LICKING COUNTY OHIO - Letter by Martha WOODS w/o James LICKLEY (1847) ----------------------------------------------------------------------- USGENWEB NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Colleen Holland Grisier music114@powersupply.net December 4, 1998 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ This letter was written by Martha WOODS,later wife of James LICKLEY. She was 21 years of age in 1847,when she made the journey by horse and wagon with her parents and siblings,from Granville,Licking County,Ohio to Lickley's Corners,Wright Twp., Hillsdale County, Michigan. This letter was written back to her Aunt Abigail SHEPARDSON WOODS,wife of Gardner WOODS,also of Licking County. Martha's parents were David WOODS and Lucetta SHEPARDSON WOODS. I am still researching some of the people mentioned in the letter. LeRoy,Martha's brother,would be my gr-gr grandfather. It has been transcribed without corrections for grammar or spelling. Colleen Holland Grisier Wright May 24 1847 Beloved Aunt- According to promise I set down to tell you all about matters and things that have happened since I saw you and to inform you of the health of the family which is improving. I am not entirely clear of the mulagrubs yet,but I think it is sucoring off,but had it in my stomich three or four days,Now I have it in my face. Ma had it two or three days but she has not complained any lately. I will tell you all I can on paper. We left your house May 13th,got to Johnstown about noon,tired enough,went to bed layed an hour,ett our own dinner except tea(and that we dranke)went from there to Mr. Thurstins,did not get there till bed time,tired to death ett our supper and went to bed. 14th very tired and lame this morning. started about 8 o'clock hurts my side very bad to write today,stopped in deleware got the articles for ague pills,come about 2 miles this side stopped at a dutch tavern and went to bed,and when we got up we found a bed-bug on each pillow,they made some tea and we ett our own dinner,and then made traces again;passed through Norton,put up at Armstrongs tavern in Waldo,traveled about 18 miles today put up before night. Bradley was very sick and vomited before we got there we was afraid he was going to have the hydrolics,but I think it was the sick headache. 15th He is better this morning,but my head aches and my side is lame,started at 6 this morning,cool and pleasant,traveled 5 miles came to Marion,it is quite a pretty place,stopped to water,looked for friend Johnathon's folks but did not see any of them unless it was his mother. I saw an old lady in a stoar door talking dutch,she had a white handkerchief on her head,and a large willow basket on her arm,her dress was just the right length to wear pantelets,but I guess it was not her,I could see but little resemblance. We drove 2 miles and stopped to water and took one of my ague pills. While we were there a man drove up from Columbus with a load of cradles and cythes,he was a very good looking fellow,seemed very talkative inquited where we were going,how far we should go that day. We told him we calculated to get to Upper Sandusky,he said that was a far as he should go. He and pa walked together a good part of the way,come noon we stopped at a farm house as there was no tavern near,they had no grain and the pedler had to go the next house. Pa fed his horses in the shade and ett in the wagon. Ma and I went into the house and took a nap and made our own tea,for the house smelt like Mr. Hoards house. The pedler waited till we were ready to start and I was in hopes he would have to go to Michigan to sell his load. we traveled 5 miles,stopped in little Sandusky to water and Leroy coughed like fury and I guess thare was a dozen men in hearing. we left the pedler trying to sell his load. I was very sorry,road 7 miles to upper Sandusky,two of the taverns were full,stopped at the third to spend the Sabath,they were very dirty but we had a room by ourselves and done our own cooking. 16 Sabath,we traveled 27 miles yesterday day,a long day this,no going to meeting today with us,we are all tired tired and sick,and glad to stay at home and rest. Bradly said the pedler is in the bar room,he came into town last night and stayed at another tavern. he found out where we were and came up. Pa and the boys saw him. He inquired when we should start,they told him not till morning,missed the pedler,feel as sorry as I should to find a cent,a pleasant morning and good roads through Tymo city and McCutchville,stayed at a farm house bought some corn,drove into the woods took a nap and ett our dinner in the wagon for the first time was very tired,had made 15 miles we staid about two hours then started,rode 7 miles to Fort Ball stopped to buy some crackers,my head ached hard,soon began to feel sick,vomited twice,but had to ride 3 or 4 miles as there was no tavern between Fort Ball and Fort Seneca,which was 6 miles,traveled 28 miles today bought our supper the first warm meal we had had since we left our dear friends in Ohio,had fresh fish for supper,but Patty was so sick she could not eat,had to go strait to bed,then I wished I had staid to home. 18th up early feel faint you know a fellow feel after having the sick head at the rate I had it yesterday,but I ate a pretty good quantity of fish for breakfast,started quarter past 6. O I forgot to tell you that it rained in the afternoon and we drove into a barnyard til it was over,consequently we find it muddy traveling this morning but it is cool. Passed through Lower Sandusky,here we struck the turnpike:we traveled 4 miles this side of Sandusky,stopped at a tavern,took our nap and drank our tea and off again,and I wish it was the last half day,or I am so very tired when it comes night it seems almost impossible to travelel another day. We find plenty of the black swamp on both sides of us,some places we can see water as far as the eye can extend into the woods which is about 6 feet,then we would come to cleared land and we see whole fields covered with stones so close together that they have to sharpen the sheep-s noses to they can eat the grass that grows between them. We passed a barn that was a rowser,it had 42 windows and 19 door on two sides and one end,and the most of them was glass,it was painted red with broad