Bureau County IL Archives History - Letters.....McLennan Letter #2
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Maureen Finlayson m.finlayson@xtra.co.nz September 2001

McLennan Letter #2, Bureau County, Illinois


Neponset, Illinois. U.S.A.

October 25 th. 1925


Ewen D McLennan

Papakura

New Zealand

Dear Sir,

I am writing you a letter thanking you for the paper you sent me
telling of the honouable position you now hold with your
government,and the wonderful country that you live in . I want to
congratulate you on the success you have made of life so far and
hope you continue to do so for years to come.I notice by the map
that you live in the same parallel south of the equator that I
live in northof it. In talking with Alexander Buchanan I find
that you and I are related although I did not know I had
relatives in New Zealand.In fact I know nothing of my relatives
except those in this part of the world and not all of them. I am
going to write you about myself and then you can write me and we
will know what we are to each other. My Grandfather migrated to
this country with other scotchmen in the early fourties I think[
I do not know the year]

John McLennan and wife Barbara settled in Stark County on the
farm of 240 acres that I now own. There were three sons and I
think four girls. The sons were John K McLennan who I am named
after. My father Duncan D McLennan and Philip. My uncle John was
a genius in his time and manufactured farm machinery, but died in
his early twenties. My father marriedMargaret Turnbull who was
born shotly after her parents came over. My father died when I
was fifteen months old about a year after my uncle.My other uncle
never amounted to anything on account of being a drunkard and the
last we heard of him he was in the western part of our country
and the authorities were looking for him.He is a man between
seventy and eighty years old. I do not remember my father, and as
my mother went back home and was married again when I was seven
years old, I have lost track of my fathers people to some extent.
My aunts are all married who are alive. Mrs Alex McLane,Mrs
Finlayson, Mrs Matheson ,Mrs McKay Mrs Buchanan, and one girl
they called Sis who died when about 20 years of age. Now I am not
sure about my aunts except Mrs McLANE, Mrs Matheson Mrs Finlayson
and Mrs Buchanan. The children of these aunts and uncles are
scattered, some are here and others have moved to different parts
of the country.

I am forty six years old.married and have two children.Earl aged
twentythree and Margaret fourteen. The son is married now [last
july] and married edna Buchanan a niece of the Alexander Buchanan
I spoke of. My wifes grandparents all came from Scotland. Her
fathers people were Wilsons and Mothers people were Purdoms. I am
a farmer ,live in the country ,raise grain, live stock and run
machinery. I own the old homestead and my wife ownsmost of the
old Purdom homestead[240 acres].We have a great system of cement
roads in this state 18ft wide. Our land is flat,all can be
plowed. I think we live in the finest part of the country,except
for our weather which is quite changeable at this time of year.
Our land is worth anywhere from two to three hundred dollars an
acre. Taxes are getting high –our tax is two dollars an acre
annually. Our state is very flat only 800 feet above sea level. I
have been in several of our western states,also the Yellowstone
Park where the geysers look very much like the pictures in your
New Zealand papers.

I think this is all I can write now. I would like very much to
see you, but it is doubtful if I ever cross the Pacific. Sometime
you may come to this country and if you do, please come to
Illinois to see your relatives here, and we will try very hard to
make it interesting for you

Sincerely yours 

John K .McLennan
Neponset
Illinois U.S.A.

http://files.usgwarchives.net/il/bureau/history/letters/mclennan.txt