"a dweller on the path by the
hedge"
a letter from the Oklahoma Territory 1893
By: Demetrius E. Hedgpeth
Enid, O. T. Dec. 18, 1893
Mrs. C. Hedgpeth
Dear Wife;
This leaves here in the finest
weather I ever seen. This is a fine
country but not much timber.
Will has a claim that suits me
as well as any thing I have seen
plenty of water & a fine scattering
Hackbay trees, as fine a spring
as I ever seen, about 30 acres of
battam land with as fine grass
as ever grew - I speared a
Gass yesterday about 2 ft. long
the water is in pools 50 to 200 yd.
long to the Depth of 8 ft. with
quite a little branch running
from pool to pool.
[ pg. 2 ]
Elen is not satisfyed and wants
to go back to Logan Co.
Pap is here and as well pleased
over the claim as a little boy
with a new top. An Agt. offers to
put us on a claim 15 miles east
on Red-Rock for $50.00 each this is
the cheapest we have been offered
but it has no water.
Claims along in about Wills
is held at 500 to 1000$
Mr. Greenup & Clyde started yesterday
Marning to Alva [either 160 or 60] miles west of Wills
for a plat of 3 townships running
along the next range west of Wills
we think it being so far from
the Alva land office that people
going to that office would leave it
[ pg. 3 ]
for some thing closer to Alva
and it is a fine country and
telerably will watered with some timber -
I expected to hear from home
today - Saw Mr. Haller and told
him to let you have the tax money
is paid before I come back
you will have to sign Lovies name
in the certificate to pass it over to the Co.
Mr. Greenup will be back tomorrow
then we will take Wills wagon
and go to see the land will
be gone balance of this week.
Send me all the money you can
I am going to have a claim here if
it cost $500 or all the cattle & horses
[ pg. 4 ]
we have. I would rather have
a 1/4 here than all we have there
cattle & all the rest.
Milk Eggs & Butter is high but every
thing else as cheap as any where
patent flour retails at 90 [cent sign] per sack.
Enid is booming, every other building
is a saloon & the other are is [swiggly line]
well I will tell you when I get
home - Our RR fair to Enid
was &14.80 each.
I have can cl--ded [ - ? - ] I [ - ? - ]
Jane to write to send this to
Lucy to read and remail to
you at once as she is at
her P.O. I have sent 5 cards but
had no reply - will come to
the office tomorrow befor we start
[ pg. 5 ]
an our trip. Mr. Greenup is going
to take a Homested if we find any
thing to suit - think we will
be gone 3 or 4 and mabe 5 days
Lucy read this & send it at once to your Mama
Marvin take good car of the
stock and be a good boy to your
Mama - hope Maudie is well and
if she has gone to school send
this to her as go and bring to hand
Friday - Jennie Lovie & Hattie
learn all you can at school
there is no schools here - if Will
can get the money Lizzie will come
home with me to go to school. She
is law in arithmetic Schools until
[ pg. 6 ]
Organized and she wants to be able to
teach an the first opening of public Schools -
Pap is going up to Neb. next
Friday - Tam is at John's
Clyde is a little bit of a thing
but says he can handle a gun better
than to shoot at [ -? - ] [ - ? - ]
Bertha passes the time catching
turtles with a pitch-fork
Wills residence is 2 small dug out and a tent.
I think you will be weary
about here so I will give you
a rest.
Love to all
Hubba & Papa
----------------------------------------------------------------------
NOTES:
spelling is copied as it was written ...
the Pap mentioned here is Mahala's father Martin Palmer, and Will is son of Martin. Elen is Will's wife, and Clyde, Lizzie and Bertha are children of Will and Elen. Lucy, Lovie, Hattie, Jennie, Maudie and Marvin are children of Demetrius Hedgpeth and Mahala (Palmer) ... Marvin is my gr. gr'dpa . The Mr. Greenup, Mr. Haller, Tan and John, I don't know who they are yet, or if they tie into this family ? ?
One of my gr. Aunt's a daughter of Marvin, gave me a copy of this letter, several year's ago ... and it wasn't until June last year [2001] that I learned who many of these people were ...
It is believed Mahala and her children were still in Nodaway Co., Missouri at this time ...
The chain of event's at the Link below on the Clinton Co., Missouri Message Board, will explain how I learned who some of these people are, that were mentioned in this letter ... thank you again Jennifer :-) her 2nd gr. gr'dma is the Lizzie mentioned above ...
Clinton Co., Missouri Message Board follow the replies back and forth between Jennifer and myself ... as to how the info all fell together ...
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This website is maintained by Ken Hedgpeth