Dear Friends at home. I am at the hotel. That lay over at plug throwed me back just one day. I was late at Chicago had to take slow train, got hear at dark last knight had good place to stay 1.50 for bed & breckfast will take the fast train at 10:45 will get to Colorado Springs at eight in the morning if nothing happens. Saw some beautiful country also missipi R & Mo R you ought to se cars & street car running on trussle as high as our house here in the city grub all right- will last til Col Springs
J.D.Hann
(note, have no idea when written, one page maybe back of post card? If so maybe date on other side)
Well I was to church last night Moses and Abe also. Aaron preferred to stay and practice writing. I never in all my life heard such eloquence. The subject was conscience. We all agree in asserting that it was by far the greatest sermon we ever heard.
We go into the practical business department again this morning. I tell you we have to work there with lighting speed. I t makes us write about as fast as Grier can talk better think. So our writing does not look any better than this which I am doing in that style. Why didn�t you send us a Harvey�s picture. I would be glad to see the chap again.
Better some of you come in about the time we go up to our folks. Aaron and
Abe have jus finished stirring the meal in for mush. They have it so thick they
have to take both hands to stir it. Aaron has about 15 cents and Moses and I
narry red any more and Abe's pile is getting very small and if you do not soon
dispatch us that money Moses spoke about in his last, we will soon be in a
predicament as we will perhaps want to leave here about ten days hence. Please
send it immediately. Perhaps you are not in receipt of the letter if not we want
enough to get us some clothes and to ta us until we can get w? lafs. I want an
entire new suit. Aaron owes the company about six dollars now. Send us about
sixty dollars if you please. I will want half that much my self
(note: no
signature on letter, two pages but must have been another. From contents sound
like it may have been from Samual Puterbaugh about early 1870�s. Aaron would
have been about 21 and Moses 27, Moses didn�t marry until 1875, don�t know who
it was written to but think it was Phebe. She married James Hann in 1869)
Dear Son & Daughter
I take up my pen once more to communicate a few
lines to you. We received your letter giving an account of your sale new
purchase and intended removeal we don�t know wheather to rejoice in the
transaction or not being unacquainted with many of the circumstances but we hope
it will be a means of bettering your condition we are anxious to hear something
more from you. Therefore we wish you to write immediately upon recept of this
and give us a circumstanciel account of your new home the course from Peru the
distance from the Walbash the nature and appearance of the soil the kind and
quality of the timber and wheather it is level or hilly et. Et. As it regards
our health we are much as common at this time John�s family likewise, we got a
letter from Oliver R. a few days ago he was well then, xxxx we have not heard
from Zadok nor Lorenzo for some time they were well the last account Jonas was
home some six weeks ago on his way out to the Wabash and we recd a letter from
him since he got home he said the reason he did not go by your house was on
account of high water I presume from his letter that he knew nothing of your
moving he said his family was well then and Josiahs also a short time previous.
Mother says you must make little bags the size of your finger or so and fill them with assifeadida and comphor and each one of you wear one round your necks to prevent the return of the chill and fever. She has got it into her head that it is an effectual remedy, nothing more but subscribe myself
Your father
James Dougherty
B. & M. Hann
(note; Oliver R-20;
Zadok-23; lorenzo-26; Mary Ann(Hann)-29; Eliza (Hatfield)-32; John-39.
Dear Children
Having heard nothing from you or some time and not knowing
certain wheather you have heard from us or not. I concluded I would give you
some account of our circumstances. Jonas and his family and Bell and his family
arrived here on the 25th of May but much to our disappointment Jonas had
declined going out to your house for we had been making pretty strong
calculations on going but as he had purchased an interest in his uncles mills he
had given up all idea of buying land. Josiah left here in a few days after they
came to go out to St. Joseph to see his land and try to fell it and was to come
by your house on his return home and we expected a letter from him immediately
upon his arrival at home and by that means expected to hear from you but in
vain. I have watched the Post office almost daily for the last two weeks we can
get no intelligence from them therefore we don�t know wheather he has been to
your house or not. I had a business letter from Jonas in a week after they left
here he stated that Emily was confined the night they got to his house. She made
another miscarriage but at that time was likely to do well. we have been very
anxious to hear from her as her health is so extremely bad, as it respects our
health have my own as usual has been very bad your Mother is much as common.
John�s wife has been very ailding this spring and summer but she is better at
this time. The boys were all well the last account. Oliver R. was at home in May
and fetched a girl of the name Catherine Sims with him in the form of a wife. He
is permanently settled (for the time at least) in Martinsville.
I am still very desireous to come out to your house if I knew how to get there. I don�t know that I could stand it to ride a horseback and I dread the stage but if life and health permits I think I will get out there sometime this summer. We would be very glad to see a letter from you soon with unceasing solicitude for your happines and well being I subscribe my self as ever??
