Letter from Catharine Roberts in Cedar County, Iowa c. 1855?

ROBERTS, LUKENS, MOORE, WALKER

Posted By: Vanette Hobbs Hamilton (email)
Date: 12/12/2005 at 12:34:22

From Catharine Roberts to sister Martha Roberts Lukens in Ohio. Written between 1852 when Preston moved to Iowa and before 1864 when Preston died. Written sideways at beginning of letter: please write soon as you receive this direct your letter to ceder county Pee Dee post office

John Moore is married to Nancy Roberts. Thomas is their son. Catharine, Martha, Preston, Rebecca, and Maria are Nancy's siblings. Some of the others are probably Moore children, but as the given names are in the Roberts family also, it's impossible to be certain.

October th19
Dear brother and sister

I take my pen in hand to adress you a few lines the which I aught to have done be fore this. I new you had heard from us since we came heare as Margaret had writen back diferent times by that means we heard from you all their and now I must tell you how we are all geting a long heare are wellsatisfied with our new homes. John Moore and Preston giting long first rate John Moore has 120 pairie and 40 of timber he is improving it as fast as he can have built a frame house to large rooms up stairs and to down a pretty situation to build they live on a public road he will have a handsome farm in a short time he was such fine help three of his boys can do men work. Preston has 160 ackers of praire . . 25 of timber he built a new frame house this sumer they live but a litle peice from Johns Preston has a beautiful peice of land he is improveing it as fast as possiable they will have splendid farms in a few years. and do well I see nothing to hinder them as they have fair prospects if onley have heir healths & it tis healthey hear this simer with the exception of eague and thair is a goodeal heare this fall. Press and John has had the eague since heare but not lately
Thomas Moore has a light touch of the chills this few days is better the rest have enjoyed good health my health is rather better with in the last year yet I do not enjoy good health I am living at Johns I like the country firste rate. the sumer seasons beautiful the winter rather unplesant we had good roads all last winter not much rain some days would be verey windy and cold. would last to or three at a time. this will be a splendid countrey in a few years it tis setling up so fast thair is no land to enter through heare tis all bought up John nor Preston would not take 20 dolars per acker for thair land which they could get aney time they choose to sell land is raseing verey fast heare thair is going to be to railroads one each side of us the nearest one to us will be 5 miles from us thair is 5 hundred hands at work our nearest market is Muscateine on the Missippi river 18,, miles from us a good market . . . fruit is rather scarce through heare we go to the woods for fruit heare such as wild plumbs and grapes and crabaples as thair is aney quanity of theme heare thair will be a plenty of fruit heare in a few years as thair is some beautiful young orchards coming on I must tell you how Samuel is geting a long, I supose you heard that Margaret is maried she maried a man from Ohio by the name of Joel Walkers brothers son he is a bout 25 years of age not much taler then Mag he is a carpenter built Johns and Prestons house, gets as much woork as he can do he has 1,,25 ackers of land has built him self a frame house they live a bout three miles from us. Margaret done verey well marying got a good home an industerous man Samuel has broke up house keeping the to youngest children is with Margaret William and Martha is with one of our near neighbours Jesse is living with one of the neighbours close by Walkers Samuel is at Johns and expects to be untill he gets his corn in and then he is going to farm for Walker. Samuel seems to be well satisfied and the children they all see a greateal more sadesfaction then when keeping house and I consider much better for them all. Samuel has entered 40 ackers of land and wants to improve it after while so as to have a home of his own for the youngest children Martha will son be big enough to keep house for him his land a bout four miles from us Sam has a bout 40 ackers of corn in he made sale of 800 bu the other day. good as ever growed firste rate crops heare this season John expects to have a bout 28 hundred bu
I will shorteley have to bring this to a close as I have an opertunity of sending my letter to the office I dont no weather you can make out what I have writen try hard and read it I have not said half what I wish to say a bout Iowa if I onley could see you all what a sadesfaction it would be
I received a letter from Maria a bout 5 weeks a go she told us a bout you all thair spoke of Rebecca having a babe. O how I would like to see it if you wheare all heare so that we could see each other. you could live heare just as well as thair yet thair is just as maney disadvantages as well as aney other place and I would advise you to come and see the countrey first and satisfie your selves good many come heare and disapointed expecting to find the countrey more improved such as fine buildings and every thing at hand and live with out woork they find thair mistake i hope I may see you all some day
our love to you all and all enquireing friends

Catharine Roberts

Original transcribed by and in possession of Vanette Hamilton, descendant of Martha Roberts Lukens.