In the 1830's, Lexington, Kentucky was on the western edge of the U.S. Interestingly, the city was referred to by some as the "Paris of the Midwest". this was not far off as it might appear.  

Certainly, today Lexington and culture would not be said in the same sentence; however, when Mary was growing the city had many cultural offerings as well as a prestigious university with the foreign sounding name, Transylvania University.

Mary Todd's father rose to be an influential banker and politician. Mary adored her father and would name her first son, Robert Todd Lincoln, in honor of her father. 

Being one of four children in a well-to-do family, She attended a snobbish French school in Lexington, learning to play the piano, speaking French, along with the how to live in high society. 

She had an abiding conviction that she would one day marry a man who would become President of US.  In fact, she openly boasted of it.

Her sister was quoted as saying, she loved glitter, show, pomp and power and was the most ambitious woman I ever knew.

Tragically, Mary and her 3 siblings lost their mother.  Her father remarried a women with 4 children.  

Mary and her stepmother didn't always get along. Perhaps, Mary might have attended Transylvania University in Lexington if she had not decided to follow one of her sisters to a small prairie town in Illinois.

In 1839, Mary approaching 20 years old, quarreled with her stepmother, left in a rage and came to live with her married sister in Springfield Il.

Certainly, didn't make that decision wasn't made lightly as Springfield did not come remotely close to Lexington KY.   Lexington however did have the leading U.S. political figure of the day, Henry Clay.  Springfield had state politican Stephan A Douglas and of course former IL Legislator Abraham Lincoln. 

In 1839,  Springfield was dirty little frontier village, no pavements, no lights, no sidewalks, no sewers; no trees;  Cattle roamed about the town at will, hogs wallowed in the mud holes of the principal streets, and piles of rotten manure filled the air with stench.

Since Mary Todd was serious about becoming "First Lady", what if she would have headed to Virginia or Washington DC, arguably more likely to find a potential presidential possibility than Springfield, IL. 

John Tyler, from a prominent Virginia family, would be elected vice president in late 1840.  A few months later he would become president when Harrison died.  Tyler's wife also died about this time. Mary Todd's beauty and charm would have caught Tyler's attention.

Tyler ended up marrying a lady about Mary Todd's age.