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May 8, 1853 Letter, Gold Rush Era Correspondence from Fielding Lewis in Lynn County, Oregon to Alfred Harris in Linn County, Missouri. Fielding, his wife, Lusinda and their four children left Tennessee for Oregon in 1851. This letter contains info about hardship, family news and includes the news of the death of his wife and two children while crossing the plains on the way to Oregon. Lewis speaks of, "Myself and James and David has taken claims with in three miles of each other and as the donation law is extended. Wm will be a loud a claim. We are doing well at this time. James is working for forty five dollars per month, david for thirty 2-1/2 dollars per month, Wm is getting three hundred and thirteen dollars per year and I am tending a saw mill fore fifty eight dollars and a half per month (sic)." He goes on to say, "Good mar(e)s is wourth from 100.50 to 200 dollars, oxen is worth from one hundred and eighty to 200 and 50 dollars per yoke, cows is wourth one hundred dollars...(sic)." He then speaks of his wife with, "I suppose you heard of my troble and destress on the plains in losing my wife and children. Alfred, when I come to this part of my letter I lack fare words to express my trubble. My loss was grate in propity but nothing to that of a loving wife and children but it is the lord that gaveth and the lord takeith and bessed be the name of the lord. My wifes expressions with regard to her willingness to pass thew the valley and shadow of death will have along impression on my mind. I rejoice in the hope of meeting with hear again where we will be done sheding the parting tear. She died in the triumph of faith (sic)." He talks of his desires for the funeral and then says, "I am sary to tel you my too little children George and Serowan is not with me but I am proud to say they have got good homes (sic)." He concludes with a request of letters from family and friends and then says, "I expect some of you would have bin glad if I had a said some thing more a bout the cuntry. In my judg ment this is a grate cuntry and that is all the inducement that I will offer you (sic)" There is no mention of gold in this letter. This letter has been folded and has little paper loss It is 7-5/8" x 10", written on three pages. (personal reference #4212)
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November 18, 1850 Letter, Gold Rush Era Coorespondence from Anderson and Zilpha Jennings in Claibourne County, Tennessee to Charles and Elizabeth Lewis in Linn County, Missouri. This letter contains info about hardship, deaths and family news. They state, " Times is hard in this cuntry, Corn crops ar very indifferant this season. Corn is going to ?* avery good price. Other property at tolerable prices (sic)." They also say, "Their is a good many people leaving east Tennessee. Some for Arkansas & some for Texas and other places and their is a great many preparing to leave this state for verrious places to tedious to mintion (sic)." They tell of, "Our daughter Manerry who married Philip Bewly departed this life on the 30th day of May 1848 leaving one child whose name is Joseph and we ar keeping him and has bin sense her death. We arrived at their house some five minutes before she died but she was unable to speak or to reccognse us (sic). They speak of friend and relatives including Elizabeth Moore's father, David, "The old man is getting tolerable frail, he has lost his hearing more than when you saw him last." There is no mention of gold in this letter. There are holes in this letter as shown and it has been folded. It is 10" x 7-3/4", written on 3 pages. (personal reference #4198)
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From Marge Anderson - (Going for the Gold) You have some letters from Fielding Lewis, Lucinda Lewis and from Fieldings brother Charles in MO and his son Lee, from California, also from Lucinda (Moore) Lewis and her sister Elizabeth (Moore) Lewis"s parents David and Margaret (Sherman) Moore.
Fielding Lewis (born in Tenn June 22 1811) and Lucinda Moore Lewis (Born in Tenn) are my GG Grandparents. ( His son David Lewis born in Chariton Co. MO was father of my grandmother Ada Ann Lewis)
Also in Fieldings letter where he says he didn't have two of his children with him, the girls name is Sarah Ann Lewis, they have it as Serowan
Thank you
Marge Anderson
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California Gold Rush Era Correspondence from Lee Lewis in California to George Brownlee, his brother-in-law. Lee and his father Charles left Missouri in June 1850 to go to California in search of gold. This is a partial letter. The front page is missing but there is a wealth of information about the era in what is left of the letter. There is no date on it but because we know when Lee was in California we can place it in the time frame of 1850-1854. It begins with news of associates and then he reports, "Stock is high, mules and cattle but wagons are low. I can't sell my wagon for 50 dollars and it is a first rate wagon. If I had such a one at home I would consider it worth 85 or one hundred dollars in cash. Harness for a pair of mules is worth $50 (sic)." He switches gears here and says, "...have mother send brother William Henry to school as much as posable for an education. He will find (it) will do him no harm (sic)." He mentions Oregon in, "...I have not bin able to go but I saw a man that went to see the country and he told me that it was not as good a country as California but resembled it verry much. Well now I will give you my notion about California. The valleys are beautiful as level as the bottom ?* in Missouri and some of them verry productive for potatoes, cabage, turnips wheat and barley. Range is good, the grass now fine, timber is ?* out and boomes is now bloomed, the best of all a beautiful climate and the rivers plenty of fish and on the plaines plenty of elk, antelope and some grizzly bear and about the lakes, gees, duckes, trouts and so forth but the best valleys are taken up but balance of the contry is not worth a dam with the exception of the gold and that is not the tenth part as plenty as we heard it was all tho there is afew fortunes made by mining but oftener not more than will board them (sic)." He ends his letter with, "Give my respects to all the young ladies for I love to of them, one is Jane Boles and the other is not as it is getting late I must close my letter with respect I remain yours (sic)." This letter has little paper loss. It is 8" x 12" and written on one page and he used the backside to practice his penmanship. (personal reference #4319)
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Same as one before
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1853 Land Deed, Linn County Missouri. this deed is between David and Lydia McCollum and Russell Bean. It was sold for the sum of "...one hundred and Seventy-five Dollars (sic)". It was for, "...land lying in the County of Linn and the State of Missouri, to with, ?* the south west quarter of the south west quarter of Section Eleven Township fifty-eight of Range Nineteen containing forty acres to have and to hold the same with all the rights privileges and oppurtenances thereunto...(sic)". There is another part that starts out, "Be it remembered that David McCollum and Lydia his wife who is personally known to the undersigned Justice of the peace (Alfred S. Caswell) within and for said county to be the persons whose names are subscribed to the within deed...(sic)." It was filed and recorded July 9, 1853 by Jerimiah Phillips, Clerk of the circuit court of Linn County and has his seal. It is 12-1/2 x 8 inches and in excellent condition with a few small holes and folds.
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September 24, 1852 Letter, Gold Rush Era. Coorespondence from Lee Lewis in Marysville, California to his mother Elizabeth Lewis in Linn County, Missouri. This letter contains references about family news. Lee and his father Charles left Missouri in June 1850 to go to California in search of gold. He writes, " Dear mother, by the request of Charly I rite you a few lines as he is not able to rite him self. He has bin sick nearly all summer but I think he will be well enough in about six weeks to start home. He sais if the boys leaves home to rent all the ground you cant tend you self or get some person to sow it in small grain (sic)." He also speaks of, "I received some 3 or 4 letters lately which I read with pleasure..." There is no mention of gold in this letter. There are holes in this letter as shown and it has been folded. It is 11" x 8-1/2", written 2/3 of one side of the sheet. (personal reference #4197)
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