Hank's Letters
Far West, Galena Lead Mines, October 17, 1834
Beloved and kind parents:
After a stroll of three miles out of town to see the waters of the Mississippi, I find time to ease your anxiety for the present concerning your far distant son.
You, I suppose, have heard by John's letter that I started afoot and alone for the far West. From Chicago about fifteen miles west the land is poor and level; after this there is but very little level land to the Mississippi. For the first hundred miles in my travel I saw none but what was tillable and the greater part of it as fine a soil as I ever saw, the land just rolling enough for convenience and beauty. Since that not one-fourth of the country is tillable. It outdoes the turnpike for steepness and continuation of hills though not so high. I found the boys Tuesday noon within six miles of the highest settlers on Fox river. This handsome river is about fifty rods wide, a shallow stream with gravel bottom. We spent two and a half days up the river looking for locations and in justice to the country I must say that in goodness it surpasses anything that I have yet seen; so much so that I am perfectly satisfied with the choice I there made.
My claim and Elisha's are joining, six miles above any settlers and about three miles from the river on the east side on a stream of water about the size of Spaldings spring run with a gravel bottom, three feet bank and dry. The land begins to rise from the banks. For beauty, convenience and goodness take the three together, and I think my choice surpasses any lands I ever saw. The soil when plowed up and wet is so black that it would be difficult to distinguish by the color between a pile of charcoal and of earth the distance of thirty rods. The prairie is on the creek, the timber back, which is an uncommon thing in this country. The prairie land rises from the creek about three feet in a hundred, the timber more; for further particulars look at my map. John's claim is about ten miles from mine on the other side of the river in the settlement. His is a good claim; creek on one side. There is a chance for a number of good farms joining mine not yet taken. They are now running a straight road from Chicago to Galena, which will go somewhere between John's and my claim; then I shall not be more than thirty miles from Chicago. But from these pleasing news to my sad tale. The boys started for Chicago, I started for Galena alone; down the river for fifteen miles, the most of the way my road nothing but an Indian Trail. I got within two miles of the Galena Road and a man told me that if I would strike across the prairie I would gain two miles and would reach a house where they keep travelers. About 4 o'clock, I had three crackers in my pocket, so I thought I would do without my dinner for the sake of gaining two miles. I soon reached the Galena road, the best one for walking I ever saw; I pushed cheerfully along, not knowing any more about the road than you do, except that the houses were scattering and that it was necessary for a fellow to have his pockets full of provision, which I had intended doing when necessary. I kept the main road though there were paths; put off until 5 o'clock looking for a house and I saw none. I began to mistrust that I might have come past it, but could not fully believe it until 7 or 8 o'clock, then I gave it up that I had passed it.
The prairies were afire all around me; I had to pass through one chain. A prairie fire is about as large and handsome as that hill fire which came from Mr. Farnums's two years ago. At 8 o'clock I came to a creek on the edge of the prairie, and as the prairies were from three to ten miles across, and finding some straw which assured me no house was near, I gathered the straw in one arm and found a bush in which I fastened my umbrella to break off the wind from me, I committed myself to the care of my Maker and laid down. Here you may think not to sleep, but I can assure you that I was not afraid and I slept half of the night. The fires that were burning on all sides of me at night had disappeared in the morning. In the morning I was faint from fasting, but moderately traveled on, expecting that I would soon find a house. My first prairie was about ten miles across, and half of the way I could not see a tree in any direction, The smoke prevented my seeing more than three miles, when I espied a woods ahead. Hope revived and I pushed on in hopes of finding a house, but alas, I soon found to all appearance an unbounded prairie before me again. I gathered some acorns and passed on to a brook; there sat down to breakfast on cold water and bitternuts. I traveled on till noon and then met a boy on horseback and from him I begged two small biscuits and found that I had but ten miles further to travel before I would find a house. Thus ended my troubles, except that my boots blistered my feet some. I reached the house between 3 and 4.
The land in Illinois is clay, while Michigan is sand.
I am at Rock river, within 100 miles of Chicago.
J.C.H. Oct.21
Prairie Fires
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