Category Archives: Fayette Friday

Fayette Friday – Eudora Scofield #2

Letter transcription:

Bloomington Ill. Nov 28th 79
Miss Lena Scofield
Connersville Ind.

Dear Aunt:—

We enjoyed our ride far as Indianapolis—There we had good rest, But from “there” it was very rough road to travel—The car was warm then cold—Ma took very sick about an hour before we arrived—Pa was in to meet us—went to the Tavern—staid until about ten o’clock—If Pa had staid half hour—

[page 2] longer [Tavern] I would had “fit”—for I had not slept any—until hour before he came with the carriage—then was asleep—They had a time to get me awake & I was sick when I awoke—Well just before I got home was very much better—never saw a more beautiful place—you must not think I am bragging to much—for I never saw many places “you know” But—Connersville is the best place in the winter & how I wish was home, write soon tell all about the weather and every thing—will be of interest to me, but here is no gravel or hills, springs,—all black clay—it has

Eudora’s letter, pages 1 and 4

[page 3] rained last three days—and the mud—have mercy on us if we don’t write as soon as you expect for can not get to the city while it is so wet horses sink not feet—it is worse than sinking in the “Snow Drift.” It was very beautiful here the first two days This is a beautiful place—so many houses around us, all are large two story frame houses. Ours is one of the same—about as far from the raod as your house is—a large veranda in front—an other on the south—extending from the parlor to the kitchen—two front rooms, back there a large

[page 4] dinning room—has seven doors—two windows—I was glad when they were all cleaned back, this room—bed room and kitchen—back the kitchen an other room—with pump [?]—a place to go down celler, which is under all the six rooms, at the left a wood house well I have describe this enough to say, this is a very nice house every thing so handy—closets and wardrobe in every room But the parlor,—the house is painted very nice, If you only could get a crowd to come

Eudora’s letter, pages 2 and 3

[page 5] out to see me I would be fixed—It will be a grand place in the summer time, I like the—place very much—But am so lonesome nearly spoils it all—I can now realize how it is with Aunt—Minnie, try to come out next Spring! There is five suckers south as [brothers] close as Faircer is to Gilchrist—when I speak of suckers—mean those males older than myself An handsome one lives east—he was here yesterday—is going to school in the City—this is his last year at school.

[page 6] Then there are twelve North of here, the city is west—when I find out how many is there will let you know. All these neighbors live close, as you do to Martins’. a Tileing factory is south west—also a brick yard about two equars, what I have seen of the neighbors here, are rich and very nice. A school teacher lives in the second house south. The school house is a mile east from us. But we think sending Arthar & Minnie to school in the City—which will be about a mile and half for them walk. We expect to have Uncle

Eudora’s letter, pages 5 and 8

[page 7] Doc Sunday for dinner. We can hear the Christin Bell ring—beautiful tone. I have not seen any young ladies yet. Tell J. S. poor chance in the west. Hope that he may get one before he starts. You & him can elope with me a week or longer.—plenty room for six or less. I am going to rais chickens. Turkeys, gooses—We have our pigs and cow and Organ. Tell J. S. I am going to rais a Turkey especially for him, Hyatt L. can have all prairie-chicken he wants—You ought to have been here second day the three boys and Pa went out to kill a

[page 8] prairie chicken that was in the Garden I never laugh more—they m[?] it, and LeRoy came in saying he wore Eugene’s boot—instead he had wore out here one Pa’s. Then we all laught until we cryed. I haven’t smiled since until yesterday—you can gues who to, “He is a Daisy” I have not been to the City since I left Sunday. I have wrote this in Haste so please excuse mistakes from your Neice

Eudora R. S.

Eudora’s letter, pages 6 and 7

P.S. if R. H. S. comes back you see him tell him to write—

[top of page 7-8] as he promised if I left Connersville the hours how swifty they past. Goodnight. Give my love to all Aunts, Uncles cousins—and Friends. To yourself especially we are all well at present hope you are the same Amen

[top page 1] I have looked through everything “But was all in rain.”—for my earrings. You have not found them please watch maybe you will see or find them Obige your Neice.

