Robey Family

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Absalom Ketcham to William Robey, 1836

Note: Absalom Ketcham is the youngest son of Daniel Ketcham and Kezia Pigmon Lewis. His letter is addressed to his first cousin, William Robey, Jr., son of William Robey Sr. and Jemima Lewis. Their mothers were sisters. At the time of this letter, 1836, William Robey and the rest of the family had recently settled in what is now Stephenson County, Illinois. Every effort was made to preserve the original spelling, grammar, and punctuation. This letter is courtesy of Mrs. Jane King Fohn. R. Campbell, Ed.

Absalom Ketcham to William Robey
written December 25, 1836
Crawfordsville, Montgomery County, Indiana

Dear Cousin:
With pleasure I take my pen in hand to write to you for the first time, to inform you that myself and family is in good health at present & hope these few lines will find you and fmily enjoying good health also. Cousin William, I did expect to have bin in your part of the world last fall, but we had so much bad wether I gave it out, but I intend to see your part of the world in the Spring if life and health will admit. I saw two letters a year ago from you to Brother John giving your country a great name which has caused me to be very anxious to see it.

I want you to write to me so soon as you receive this, and let me know where you are living, and how times is, and to be sort I want you to give me a full account of your contry, the climate, fertility, health, trade, etc. We have excellent land here, as good perhaps as I could get anywhere else and well situated; my land is within half a mile of Crawfordsville (a very flourishing town" there is fourteen mills within five miles of my house and the most of them grist and saw mills, five of these within less than one mile of me. I have as good land as there is in the state. I can stand in my door and see our town. I have near fifty acres cleared and under good fence. Have built me a very comfortable brick house, have several good springs, have a small bearing orchard. I have nearly half a section of land. I suppose I could sell for thirty dollars per acre.

Now Cos. William, I want yhou (after giving me a full account of your country) to give me your advice whether to sell or not. I have understood there is a fine body of land on the [Iwa] river. That is the place that I have had a notion of going to see. I have understood that the surveyors has commenced surveying the Purchase on the West of the Mississippi.

I would like very well to git a job of surveying to do next season in that country. If you have any knowledge of a vacancy or any chance for me to git employ in that way, please let me know. I have all the necessary instruments and am doing business of that kind for our county at present.

Almost everything sells high here at this time. Land from 20 to 50 dollars per acre. Prk from $5 to $6.00 per Cwt. Beef $5.00 per Cwt. Salt $1.50 Flour $6.00 per Barrel Corn from 20 to 25 cents per bushel Horses, cattle and hogs high. Please write to me immediately after the reception of this and oblige yours. No more at present but remain yours with much respect.

ABSALOM KETCHAM