1854 LETTER FROM NICHOLAS & MARY STEPHENS - Transcript & notes by Joe Stevens of Blair Co., PA

Benton Coy Iowa Oct 8th 1854

Dear Son with pleasure we received and read your letter and finding you all in good health. We are all well at present hoping these lines may find you all enjoying the Same blessing. You stated you rote two letters before this but we received none but this and thought you had forgotten us we did Not know where to rite to you or we would have ritten to you long agoe I want you to do the Best you can with them half notes we had a very hot summer here but in general healthy with the esception of a little pague and some distentary. Times are good here crops ware good in this Country and we had our grain thrashed this weak and had all most eight hundred bushels. Corn crops are good potatoes are not so good as Last year and demaind a hier prise. They are worth 60 cts per bushel wheat is worth 75 cts and I think it will be a dollar before long. Oats is worth 25 cts. Corn I think will be 34 cts per bushel rye is worth one dollar at seven per. Cattle are coming down but horses are still heigh yet I was offered one hundred and twenty five dollars for bill and ninety for the two year old filly we have dug a nother well close to the house and have plenty of good water in it we had several big Meetings here with the united Brethren and the Methodist we have a little Methodist preacher here that can knock the socks off of any thing in the west he is an English man by Birth the name of right (1) and I think he is named rite we had him to help us harvest and he is one of the most industries men that can be found we would like to hear from all the friends there is none of them rites to us we have received no letter from Joseph bouslough(?) this two years. The last account we had from him He was lying very ill give our best respects to All engreiveing friends so with these few lines I will bring my letter to a close rite as soon as this comes to hand and let us know about times

Nothing More at this Time But remain your Father and Mother until death
Nicholas Stephens
Mary Stephens

(1)John Wright listed on Benton County Iowa 1860 Cenus-age 38, male, born in England, Minister M.E. Church. Wife Mary A. age 29, female born in England

Family page for John Nicholas Stephens & Mary