Your father James Dougherty
Benjin & Maryan Hann
(Note: Jonas is Jonas Hatfield, husband of daughter Eliza Bell is Josiah Bell, husband of daughter Emily)
I recd. Your letter of Jan 28th 1862 containing the money all safe, as it
regards our health it hardly seems worth while to repeat the story of our
complaints and sufferings but sometimes I feel as if I was going down very fast
it hardly seems possible in the nature of things that I can hold out much longer
but then at other times I kind of recover a little and thus I linger on from day
to day but as a matter of course my time in this world is growing short about
coming to a close. I have now entered upon my 78th year. Sometimes I feel ready
and willing to go when ever the summons may come, at other times I confess I
feel a kind of recoiling or drawing back at the idea of death and the grave but
upon the whole I feel willing to trust all to God and abide my time as best I
can. as it respects Mothers health, it is not much different from common. She
complains a great deal but keeps up and going. Jonas�s family is tolerable well,
he has joined the Church of the United Brethren they have gathered in some forty
odd I think at Washington. Lorenzo�s son-in-law name is Carson Rodman but I have
no knowledge as to what Regiment he belongs to or what his Capt. name is I have
not received a letter from Lorenzo nor any of the family since last fall was a
year. I think he conducts himself very strange toward his old parents. there
appears to be a great deal of sickness in the camps in Kentucky. Daniel
Bradberry got a letter yesterday informing him that his grand son Luther Wilson
was at the point of death he started immediately to go to him but as your John,
has had one spell of the fever, he may possibly escape.
We send our Love to
you all,
James Doughterty
B.& M.A. Hann
Dear Husband
Received your letter yesterday that was written when you was
on the steamer. We are all in pretty good health, Ida is still here, will stay
till thursday. It rained here until yesterday about noon, last night it turned
cold it is blowing today and disagreeable to be out, but the sun is shining and
I think is thawing a little in the sun. I suppose from what you wrote that this
will be the last we will need to write.
I will close as Emmet is waiting for me,
Yours, P.A.Hann
(note; Don�t
know who Emmet is, date is November 24, 1891, Ida�s first born, Bertha was born
12/23/1891 in Logansport)
Dear Husband
Received your letter yesterday that was written when you was
on the steamer. We are all in pretty good health, Ida is still here, will stay
till thursday. It rained here until yesterday about noon, last night it turned
cold it is blowing today and disagreeable to be out, but the sun is shining and
I think is thawing a little in the sun. I suppose from what you wrote that this
will be the last we will need to write. I will close as Emmet is waiting for me,
Yours, P.A.Hann (note; Don�t know who Emmet is, date is November 24, 1891, Ida�s
first born, Bertha was born 12/23/1891 in Logansport)
Dear Father-
We received your letter of 26th today. Ma is getting so she
watches the office about as close as you do. I quit school a couple of weeks
ago. I complained so much I just quit. Florence is down at Ida�s this week.
George Klice and Rose Byres were married this evening you ought to be here and
get some of the beer. Charley says tell you he is not ready to get married yet
so I guess you well haft to get me another coat. The children have your picture
out looking at it tonight some of them said they wished it was you instead of
your picture.
Lola Barnet and Ed Barker are very bad sick. Harry has got the sore throat and Emmet is about down with a cold in his lungs.
Well I will close, Ma will write some in the morning.
Lizzie
Dear Father
I am as well as usal. I cannot think of much to write. We had
vacation thanksgiving and the day after we was over to Wrightses thanksgiving
but had no turkey. I have only missed one day of school yet. I guess the little
colt is still getting blaker. I guess that is all now
Ethel
Dear Husband
We are all stirring this morning, but Emmet is about sick
with cold. Harrys throat is pretty sore but he seems well enough otherwise. We
had company last night, A man with a peg leg came along after dark and wanted to
stay all night, and of course he staid. He lost his leg railroading about 9 yrs.
Ago, he had been to Indianapolis getting his wooden leg, and was footing it home
or from Tipton to Logansport, he was also minus thumb and fore finger on the
right hand which he said he had lost five yrs. Before he did his leg.
Our Baptist preacher was back again last week and preached 4 nights at plug and had social meeting. Thanksgiving day. He came home with us and took dinner that day, and then came back and staid all night and I took him to Bunker the next day.
His name is Carver he is pastor of Deer creek church and lives on Bre, Wardo place. The people over here seem to like his preaching. There was meeting commenced at Plug last night by somebody, I don�t know who. Burris says it is to continue three weeks.
The people organized a Mission Sunday school in the schoolhouse last sunday. They elected Odell supt, and J.D.H for Assistant. Neither party was present. George Rife and Perry husked corn yester forenoon, the mud got so deep they quit at noon, there is about one days husking yet. We got a quarter (hind, of calf from Aaron Monday will exchange some of ours for it when we butcher it is very nice.
