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Sunday, August 28, 2016

Another letter from Oregon dated April 29, 1852 One hundred sixty four years ago!

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.







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