Solon and Emily Severance,
and became the basis of his novel "The Innocents Abroad".
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