| Madison County Letters© - 5 Nov1842 Copyright 2000 Fredi Perry In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data and images may be used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages cannot be reproduced in any format for profit or for other presentation without express permission by the contributor(s) Ridge Prairie, Madison Co., IL, Nov. 5, 1842 Dear Caroline, We are all as well as usual. You have a little half-sister at Kingston Bluff. "Jane" requested me to name it. Whereupon I named it "Elisabeth Jane". Is not that a pretty name? There is a Presbyterian church established at Troy. Dr. Joel K. Reiner and Mr. James R. Perrigo, Jun. Are the Elders. The members are Elders Reiner and Perrigo and their wives, Mrs. Scott and 5 children, Bennet Posey, Elizabeth Goodin, Hardy Goodin, Ellen Davis, and Mrs. Kimberlin. Rev. Mr. Chamberlin preaches to them every other Sunday. Uncle David Gaskill died in September. Miss Margaret T. Henderson has died since. I am no longer Post Master. Mr. Thomas J. Brady has been appointed to fill my place so this letter will cost you 18 ¾ cts if you get it. I hope money is plentiful among the Badgers than among the (?) for here it provides us to raise portage money. There is a little letter in the Post Office directed to "Mr. George Churchhill, Postmaster". I have concluded that it is not from any of my relatives for they would know how to spell better. It is post-marked "Monroe, Wisconsin" and I cannot get it without paying 18 ¾ cts. And as it cannot have been written by you or any other Churchills, I have concluded to let it be. But perhaps you have changed the ancient and honored name of Churchill for some other. If so give us some hint of the matter. Send me a good long letter and I will try to buy it. I papered through Middleton yesterday, and perceived that your father's late (?) was still there. I learn that corn and potatoes have been sold at Alton for 8 cents per bushel. Hard times! When you write that long letter, please tell whether you are married or not, and to whom. Also about your mother, and Norman, and George, and Lucena (?) and Maria. Have you yet found out where Monroe is situated? There was an earthquake at Alton yesterday, a little after noon. No damage done. A huge brick building has been erected at Upper Alton for Shurtliff College. It looks odd, seen through the trees and oak bushes. Martin Alexander Blair is married to a girl named Lucitta Willis - Martin James Blair to a daughter of Mr. Swain, the tailor. Mr. Swain has joined the temperance society and removed to Collinsville. The Methodists expect to build a meeting house at Collinsville. This will be the nearest Methodist meeting to Kingston Bluff. I usually attend the Episcopal Church at Collinsville every other Sunday. Mr. Darrow preacher the other Sundays at Marine Settlement. There has been a great Temperance reformation in this region, and it has been followed by an extensive revival of religion. Old Isaac Holt has committed an assault upon Linus (?) Bates; given surety for appearances at court, and cleared out to Kentucky. William W. Hisss (?) has bought the old Goose Creek farm, and put up another log cabin on it. I reckon it would take a good many Middleton houses and lots to buy that farm now. Your Mother promised little George to me. If he were here, I would try to clothe him and send him to school, but I apprehend his father would not be satisfied till he got him home; and how he and the young Kingstons would agree, I cannot predict. But three boys in one family are too many to be profitable. I had a letter from Mary C. Weeks on the 18th Oct. All well there at Galesburg. Mr. Weeks had not yet raised his house. Times are very hard here. Potatoes are hauled to St. Louis and sold for 10 cts. A bushel. Corn, same place, 15 cts. What 37 ½ cts. Castor Beans at Edwardsville, 30 cts. White beans, 25 cts. Chickens are hauled from Edgar Co to St. Louis and sold for 20 cents per dozen. Old debts remain unpaid, and it is not very east to get trusted. Hail Moron, Esq. Died a few days since at Monticello, aged 49. A great loss to society. I remain your affectionate uncle, George Churchill. PS: It is expected that cousin Hannah will before long supply the world with another Perrigo. Your Uncle Levi is quite as well as common. I have built a nice little frame house for him, furnished it with cookstove and "fixings" and let him cook for himself. He wanted me to ?.I had furnished him with a new house, but I told him no. Since he finds that he is at perfect liberty to cook for himself or starve, he makes no more fuss about it. He shaves oftener than formerly at least. Once a month. He has cost me a great deal to support him in all his whim whams. GC I understand Mr. Weeks is making corn stalk sugar at Galesburg. |