white cornish. Pa said it must be 700 feet long if not more. Traveled 27 miles today,put up in Woodville with a Mr. Sweet. I think it a very good tavern,I recon I feel better tonight 19th was up early this morning and off at 6 traveled 13(15?)miles to Perresburg called at Mr. Kelley's tavern and his wife was having fits I guess it was hystericks but I did not see her. We took our nap and tea and here we left the digings and we left the turnpike,crossed the Maumee river it is quite a pretty stream but it will not compare with the Ohio river in size. Passed through Maumee City it is a very pretty place it is higher than the river situated on a hill. Aftrer we left Maumee we had a pasable ride for about 2 miles then we came to a bridge that was made of logs as large as good sized cabin logs without any covering whatever and I should think all of 3 miles long,it seemed to be 6 instead of 3,and how do you think the galls(girls)could stand that? Well we would ride till we was tired to death then we would walk till we were just as tired as we could be and then ride again. A man ovre took us on the bridge,he said if the good Beiing would forgive him on any reasible terms of repentance,he would not be caught for a day or two he know but that was only a beginning. After we left the bridge we came to the praria and sometimes we sould have good roads,except the sand then we would come to a mudhole And Pa and Dick would go to see how deep it was and to see if we could go around it and Ma would drive,and often he would find the bottom out or a good ways from the top. there was one place where the raid had washed away "de britch"(as a dutchman said)that looked impossible there was two teams before us that was not heavy loaded that crossed where there seemed to be the most travel but Pa said he knew if we went there we should tip over,so he and Bradley took the ax,knocked off the bank and we went straight through. Ma drove and Pa stood and yelled at the horses,and they put her through. He then helped Leroy over and went back after Tip(who was by this time crying)shouldered him and crossed on the weeds and brakes. On both sides of the road as far as we could see it was level and as green as any meadow you ever saw and the water glistened like silver. Some of the mudholes were so short and deep that the front wheels would drop in up to the hubs then the back wheels and sometimes we would have to double teams. It began to grown dark and not a house to be seen and we would think every mudhole was the last but it was not,we began to talk about staying in the wagon,all was willing but Tip,and he would say "O dont",but Ma and I was so tired and it was so dark,we would have been glad to have stopped 3 or 4 miles before we got through but by and by we saw a light and you cannon conceive,how glad we were for we had not seen a house for 6 or 7 miles. we were over one mile from the light we saw which was in Chaunton. When we got through it was past 9 we ate some supper and went to bed,but Ma and I could not sleep,we were so tired. Swanton is a tall place there were three houses in it and they were all taverns. We stayed with Mr. Hastings,a very good tavern,we traveled 16 miles in the morning and 13 in the afternoon. 20th day my head and bones ached like the tooth ache. Started at half past 6,the road is dry but the sand is 6 to 8 inches deep,pretty hard drawing,drove 9 miles stopped at a private house,the man owned a section of land we drank our tea but did not lay down,set up all day for the first day since we left home,stayed over two hours,the roads are not so sandy but new and rought,the natives call them good. put up at Briggs tavern,it is not a very good tavern. Traveled about 20 miles today. 21st. I do not feel very well this morning,they had shows here last night,singing and dancing till after midnight,but it is the last day if we have good luck. Started in pretty good season,traveled till about noon,don't know how far,but came to a bridge that needed repairing,and they fed the horses and we ett our dinner and repaired the bridge,and by this time it began to rain rained harder and sometimes it poured down,it got so slippery that Pa and bradley had to walk all the time. In crossing the St. Joseph,they broke a number of logs and Charly fell through and came flat on his side and we all thought he was a gone succour but he got up again. Then we came to the place where Pa said we would all be homesick and I don't wonder,the mud was about knee deep,at any rate they had to double the team and go a little way then go back and get the other wagon,and the rain pouring down all the time. It got to be dark and Pa concluded to hitch both span of horses to our wagon and go it,we was then about 2 miles from Uncle Johnes,and we left the other standing in the road. Pa got in and drove and Leroy rode one of the forward horses,Bradley took the colt and went before to hunt the best way. It was dark as a pocket,no moon cloudy and woods on both sides of us,and we expected every minute to find the wagon bottum up and I do not think we could have come through in the day time without ,but the last mile was better. When we got there it was after 8,and they were all in bed,but they were soon up boys and girls were not at home,but the old woman soon got us some supper,and she would weigh 250 and I guess more and she gave the menfolks some dry socks,for they had not a dry thread on them. And about 10 we went to bed and I tell you we slept good. in the morning we went to the house where we stay and unloaded the wagon and Mr. Lickley took his oxen and went with Pa to get the other wagon. We found our beds and clothes very wet,we had all we could do and more to get them dry Saturday. Mrs. Lickley baked us some bread and gave us some butter and we had some of your cookies,we ett on a large box,we had dried beef too and they tasted like home we set on small boxes,and layed on the floor. Mr. Barber(nor Oren)and his wife was in Sunday evening,and Monday they let us have three chairs. Tuesday Pa and Ma went to Adrian got home Wednesday night again. Thursday Mrs. Stuck washed for us. I have not exaggerated a mite but dont let that frighten you about coming to see us,it is not always so bad. There have been some hard rains. Do you call this fall?