Envelope of Eudora’s letter, addressed to Lena Scofield, her aunt

©2017 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2017/08/18/fayette-friday-eudora-scofield-2/

Fayette Friday – Fannie L. (Gilchrist) Merrell #2

A second letter from Fannie Gilchrist to Lena Scofield. It is not clear whether this is the first letter or the second, since last week’s letter did not include the year. While this letter describes part of Fannie’s journey to Iowa, it could have been written months afterwards. Fannie becomes a great contemporary witness to the fire that destroyed Chicago in October 1871, as she mentions traveling through a burnt section of the city.

Letter transcription:

Marion, Iowa Dec 14th, 72

Dear Lena

I received your letter and was very glad to hear from you. I thought you was going to wait until I wrote. O! how I wish I could see you and tell you all the news you want me to tell you all about my journey it would have been very pleasant – if I had been well it makes me have the head ach to write on the cars It was in the after noon when we crossed the Mississippi and the sun was shining and it did look so pretty I wish you could of seen it there is an island in it with two houses on it – there was a lady on the cars that told me they was not nice people that lived there. Lake Michigan was so pretty the sun was shining on it – which made it look beautiful. Did you ever see a wind mill? I saw so many of all shapes they did look so funy. On getting off the cars

[page 2] at the great Union Depot at Chicago we had to get in the to go to the well street Depot and going from one Depot to the other we passed through the burnt part of the city. I saw a great many people there was a carrage passed us and I think the women that were in the carriage was Nun’s they did look so funy. I reached the end of my journey between 8 and 9 o’clock I was very tired. I spend my Thanksgiveing at home I was invited out but did not go, Miss Small was here for dinner. Are you making any Christmas presents? Lena pleas tell Em and Min I would like to write to them but have not time I send my love to them. Is Mary there yet? You say you wish I could see Zella I would like to very much. I send my love to Pauline and ask her if she does not want to take a sleigh ride this winter. You want me to tell you all about my school I am acquainted with all of the girls of my size and most all of the large ones I have not had an introduction to any of the boys and I do not want any the boys here are

[page 3] are no better than they are there. I like some of the girls real well. I sit with Alice Cook I think she is a very nice little girl. Alice and I got weighted and I weigh 104 Miss Small think I am flesher than when I first came. I go with Effa Whipple the most of the time she is my cousin she is as large as I but not as old. I have not been to see her but twice since I been here and she does not live far from our house I was over to her house yesterday evening and we had a real nice time she played on the Piano and I sang. Aunt Abbie said I might go to the Literrary so Effa Anna and their Ma called for me and I went with them. We had a real nice time it was at the public school there are three Literrary socities here. Are they going to have a tree Christamas at our church? We were going to have a supper Christamas eve I gues they are going to put it off until the horses get better so the country people can come and then we are going to have a sleigh ride before supper won’t that be nice? I should think

[page 4] Anna Quinn would have been ashamed of her self that piece that was in the Gazette, was she not? What made them put it in? Does Ella Quinn go over to our house? You ask me if I do not think of staying here two years I would like to go to school two years for I think I know very little for a girl of my age. How can they get Mr. Bippetoe when He is superintendant of the College? You ask me if it is so that Emma was going to be married I don’t know what you mean I never said any thin about her going to marry. Lizzie has not answered my letter yet. Have you heard from Ella lately? The wind is blowing real hard to day you ought to hear it – some time I know it would scare you. My new dress is done it is trimed with satten of a darker shade it is made with a polinase buttoned up behind it has three folds on the upper skirt and a ruffle and Miliners fold above that and between the two there is a fold of satten on the lower skirt there is a broad piece of bias satten I think it is very