Jennie heard in town yesterday that Galbreath is down with some kind of
fever. The Scarletine is thick about Plug. Barnett says he is so busy he has a
notion to run off where folks can�t find him. I wrote a card to you to Florence
suppose you got it, if you inquired. Got a card from Abigail last week they are
well. Marshal, Edgar Phillips and Emma Phillips were here for dinner last
sunday. If you visit Blins and Humberts, give them my respects and tell them we
would like to have them visit us. I am afraid you will be spoiled by the time
you get home.
Yours, Phebe A. Hann
(note: Lizzie- Mary Elizabeth Hann age
16, Charlie- Charles Foust whom she married three months later, Ethel- Emma
Ethel Hann age 10, can�t place Emmet, Phebe�s other children at home would have
been Minnie Belle age 12, Arthur LeRoy age 8 and Harry Wilber age 6, Lola
Barnett married William Marshall Kinsey two years later, her father David was
the local Doctor.)
Friends at home,
Ida has a nice fat little girl, weighs between four and
five lbs. I don�t know what you will do about somebody coming down. I expect
Cara won�t want to come until after the holidays, you can see her and see what
she says about it. If it wasn�t for putting away the sawsage, I suppose I could
stay a few days. Alva is awfully tickled over the girl but he wanted a boy
pretty bad. Fix things up to suit all around the best you can, if somebody don�t
come down, write soon. the smokehouse key was in the top bureau drawer in the
sitting room if not there it must be in the north cupboard somewhere.
Ida wants GrandPa to come and see the baby. Alva says all come down
Christmas. They say they are going to have a turkey roast for the girl, but I
tell them I won�t roast the turkey.
P.A.Hann
(note: Phebe must have been at Ida and Alva�s when Bertha was born, could Cara be John Rush Hann�s wife Carie? If so she must not have moved to California yet)
Dear Brother & Sister;
We recd your letter yesterday with the PO
order for 25 dollars, that leaves $32.60 interest & all up to Nov. 1 the
interest from now on is about � cent a day. So you can count it yourself. I
collected $16.50 on the Fletcher note that we never expected to get- your share
of that would be $3.30 it cost me 60 cts to get that mortgagee canceled. Take
that from 3.30-. 60= 2.70 take 2.70 from 32.60=29.90 that would leave $29.90.
Nov 1 with � ct interest a day until paid now I guess you have it plain so you
can see first how it stands. I was up to Bunker yesterday, was up to Haggerties
a little while. We have had a big snow storm, snowed two days. All day it melted
all the time & when it quit the snow was 4 or 5 in deep. It goes off very
slow has been two days and there is plenty of snow yet we are all well Minnie is
some better but improves slowly. Your rent will soon commence from your house. I
sold my hogs the other day sold 20 got 390 per hundred brought 167.90 must close
write soon
J.D.Hann
(Note; don�t know who he is writing to, his father Benjamin died the year before, his mother had already passed away, only living brothers and sisters including in-laws were John Rush & Carie living in California, Alonzo & Lucinda living in Kansas, and Francis & Lafayette Flagg living nearby in 1898. Pheobe Haggerty his sister had died the year before. Minnie is their 20-yr. old daughter. How would Harry get this letter? THEORY- we have Francis in California at time of her death, would she and Lafayette have gone to California to live near John and rented their house (in Bunker Hill?) after their father died?))
Private for Phebe
Inasmuch as it is natural for me always to have
something secret to say to you, I thought it proper for me to devote a sheet to
you especially. Not much has been said between us since last summer, concerning
the topics then discussed. Not that I did not need your love and sympathy, but
for some unknown reason. The gulf between me and my God seems to have widened a
great deal since then. I seemed to grow negligent and careless and almost wished
I had never become a member of the church. But I thank him tonight that I did
accept the principles of salvation.
I am different from what I was five short months ago. I actually believe I am a great deal better than I was then. Do not understand that I am trying to say that I am good, for I realize too distinctly that I am far far from the right. Had it not been for the blessed experiences of the past few weeks, I might not have been able to say what I have said. (Pardon me for telling it but I can�t keep it from you as my own confiding sister).
I have found a friend that seems very dear to me, not only seems but, is. Why should she not be dear to me. For she has turned my downward course to the opposite. I have spent some of the sweetest moments of my life with her. Not only the sweetest but some of the bitterest. But those bitter moments were sweetened by the sympathy of a Christian. I can not help but say that I shed the bitterest flood of tears in her presence that I ever shed in my life. They were the tears of true repentance and I solemnly resolved then to live nearer to God and to my fellow men. Since then I can feel a difference in my desires and affections. Oh! May God bless you Phebe for what you have done for me. Pray for me. I have resolved to help myself and will you lend your assistance as you ever have done? I must close. Write soon.
H.B.Puterbaugh
By the way you asked about Maggie. We have �busted�. I claim a good reason for the same but I shall never forget the good influences she has had over me. She is a good girl. Probably the finest in that part of the country. I would like to write a whole volume this evening but I must go to sing. We have prayer meeting this evening. Subject, Hope. Good bye.
(note: Mount Morris College is no longer in business, they had a bad fire in the late 1930�s and closed)