1851 travel letter describing trip through Michigan and Wisconsin

$110.00 CAD

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Interesting pre-Civil War letter sent from Chicago by Pharis Wells Cook to his wife Laurana Amanda in Windsor Ohio. He gives details of travelling via Steamboat and train to Detroit, New Buffalo, Milwaukee and into Wisconsin.

Pharis Wells Cook (1813-1882), the son of Jesse Cook (1786-1859) and Chloe Phelps (1785-1865) of Windsor, Ashtabula, Ohio. He wrote the letter to his wife of nearly 15 years, Laurana Amanda Case (1814-1883). By 1851 when this letter was written, the couple had seven of their eleven children.

Some excerpts: 

...we were detained at Fairport [Ohio] some two days before we could get off. We took a steamboat to Detroit, Michigan, where we took the cars and crossed the Michigan Central Railroad to New Buffalo in Lake Michigan, where people can be imposed upon to perfection. We reached this Buffalo Top hat on Sunday morning, one week after we left home. From thence we took passage on the steamer Pacific for Milwaukee in Wisconsin and stopped at all of the inter-medial ports on Lake Michigan. From Milwaukee we went to Iron ridge, Mayville, Hartford, Fon du Lac, Oshkosh, Fort Winebago, Caychuda, Strong’s Landing, and various other places which I do not recollect the names of on account of their being Indian...
I arrived here from Fon du Lac by the way of Sheboygan. On my way to this city on board the Propellor Oneida...

He is carrying on a Furnace in Kinosh Wisconsin. This afternoon I design to take the cars for Naperville which is about 30 miles west of this where Burham the wagon maker (that lived in Windsor) now resides and several scapegoat Christians reside. I have some notes against them and want to collect them if I can. Cheese is in good demand here. Dried apples are rather slow sale. Peaches will sell. I have all the cheese there is in the city more or less...

The Indian title to all the lands west and north of the Wisconsin river within Wisconsin expires on the first day of June next, a matter in which I had been somewhat mistaken. I supposed the Indian title expired on the first of May but it does not expire until the first of June. It is an excellent country. The canal between the Wisconsin & Fox Rivers will be completed this season and that improvement will make Green Bay a point of much importance as goods will have to be transported at the Bay of much importance as goods will have to be transhipped at the Bay, then they can go to any place in the U.S.A. on the rivers. The boats from the Mississippi and other rivers south lie moored within one mile of the lake boats....

Tell Father I saw Bishop Chase at Racine, Wisconsin. He was there to dedicate a church. His hair is white as snow but he still has life and vigor...
 P.W. Cook

 

4 pages

¾" x 7 ¾"


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