[top margin] pretty. I am going to wear it tomorrow. You did not tell me what you did on Election day did you ride on the wagon? It was as still as could be here it seemed so funny for it was all ways so noisy there. Next week is examination. I have to learn sum poetry this afternoon for next Friday. I wish you would tell me all about the Rivel Sisters and Bone of Contention Aunt does not take that paper she take the Presbeter. I am readying that story I think it is real interesting. There is some snow on the ground – When you write please tell me what they done with Dickey. Are my flowers growing nice? O! how I wish I could see you. I was invited to a party not long ago Aunt thought I had better not go she said she did not like for me to be out at night and the boys and girls were not as old as I. I found out afterwards that they danced and cut up high. They always have refreshments at parties here. How do you wear your hair

[top margin 2] I cannot [?] mine fit to be seen my [?] teeth are broke and my come is to big. Emma all ways fixes it on Sabbath for me. I send my live to our family tell Ma I will write next week When you write ask me all the questions you want to about my school or anything else I belive I have told you every thing I can think of pleas write soon and pleas excus all mispelled words. I shall look for a letter evry week now from your Friend Fannie L. Gilchrist

P.S. I send my love to all a good part of it for you good by write soon

 

© 2017 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2017/08/11/fayette-friday-fannie-l-gilchrist-merrell-2/

Fayette Friday – Fannie L. (Gilchrist) Merrell #1

During the early 1870s, most likely 1872 or 1873, Fannie Gilchrist moved from Connersville, Indiana, to Marion County, Iowa, with her family. Fannie’s sister Zella has conflicting birth locations in 1872, either in Iowa or Fayette County. While Fannie’s brother Clifford, born in 1873, always claimed Indiana as his birthplace. Regardless, Fannie’s family seems to have moved back and forth between Fayette County and Iowa. Fannie married in Fayette County, in 1877, and remained there until the deaths of her husband and son in the early 1910s. Fannie’s parents moved to Iowa before 1900 and were buried across the border in Kansas.

Lena and Fannie most likely attended school together in Connersville as young girls and teenagers. Born in November 1856, Fannie was about 16 when this letter was written.

 

 

Letter transcription:

Marion Iowa May 30th

Dearest Lena

I thought I would send you a little note with Ma’s letter to let you know that I have not forgotten the nice times we use to have. I hope you will excuse me for not answering your letter, I intend to as soon as possible. O! I want to see you so very much. I am so sleepy I will have to close this long note. P.S. Please excuse paper. From Fannie to dear Lena.

 

 

©2017 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2017/08/04/fayette-friday-fannie-l-gilchrist-merrell-1/

Fayette Friday – Eudora Scofield

Fayette Friday is a new series of posts on Fridays. My maternal grandfather, Eugene McGraw, a native of Fayette County, Indiana, counted among his ancestors many early settlers and leading citizens of the county. In the early 2000s, after visiting my grandfather in Indiana, I brought back to California a small family archive which included dozens of letters saved by my great grandmother, Ina (Kerschner) McGraw. My grandfather rescued them when he cleaned out his parents’ house in the 1970s. The collection contains a variety letters written to Ina, her siblings, aunts, uncles, and extended family. The letters connect many of the early nineteenth century Fayette county families, primarily the Scofields, Kerschners, and the Hacklemans.

Letter from Eudora Scofield to Hyatt L. Frost, undated.

  • Written before 1885 when Eudora married Osmond J. Condon in McLean County, Illinois
  • Also likely before 1880 when Eudora resided in Bloomington, Illinois
  • Hyatt L. Frost married Dora Burkheiser in 1882, Fayette County, Indiana
  • Eudora – born 24 August 1861, Connersville, Indiana, daughter of Thaddeus and Ellen (McCann) Scofield
  • Hyatt L. Frost – born 28 June 1860, Harrison Township, Fayette Co., Indiana, son of Eli and Melsena (Kerschner) Frost

Letter transcription:

Miss Eudora Scofield

presents her compliments to Mr. Hyatt Frost and solicits the pleasure of his company Friday evening 27th inst.

Connersville Indiana

©2017 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2017/07/28/fayette-friday-eudora-scofield/