Letter to Achsa Johnson of Worthington, Ohio from Mary Johnson Sessions in Niagra Falls, New York

This is a letter written to Achsa Johnson from her daughter, Mary Johnson Sessions, while on her honeymoon at Niagra Falls in New York. In the letter, Mary describes her honeymoon with Francis Sessions. She describes their journey from Worthington, Ohio to Niagara Falls, which involved traveling to Sandusky where they took a boat to Cleveland. The pair then took another boat to Buffalo on Saturday evening. Mary goes on to talk about the beautiful sightseeing at the falls and heading on to Montreal.

Mary Johnson and Frances Sessions were married Wednesday morning, August 18, 1847 in Worthington by Columbus Presbyterian minister Rev. H.L. Hitchcock, with Dr. Peter and Mrs. Goble standing up with them. They left that afternoon for their honeymoon. The couple was interested in promoting art and art instruction in Columbus, and their collection formed the basis for the Columbus Museum of Art collection. Mary’s parents, Achsa and Orange Johnson, were among Worthington’s founders. Orange Johnson was a comb-maker by trade who migrated from Connecticut to Ohio in 1814.