1845 Letters from STEVENSON family, of Bloomington, Iowa to LYNN family, Fayette Co, Pennsylvania. Submitted by M. Burns on 13 Sep 1997 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ This is the first of two letters from Stevenson's in Iowa to Lynn's in Pennsylvania. The second one is listed at "1849 Letter from Stevenson's in Iowa to Lynn's in Pennsylvania" ------------------------------------------------------------------------ A letter to Samuel and second wife, Mary Gibson Lynn, from Mary's sister, Ellen E Gibson Stevenson, of Bloomington, Iowa (now Muscatine, Iowa) On the outside of letter, postmark: Bloomington Nov 17 Samuel Lynn Brownsville Fayette Co Penna Inside the letter: Bloomington November 17th 1845 Dear Brother and Sister, I now take up my pen to inform you that I am well at present hoping these few lines may find you enjoying the same blessing. We arrived here safe on the 13 of May and rented a house and went to housekeeping on the next day in Bloomington. It is situated on the west bank of the Mississippi. There is a very good landing here and it is quite a business place and I think it as large as Uniontown. There has been shipped from here to St Louis some fifty or sixty thousand bushels of wheat and there would have been a mutch larger quantity but for the lowness of the water as there is great difficulty in crossing the rapids at ____nch. The merchants have commenced storing as our streets is crowded with wheat waggons every day. The crop has been very good here. The corn is as good as I every saw in Pennsylvania. The land is very ritch. The people here care nothing about gardens. They have them in their fields. I saw one onion bed of two acre on wich they raised five hundred bushels from the seed and a great many of them was as large as saucers. This is beautiful country and I like it much better than I expected. We have had a very warm dry summer. The weather was mutch warmer than I ever felt in Pennsylvania. We laid with open doors and windows for more than two months. We have been sick with slight fevers but are all well except Alexander. He was taken with liver complaint the first of September and was confined to the house and bed until the first of this but is able to walk about now. I have been very unwell the most of the summer and this fall had a bleading on the lungs witch made me very weak but is better than I have been for a year. I was very sorry to hear that you and family was so afflicted. I received a letter from Henrietta written on the 5 of october stating George Gibsons death. I feel sincerely sorry for Mary and Alexander in there affliction. I want you to excuse me for not writing sooner for I feel myself under great obligation to you for your kindness to us. I am very uneasy about M Jane as they have not wrote since the last of August. I want you both to advise them such as their father and me would do if present. I want you to write particularly about how they are and tell Mother I would like to see her for I often think I am with you all. I don't want you to think I have forgotten my friends for I shed many a tear and would give worlds to see you all but this cannot be. Sometimes I think I will come in the spring but cant tell how it may be for I am often laid by and the distance is so great that I am affraid to undertake it. Give my love to Mother and all the rest of my friends. Mr Lynn, I want you to come and see the country. I would like to have you for a neighbour. When you write tell me if you have had any account of your brother. There has been several of our Uniontown people here to see the country Mr Ewing, Mr Fuller, Mr Phillips Bradberry, Mr Wallace Baily and ____were all here this fall but made no purchase. Fruit is very scarce here. Apples is four dollars and a half a barrel. We got peaches for one dollar a bushel so we have to console ourselves and eat pumpkin pie. This is a great place for fish in the summer season. We had them very plenty. I used often to wish you had share of them. I want to see Margaret and Frances. Tell them that Ewing sends his love to them and says he is going to Pennsylvania. Mary R sends her love to you and says you may look for a letter. George sends his love to all of you. Gibson and Alexander sends their best respects and wishes their uncle would come and see the country for they are delited with it. E Eliza and Henrietta sends their love to you and says they would be very glad to see you all. Stevenson sends his love to all of you. Mary I want you and Lynn to write to us soon as you receive this. Give my love to all the family and to friends and neighbours. I want you to excuse my bad writing and spelling as I have written but one letter beside this for twenty years. No more but remains your affectionate Sister, Ellen E Stevenson