John Peters to sister Mary, 12 Mar 1859

Greenville March 12th, 1859

Dear Sister Mary

I was very glad to find you had filled up the blank side of fathers letter and I take it from your writing you are content and happy. I think you are more so than you would be if you were in the little house I now sit writing in[.] it is twelve feet by six and boarded up like a barn and is very cold now. I have let the fire go down[.] I will have to stop writing and build a fire, but it will be as good as anyones hous soon when the weather gets warm and the rains and snows are over[.] but I tak of traiding it - by and by traveling to seek my fortune. Perhaps I travel as far as Michigan if so perhaps I may call and see you, you say you have a little Hellen and think perhaps I would like to see her[.] I would like much to see her. tel her when she gets olde enough to under stand that she has an old nasty vagabond Uncle some where in California. I think that will be enough to make her proud and happy dont you. You have never told what has become of Richard Peters nor I have never heard since I have been in California. Write as soon as you get this and give me all the news about the folks of Petersburgh and what has become of aunt Tibbets[.] you say George will write soon that has been the song since las town meeting

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.

GREENVILLE - located in California's Plumas county, about 110 miles north of Sacramento at an elevation of 3,580 feet, the Plumas County gold rush of 1850 was a direct result of Thomas Stoddard’s Gold Lake story which began when he and his partner were out hunting for deer and became lost. They located a lake in which gold nuggets were gleaming in the moss at the water's edge. Having filled their pockets with as much as they could, exhausted they fell asleep. In the morning they were attacked by Indians. Stoddard was injured and stumbled back to camp, but his partner was never heard from again. Stoddard and thousands of others went in search for what would be known as "Gold Lake", but none would ever again locate the lake though gold was discovered at Nelson Creek, Poorman’s Creek, Hopkins Creek, Onion Valley, Rich Bar, and Butte Bar.

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.

RICHARD PETERS - With all the Richard Peters in the family, it would initially seem difficult to say with any certainty which Richard John refers to, however, seeming that the following sentence mentions Aunt Tibbets, and the fact that his cousin Richard lived with his brother George, it appears most likely that John is referring to his first cousin Richard Gould Peters. This Richard was born in 1832 and was the son of James Sutton Peters and Susan (Squire). He was married to Evelyn Tibbets. - As a young boy, his parents had died (James in 1853) and he had gone to Petersburg, Michigan to make his home with George Peters, his cousin and guardian. He later learned surveying and soon became interested in the lumbering and salt industries which at that time were in their infancy in the state. He located at Manistee, MI, where he spent the greater part of his life and owned the East Lake Mining Co. (salt) in Manistee, Michigan, which later became the Morton Salt Company.

AUNT TIBBETS - appears to be relative to Evelyn Nancy Tibbitts who was born in Blissfield, Lenawee Co., Michigan on 27 Jul 1832, and was the daughter of Benjamin and Margaret (Wilcox). She attended Oberlin College and was married to Richard Gould Peters on 06 Apr 1858 in Oberlin, Ohio.

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. (See the letter following this in which he addresses George once again).

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

Plumas County, California

Monroe County Historical Museum

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