John Lloyd was writing to his brother Robert Lloyd and his brother in law, Benjamin Mitchel (who was married to Anny Lloyd) from Marysville, Benton County, Oregon
To: Robert Lloyd or
Benjamin Mitchel
Granger
County Rutledge Tennessee
Return address:
______ Wils
Oregon ______1852
1852
Oregon Territory
Benton County April the 29
Dear Brothers and
Sisters also parents if alive this
leaves me and mine in the enjoyment of moderate health through the mercies of
god hopeing this may find you all in health and prosperity
It does look like my relations have forgot to write to us
for we have not received any letters from any of the connection in east Tennessee
in the last 3 years we have wrote several times we get letters from North
Carolina and Missouri if you have not learnt it I can inform you that father in
law has been dead 2 or 3 years
Cousin Betsy Smith died about a year ago I have wrote to you stating our youngest
daughter Melinda was dead but as we have no evidence of our own letters coming
to hand we will state again that Melinda died July 4, 1850 with the consumption
not long before she was takin sick she embraced a hope which hope we have as an
anchor of the soul both Sure and Steadfast and which entereh into that within
the veil wither the foreruner for us is entered.
As to my health it
has been generally very good my wife’s health has been bad for several years
though rather better than somon at this
time yet we are going down the
Steeps of time and our sun will get to rise no more we have not joined any church since we
came to Oregon as there is no church in reach of us but the Methodists and all
the most of them knows about religion I think is to talk about it if the
Methodists would learn to do as well as to say and wach as well as to pray or
rather coming over a form of prayers they would be less objectionable with me
but to their to own master they stand or fall
I can inform you that Nancy Mculloch and her daughter Mary
has joined the Baptist church I will
now say a little about Oregon where the
grass grows through out the year with the exception of July August and
September and the last named month also if we have rain which is seldom the
past grass has been good for the last
three years so we have no feeding of cattle and horses to do Oregon is an easy country to live in money
plenty porvisions plenty of groceryes plenty and cheap inproportion to the
money in the country I will give you a
short history of prices horses comon
from 150 to 250 dollars sows and
calves 50 to 75 dollars oxen 100 to
150 dollars bacon 25 cts per pound sugar 8 to 12 cts per pound coffy
19 to 18 cts per pound labor 2 dollars per day gold is easy obtained in the county and
the gold brings the merchant dire of all
nations to California and Oregon
My dear relations I
have no expectations of ever seeing any of you in this life god almighty has blessed us with the good
things of this world in abundance since we came to Oregon may god bless you all both
Spiritualy and temporaly and grant that
it may be all your happy lots to live as you would wish to die so fare you will
John
Lloyd
Nancy
Lloyd
write to me and direct your letters to Benton County Marysville
Oregon Territory
Yes, these are the original letters and I transcribed them the best I could! Some portions are hard to read.
But we learn how difficult it was to communicate across the miles in April of 1852. Can you imagine going years without knowing about your parents or your family?
I learned that he has a Cousin Betsy Smith and that is daughter died of consumption. And he wasn't fond of Methodists!
Nancy Mculloch and her daughter, Mary, joined the Baptist Church. Somehow they are related, but I am still working on that! I do know his mother's maiden name was Mculloch.
The price of commodities in Oregon is interesting! Sugar is 8 to 12 cents per pound! (today's market price is from 74 cents to $1.00) Coffee is 19 to 18 cents per pound. And people worked for $2.00 a day. And gold is easily obtained!
And no expectations of ever seeing family again.
But the best part is having their signatures.
Yes, these are the original letters and I transcribed them the best I could! Some portions are hard to read.
But we learn how difficult it was to communicate across the miles in April of 1852. Can you imagine going years without knowing about your parents or your family?
I learned that he has a Cousin Betsy Smith and that is daughter died of consumption. And he wasn't fond of Methodists!
Nancy Mculloch and her daughter, Mary, joined the Baptist Church. Somehow they are related, but I am still working on that! I do know his mother's maiden name was Mculloch.
The price of commodities in Oregon is interesting! Sugar is 8 to 12 cents per pound! (today's market price is from 74 cents to $1.00) Coffee is 19 to 18 cents per pound. And people worked for $2.00 a day. And gold is easily obtained!
And no expectations of ever seeing family again.
But the best part is having their signatures.
