John Peters to brother George, 20 Dec 1857

Fordstown December 20th 1857

Dear Brother:

Tel me if you rec a note against C. Park abut three years ago and if so if you have got any thing anon[.] I have not had a letter from you since last Spring nor from any of the family[.] perhaps you have become tired of writing and do not want to hear from poor California miners[.] I do not blame you if you have, for I am about sick of myself but I have one consolation I have no one to blame me or say I do not do wright.

I would like to hear from you once in a while just for luck if it is not to mutch trouble. If you should ever take a notion in your head tel me how every thing is going about the city of P. and how Father Charles and Frank and the old lady. Give me all the paticulars for the world may turn round by the time I hear from you and I will want to visit some other country whare their is a probability of making a fortune easy. They say every one in the western states are bankrupts[.] if so I would not like to return for God knows it is hard times enough here[.] but a man can make a living if he works faithful and don't drink. Tel me what you are doing and how fast you are getting rich and how Cus John is getting rich there for I am making some strong lick at my cal fortune and I may possibly kick a pale - though I will as send it where it will never get cold. I have no news to write this time for I am run intirely out of news.

Yours Truly,
John

Mary

I supose I must write you a few lines for you have always fild up blanks for me. I am here now all alone - all that came to this country when I did have returned except me[.] here I stick[.] sometimes I think I will make this country my home and the I think I would like to return to Michigan. One thing is I could not come when I wanted to without losing every thing I had made here and so things stand yet[.] but I am going to sink or swim this winter[.] I would like to come home and see the folks but I will not set any more times when I will come but if I ever get ready I will start without saying when or whare I am going[.] every time I have set to go home I would dream of getting home without any money and felt mad with myself for going[.] I need not have that trouble for I stick here fast enough and I expect I will have to get me a senoreta and live here as long as I can.

I have nothing more to write this time[.] I have not writen in so long that I have to write and a poor will to write.

Dear Frank

It is a long time since I wrote you last - it is some two or three years. May it not be as long before I hear from you. I hear you have left the burg and gone back to the farm. That is the last I heared of you. You said something when you wrote abut father. I ought not to act so[.] I should write him and not harbor any hard feelings. I do not nor never did further them[.] he always wanted me to do something that I did not want to and then would make a great many remark about it[.] tat used to wrankle my crap a little but that did not last long[.] as for writing he never wrote to me nor apeared to care whether it went well or ill with me and for that reason I always supposed he did not care about hearing from me but as long as I was out of his sight it was all well. Sometimes I get to thinking over old times and it makes me almost think I never want to see Michigan again but it will all be wright sometimes. (When you see Father if he inquires about me tel him I am well and trying to make a living.) I was sick all summer last summer the Docters said I had the consumption but I have very good health again the last fall. Tel William I would be pleased to hear from him when ever it suits his convenience. I think I wrote him last. Give my respects to all my old Friends that are still living there.

Yours Truly,
John

Letter generously contributed & transcribed by Pat Belanger
Original letter located at Archives Room, Monroe County Historical Museum
126 South Monroe Street Monroe, Michigan 48161

Note: Bracketed [ ] items indicate a change added for clarity. Please note also that some portions of the transciption which were confusing or were seemingly missing portions of the text, are accurate to the original letters and brackets have not been used as the correct interpretation was either obvious, or converse. In places where the original text was too ambiguous, no changes were made.

Letter Index

- EXPLANATORY NOTES -
Compiled by P. Davidson-Peters (2005)
(Any errors are therefore the result of my own deficiencies and interpretations).

JOHN PETERS - author of the letter, John was born in Harpersfield, Delaware Co., New York on 16 Dec 1823, the son of Richard & Polly (Wilcox). He caught the gold fever and went to California in 1852 but returned to Petersburg in 1862. He married Ellen Burnham in 1864, and after her death in 1876, he and his daughters Mary and Ellen moved to Toledo where the girls attended Oberlin College. John died in Toledo, Ohio on 02 Oct 1920 but was buried in the Old Petersburg Cemetery.

GEORGE PETERS - oldest child of Richard & Polly (Wilcox) and brother of John, George was born 21 Sep 1822 in Hapersfield, Delaware Co., New York. In 1845 he married to Mary Jane (Holmes) who is also mentioned in these letters. George died 11 Jan 1912 in Petersburg, Monroe Co., Michigan.

FORDSTOWN - Unable to locate any California city or town by this name.

C. PARK - No known family by this name, although a widowed Nancy Park resided in Berlin during the 1870 and 1880 census. There was a Charles Parker which may have been associated with the Peters family, however it is not known whether he ever lived in Monroe Co., Michigan. This particular Charles Parker was born in New York in 1802 and died in Battle Creek, Calhoun Co., Michigan in 1876 and was a trunk maker married to a Deborah. His son, Charles B. Parker was a hatter who was born in 1827 and died of Dropsy in Battle Creek two years prior to his father.

CITY OF P - Quite obviously the town of Petersburg named after John's father. Also referred to in his letters as "the burg."

CHARLES, FATHER, FRANK & THE OLD LADY - refers to John's siblings, father, and possibly his father's second wife, Orissa Baker. At this time, Charles was married to Julia Ann Burnham and was the father of two sons - Herbert Dwight and Edmund Eugene. His father had been widowed when he was young (Polly Wilcox died in 1834), and he had remarried Orissa Baker when John was thirteen. Family notes indicate she was not well liked and did not treat the children well and that immediately after her husband's death she sold the home and sizeable farms Richard had given each of his sons and departed the community with her only. Perhaps if this scenario is true, John would have referred to her as "the old lady" otherwise without the respect of a loved family member. Frank, mentioned here, is John's sister Frances who was married to William Russell and were farming in Monroe County at the time.

CUS JOHN - Uncertain which John this pertains to - whether he was a Peters or had another last name. John did have a cousin John Peters who was very close in age to him. This John Peters, son of William and Charlotte (Johnson), was born in 1824 and had recently married Sarah Gillet in December of 1851 and had a young son George who was born sometime in 1853. This family was living in Steuben Co., Indiana at the time but believed to have been married in Hillsdale, Michigan.

MARY - Sister-in-law, and wife of George, she was born in Genesee Co., New York in 1827 and was the daughter of Benjamin and Minerva (Howe). At the time this letter was written, George and Mary had had three children, the first two dying in infancy, and baby Helen Frances who was born 14 Nov 1851.

FRANK - Appears to be his older sister, Frances who married William Russell in 1844. By 1852 Frances was the mother of George Isom, Ellen, Richard & James.

WILLIAM - quite possibly refers to his brother-in-law, William Russell who was married to his sister Frances. All the William Peters were residing in other places at this time. Since he writes to both his brother and sister-in-law Mary, it seems likely he would address William and "Frank" separately as well.

- OUTSIDE LINKS -
Historical accounts & places relative to John's journey to Placerville, California

Monroe County Historical Museum

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