Scope and Content Note
The papers of William Goodell (1792-1867) span the years 1818-1917 and consist of correspondence, journals, religious and other writings, Goodell's translation of the New Testament from Greek to Armeno-Turkish, genealogical material, legal papers, autographs, a drawing, and printed material.
The journals, 1831-1849, and correspondence, 1823-1898, pertain chiefly to Goodell's missionary work among Armenians in Turkey under the sponsorship of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions and document the difficulties faced by Goodell's mission, including fire, outbreaks of plague and cholera, the death of a fellow missionary, and the hostility of the ruling government. Correspondence includes letters of his wife, Abigail Goodell, and letters from Mary and Emma Barnum, daughter and granddaughter of William Goodell, who were in Harput, Turkey, during the massacre of Armenians by Kurds in 1895.