The author of this next letter is Betsy Johnson (1785-1870), Emily’s mother. Unlike Elmer’s letter and several others, this one is addressed to Emily and not her husband Roderick. We have commented that Betsy’s son Elmer has a unique style of spelling. As you read this letter, you may discover where Elmer learned to spell.
Ever dear children – Emily and Roderick Dwight
Father – Josiah Clemmons Johnson (1781-1856), Betsy’s husband and Emily’s father
Elmer/E – Gad Elmer Johnson (1819-1901), Betsy’s son and Emily’s brother
Menarva L Waite – Minerva Jane Wait (1828-1901), Elmer’s wife.
Elmer – Gad Elmer Johnson (1819-1901), Clarissa and Emily’s brother
Mr. Bouster – unknown
Carlos – Carlos Hawley Johnson (1802-1855), Betsy’s son and Emily’s brother
Wellington – Wellington Johnson (1815-1888), Betsy’s son and Emily’s brother
Clarisa/C – Clarisa Johnson Taylor (1818-1885), Betsy’s daughter and Emily’s sister
Mis Dwight – Prudence Hillman Dwight (1782-1864), Emily’s mother-in-law
daughter – Marietta Dwight (1801-1873), Prudence’s daughter
Esther Ellen – Esther Ellen Taylor (1845-1911), Clarissa’s daughter
Theodosius & Betsy/B – Theodosius Wood (1801-1884), Betsy Johnson Wood (1812-1889), Betsy’ son-in-law and daughter
Murial – Unknown
Hooker – Hooker Taylor (1811-1884), Clarissa’s husband
Mr. Proctor – Daniel Proctor (1810-1869), husband of Ellen Maria Johnson Proctor (1826-1889)
Mis Coon – Unknown
Elizabeth – Elizabeth Elemer Dwight (1830-1906), Emily’s daughter
Henry Taylor – Henry Taylor (1809-1897), part of the Taylor family from Buckland. He lived in Northfield in 1840 and died in East Cleveland in 1889.
Mr Ely – Unknown
Uncle Samuel – unconfirmed link at this point (Samuel Allis)
Aunt Abigal – unconfirmed link at this point (Abigail Johnson Allis)
Aunt Brainurd – unconfirmed link at this point
Martha – Unknown
Arson – Unknown
Mother Houghton – Prudence Hillman Dwight (1782-1864), Roderick’s mother and Emily’s mother-in-law
Northfield Aug 7th sealed Paid $.10
Addressed to: Mis Emily Dwight Buckland Franklin County Massachusetts
to be left Shelburne Falls office
Northfield July 24, 1846
Ever dear children I will now take my longe neglected pen and try to scribble a few broken unconnected lines tis thuough the mercy of our All Wise Creator and Preserver my life is still legthened out and enjoy good helth as i could reasonably expect or may i ever feel thankful for the mercy and blessings i receive Fathers health is about the same it has been for two or three years Elmer was married to Menarva L Waite the 19 of May and moved home the first day of June they are well and appear to enjoy themselves well M appears to have a kind and peacelike disposition fore my part I am well satisfied i must tell your com? better sense yet i thinke will make you rejoice Elmer experienc religen last winter and appears to live in the enjoyment thare was a gate revival of religion in northfield last winter a goodly number we trust were converted some of the most wicked and profaign ware brought to bow to the middle scepter of Justice I and backsliders returned Mr Bouster fore one we Maker those instead of waking or being to the young on the sabbath he attends church with his family and more of oure neighbours i cannot mention purticksler Carlos and family are well Wellington and his family all have friends and conections except Clarisa i hardly know what to tell you .i have my hopes and fears it appears now she is improving sloly she rides out a most every day sew and knits she keeps up pretty good courage yet and seam es to bare hir sickness with patience and christian fortitude I take my pen a gane this morning to write i have not had an opertunity this weeke the fore part of the day i cant get a chance in the afternoon we had compiny a moste every day Mis Dwight and daughter ware here yesterday i called to see Clarisa she not as well as she has been fore a number weeks past C has use of a pritty little girle calls hir name Esther Ellen we received a letter from Theodosius and Betsy severol weeks scince B. writs hir helth has been verry poor thise spring has a hard cought most of the time Chad a letter from Muriel she writs hir helth is better for six week passd than it has been for a yeare Hooker has written to Mr procter to come and finish his house has not received an answer if thay do not come this fall thay will all come in the spring
F hase not sold his place heare yet i should think by fall(?) writing he intends to come he thought if you came to the west this spring we had better perswed you to stay heare if you wanted to live neare the brotherhood i had some hope you would come but alowe my self to let to much lest i should be badly disapointed i want to see you all much but if i cannot & must be contented and if we never see each other a gane in time that we may all be prepared by grace to meet in the world above whare we shall have no more whare sickness sorrow paine and death are feared and felt no more it is a gently jenval time of helth in this town thare is no prevailing sickness though thare has been a number deaths this yeare passd Mis Coon died three or foure weeaks since i wente to see hir twice i thinke i never enjoyed any better visits i believe she died the peceful and happy death of the rightous.
i suppose you would like to know about the sions thay arived hear safe E sais thair is only five of his alive C and Whad some wether any of theirs lived I cannot tell it has been rather dry this summer not withstanding the dry weather the crops look verry promising thare have been quantite crops of wheat hear and grass is pretty good E has over 8 acres of wheat he hiered a man and commence the last days of June to cut his wheat and finished the 23 of july all his haying and harvesting thare is frute heare in abundenec we shall have apples an ought for our own use and peaches plenty and plumls are ripe now tell Elizabath I have not forgotte’ne hir and I should like to see her little fingers scrabiling amongst the peaches and plumbs as thay used to when brushing the rosted potatoe tell hir to be a good girle and I will send hie a present the first opportunity I should like to tell you all about my worke but have not time nor paper we have 54 pounds of woll es E sold over half this wool we have five cows this summer I have been making cheese foure weeaks made 14 think i shant make much longer Minerva dous the washing and spinning helps me som about the house wourke Henry Taylor has sold his place and moved to ucled (Euclid) Mr Ely is going to move there soone give my respects to uncle Samuel and aunt Abigal tell tham aunt Brainurd Martha and Arson ware out hear the fore part of june made a good longe visit give my best respects to your Mother Houghton and to all enquiring friends I must draw to a close
by subscribing myself youre unworthy Mother Betsy J
written on back of address page:
write to us soone after you get this and I will try not to waite so longe a gane please over look my poor writing and bade spelling tell Rhoderick I thanke him for a few lines and hope he will wite more next time
The next letter is from Daniel Proctor (1810-1869). He married Ellen Maria Johnson (1826-1889), Emily’s sister. He will bring us up to date on some of the economics of the time and what his opinion of Ohio as a ‘healthy’ state to live in.
The Palmer House – home of the Historical Society of Old Northfield
The Palmer house has undergone several transformations during its existence. When originally built in 1844, it consisted of the structure as shown in the 1902 photo. It had a North wing that was the kitchen and dining area. When the house was moved in 1915, to make room for Northfield Elementary, the kitchen wing was removed. You can still see the doorway leading to this wing in what is now called the dining room. After the house was moved, the school system used it as living quarters for school personnel. A dormer was added to the South side second floor. After the State of Ohio passed laws in 1954 prohibiting school systems from providing housing for school personnel, the Palmer House became a library sponsored by the PTA. It remained a library until the Northfield Library was built in 1964. It is now the Pamer House Museum available to the public to learn about local history.
