Gad Elmer Johnson is the author of this letter. His spelling does not seem to have improved, but he does get his point across. In this letter, Elmer mentions Hamel Alexander’s Grocery on Superior Street in Cleveland. This store was owned by Allan Hamil Alexander. He was the son of James Alexander and Mary Gibson Hamil. He was named after his mother’s brother, Allan Hamil, and was called ‘Hamil.’ He was the husband of Martha Nesbit, whom he married Nov 17, 1842, in Summit Co., Ohio. In the 1850 Census for Cleveland, he was listed as a grocer.
Elmer asks Henry Taylor for some grafts of a variety of apple trees if Henry comes West in the Spring. Henry Taylor’s son, Henry Taylor Jr. is listed in the 1840 census living next to Levi Taylor (1780-1860) in Northfield, Ohio. Levi Taylor Sr. was mentioned several letters ago as having an orchard of fine apples.
Author of letter – Gad Elmer Johnson (1819-1901), Emily’s brother
Brother – Roderick Dwight (1802-1863), Emily’s husband.
Sister – Emily Johnson Dwight (1808-1886)
Theodosius/brother Wood – Theodosius Wood (1801-1884), Elmer’s brother-in-law
Proctor – Daniel Proctor (1810-1869), Elmer’s brother-in-law.
Flora – unknown
Father – Josiah Clemmons Johnson (1781-1856), Elmer and Emily’s father.
Mother – Betsey Elmer Johnson (1785-1870), Elmer and Emily’s mother.
Betsy – Betsey E. Johnson Wood (1785-1870), Elmer and Emily’s sister, wife of Theodosius Wood (1801-1884)
Mari – Ellen Maria Johnson Proctor (1826-1889), Elmer and Emily’s sister, wife of Daniel Proctor (1810-1869)
Your children – Josiah J Dwight (1833-1902) and Elizabeth Elmer Dwight (1838-1906), Emily’s children.
Henry Taylor – Henry Taylor (1780-1862), possible relation to Hooker Taylor.
Miss Minerva W – Minerva Jane Wait (1828-1901), a “friend” of Elmer’s. Stay tuned!
Claris – Clarissa Johson Taylor (1818-1885), Elmer’s sister and married to Hooker Taylor.
Levi – Levi Webster Taylor (1839-1854), Elmer’s nephew and Clarissa’s son.
Northfield Ohio
Mr. Rhoderick Dwight Colerain, Mass.
Shelburn Fall Post Office
written at top:
I had a letter from Flora to day friends at B. River are well She says she will come to Ohio if I will go after her
written on left margin:
Theodosius and Proctor live in Greenfield 4 miles from Milwaukie
Northfield Jan. 5th 1846
Dear Brother and Sister
I have seeted myself to converse by the silent language of the pen with dear relatives (not less dear because so many miles away) for I tell you theer is not many days pass with out my thinking of my dear brother & sister Me thinks I hear you say why have you not written before then I tell you it is because
I hav let the press of business hurry me along for one thing & many more similer reasons that are not worth naming. We enjoy comfortable health & have most of the time since I wrote you last I most sensadbly see the affects of the withering hand if age as it creeps upon our dear parents the mental man in Father has failed verry much within the last year. Mothers intelletuel facultes seem to be but verry little affected yet. as for myself I am as fat & lazy as ever and somehow manage to keep my neck out of the (matrimonial) noose yet Mother says she kinder reckons that the Old Bashelor will be caught yet. I shouldnot wonder a bit if thay throw the right kind of bate. Home has been a lonesome place to me since Betsy & Mari went away (they moved to Wisconsin) their going did not seem to affect Mother near as much as I expected it would I have not heard from them since October I have written to them twice since I rejoice verry much to hear that you are thinking of coming West. I think you had better come by all meanes from brother Woods description of Wisconsin it must be a first rate country, you will probably have to go back 25 or 30 miles from the Lake to find Government land. But I do not think that any objection for you will find better land & will be less exposed to Lake winds. I think also that a chang of climate will be advantageous to your health in nine cases out of ten it has proved so as far as my observation has extended & it will certinly be the best thing you can do for your children now weigh the matter carefully yourselves & act acordingly. One thing more if you conclude to go make up your minds that there is a better place than Colerain before you start I should like much to have you come to Ohio But I know you can do much better with your meanes in Wisconsin land is verry high here. Henry Taylor sold his farm last week for 30 dollars per acre. Jan. 8th I write as I get time I hav a job that I want you should do for me verry much. it is this If you are coming west as soon as spring opens I want you should cut me as good a variety of Grafts, as you can pack in a segar (cigar) box put in a little moss to keep them from chafeing & leave them at Hamel Alexanders Grocery on Superior Street in Cleveland & I will deposite money their to pay you for your trouble thay should be cut in the Old Moon in February. if you are not coming early in the spring I want you should cut me four kinds, to wit, Boulding sweete half sweet and half sour greenings our old early apple & your Vinzon early apple & do up 4 sprouts 12 inches long of each kind, wind a thread round team to keep them seperate and do them up in as compact a form as you can & Mail them as soon as you cut them thay will come safe if the P.S. Master does his duty whare thay are maild & I will reward you for your trouble some time when I can The season was dry Snow came the 27th day of Nov we had good slaying (sleighing) til New years day Since then It has been thawing Hay is scarce & high Say 18. per ton in Cleveland the farmers on the reserve have driven thousands of cattle South & West to winter. I should hav sent some of mine if i had had the meanes I think i shal get them through with straw & browse & a little meal, The wheat crop was light I had onley 75 bush off from 15 acres of summer fallow I sowed 10. acre last fall I hav got the best barn in towne did all the work myself except the frame that cost 45, done the whole cost was $450.00 I am now choping firewood for summer I spend a great deal of time with the stock it does them some good to hav me look at them Father does nothing but feed my old sow this while Mother sends her love and best wishes to you all Our relations are all well except Claris, she will write a slip for me to fold in this I should write more
if I had time Caul and see us when you move out if you can. Write when you send the grafts if you do not send them be shure to write good night
From your unworthy brother, Elmer
Miss Minerva, W- sends her respects to you
written on outside:
Claris has not sent her slip she is verry low She has been on the gain for a number of days past to day
she is not so well we hav been in hope she would recover yet Levi sends his complements to
Josiah & Elisabeth
