We have a new author for this letter; Daniel Proctor (1810-1869), brother-in-law of Emily and Roderick. He is married to Ellen Maria Johnson (1826-1889), Emily’s sister. He gives a good run-down on the health of quite a few people as well as an insight into the economics of the time. He has an interesting perspective on the ‘healthiness’ of Ohio as opposed to Vermont where he was raised.
Clarissa – Clarissa Johnson Taylor (1818-1885), Emily’s sister
Father – Josiah Clemmons Johnson (1781-1856), Emily’s father
Mother – Betsey Elmer Johnson (1785-1870), Emily’s mother
Mari – Ellen Maria Johnson Proctor (1826-1889), the author’s wife and Emily’s sister
Lucy – Lucy Coffin (1811-1851), sister-in-law to Emily, wife of Carlos Johnson, Emily’s brother
Josiah – Josiah Johnson (1848-1925), Lucy Coffin Johnson’s son
Emma – Emma Proctor (1846-1903), the author’s daughter
Elmer – Gad Elmer Johnson (1819-1901), Emily’s brother
Hart Taylor – Hart Taylor (1799-1880), 1st cousin to Hooker Taylor, Clarissa’s husband
Mr. Wood – Theodosius Wood (1801-1884), Emily’s brother-in-law, married to Betsey E Johnson
Wallace Johnson – William Wallace Johnson, family cousin
Jesse Morse – Jesse Morse, friend and in-law from Massachusetts
Melvin – Melvin Johnson (1831-1871), Carlos Hawley Johnson’s son, Emily’s nephew
Welington – Wellington Johnson (1815-1888), Emily’s brother
Brother D – Roderick Dwight (1802-1863), Emily’s husband
Carlos – Carlos Hawley Johnson (1802-1855), Emily’s brother
Henry Geylor – Henry Taylor (1780-1862), a friend from Buckland, Massachusetts
Northfield 0hio March 14th
Addressed to Mr. Rhoderick Dwight Shelburn Falls Mass
Northfield March 12, 1848
Respected Brother & Sister
We received your letter in due time and were happy to hear from you and that you were enjoying good health. one of the greatest blessings confered upon men, our friends are all well hear excepting Clarissa
her health is very poor her physitian thinks she is on the gain and will get about after a while she has been confined to her bed about three weeks not able to sit up hardly any. Father & mothers healths have been good through the winter Mari’s health has been better for a year past than it has for several years before, Lucy has got another boy they call him Josiah he is a great stout fellow, our Emma does not grow very fast but she is a healthy child she does not goe alone yet she will be 15 months old the 25 inst. Elmer has baught him a farm in Warensvill in the apisite side of the road from Hart Taylors he has 130 acres paid $16. ($608 in today’s dollars) per acre he has a new house and barn on his farm and about one hundred was cleared I believe, I have not seen his farm since he bought it I went past it last summer it is a very pleasant place and I think he got it cheap enough. I paid Elmer one thousand dollars ($38,000 today’s dollars) for his property here, I had one pair of cattle three cows two calvs forty five sheep half of the grain and all of the hay excepting two tons and I winter one cow & ten sheep for him, and I have some farming tools and 40 new saptubs caldron kettle etc.
I sold what land I had in Wisconsin for twelve hundred dollars the first eighty that I bought with Mr. Wood I sold my half to him for two hundred dollars the 40 that we lived on their I sold for ten hundred all in American gold Mr. Wood and I paid ten hundred dollars for the two acres that we lived on and
we got twenty hundred. I had a letter from Coz. Walace Johnson a short time since he writes that they have gor another boy that makes four & one girl our friends there are all well he says that Jesse Morse is as tough and as (sorry) as ever they have not had mutch snow their this winter and the winter has been very mild. We have had a rather as mild winter here this winter only a few days sleighing Melvin and I are
making shugar we Have made 115 lbs. I am getting lumber to build a house I intend to build with brick erespect Carlos & Welington will make the brick and lay them I intend to put up my house one year from next summer if I am prosperd I will give you a plan of my house some where if I have room. I should like to have you come into this country and live if you could think it for the best I do not have mutch courag to think you will come out here Brother D’s head is so full of fatal ism but I should like before you settle down again to have you look at the matter seriously and without parshality and see if you cannot make up your minds that it will be better for you and your children to come into this country and live as far as the healthiness of this country is concerned I am not afraid to compare the Western Reserve with any part of Massachusetts or any other proven country. people will be sick and die in the healthiest country
I ever see. it is generaly sickly in all new countries. Wisconsin is the healthiest new country I ever lived in I came into Ohio in thirty three
Ohio was rather unhealthy then and rather new, and as the country becomes improved the healthier it is I was raised in VT in as healthy a town as there is in the state I suppose. I have an aiquentance their that came into this state about the time I did he staid two years and went back he said that it was to sickly
here for him he has been out here twice since the last time he was out here he said to me that they have for several years had a goodeal of sickness where they lived in Vt and that he was satisfide thay it was healthier here than their. and he thought he should come here to live. he has sold his farm and is coming on in the spring I know that is does not make much odds where we live if we are contented and get a comfortable living yet it is desirable to live in as good a country as there is it is pleasant to be pleasantly situated. I will stop writing upon this subject I am afraid I shal tire your patience I have been trying to have Mother & Mari write you a letter but they are rather lazy about it and wanted me to write Mari has been trying to peak over my shoulder to see whet I was writing I told her if she could not write her self to you she should not read my writing I guess they will try to write the next letter to you Henry Geylor(Taylor?) has a brother and sister out here they are going back in the spring I believe. All kinds ofbuisness has been good here the year past produce brings a fair price and stock of all kinds wheat $400 corn 40 cts oats 25 flower $5 pork(?) 4 dollars per bbl I must close for want of room Write often axcept of our respects and best wishes
Daniel Proctor
The next letter was written by Daniel Proctor’s wife, Ellen Maria Johnson Proctor, Emily’s sister. She provides us with more updates on the health of several people.
