September 1869, or possibly 1867, letter from Richmond Jones at Walcott, Minnesota, to his brother Asa Bradford Jones at Turner, Maine. A small portion of the paper is missing. Richmond wrote a 7 in another place in his letter, one that doesn't look like the last digit in the year, so I believe he meant 1869.
A transcription appears at the end of this post.
The letter is one of four sent by Richmond or his wife Rhoda Hannah (Beeman) Jones or the both of them together, dating from about 1856 to 1871.
- c1856 letter from Richmond to his mother noting the hard times he'd had after the sudden death of his first wife from lightning and the eventual meeting of his second wife
- September 11, 1865 - acknowledgement of the news of the death of Emily Jane (Jones) Cary in Maine
- September 19 to 26, 1871 - acknowledgement of the news of the death of Richmond's mother Mercy (Bryant) Jones.
The letter acknowledges news from Asa of ill health among relatives, including that of Asa himself. Both Richmond and Rhoda urge Asa and his family to come to Minnesota where the air is dry during the winter months and would be beneficial for Asa's lungs. Richmond also speaks of his crops and what they are currently bring at market.
Click on an image to enlarge it.
From brief online research, hopefully correct: [corrections and additions requested]
Richmond Jones, Jr., was born January 7, 1815 at Turner, Maine, the son of Richmond Jones and Mercy (Bryant) Jones. Richmond, Jr., was married twice and had children with each wife.
On June 20, 1840, Richmond, Jr., married Achsah P. Gammon, daughter of Robinson Gammon and Sarah (Parsons) Gammon of Portland, Maine. They had two children, noted as "the boys" in the letters:
- Ebenezer Pitt Jones, born November 9, 1841 at Portland, Maine; he died in 1909 in Port Angeles, Washington.
- Charles A. Jones, born January 16, 1846 at Portland, Maine; he died in 1920 in Minnesota.
This new partner was Rhoda Hannah Beeman, daughter of Solomon Beeman and Mary (Dickinson) Beeman of Vermont. She and Richmond, Jr., married about 1855 or 1856 and had three children:
- Wallace W. Jones, born about 1857; died on July 5, 1862
- Marian Adelle Jones, "Della", born December 11, 1859 at Walcott, Minnesota; married Samuel Curtiss
- Emily May Jones, born about 1865 at Walcott, Minnesota; see a photograph on her Find-a-Grave memorial; married Charles Christopher Livingston. She was presumably named after Emily Jane (Jones) Carey, the main subject of this letter.
If you have corrections and/or additions to the information above, please leave a comment or contact me directly.
Transcription - please leave your comments on missing or misconstrued words - thanks!
Walcott, Rice Co. September 1869 [or possibly 1867]
[from Richmond Jones]
Dear Brother, I received your August 22th the 29 and was glad to hear from you but was sorry to hear that Pelham [Pelham Jones, brother of Richmond Jones, Jr., and Asa Bradford Jones] is ___[ail - ill ?] and also to hear that you are so unwell and Henry wife's death. [Richmond and Asa had a brother Henry Jones, but his wife, Rosilla Richardson Jones, died on June 18, 1867, unless Henry had a later wife I didn't find, or the year of Richmond's letter is 1867, rather than 1869. Otherwise, Henry may have been someone else.] It is sudden news to me. We are all well for the present. You was speaking about coming out to Minnesota for your health. I will tell you what I think about it as it is with you I think it the Best thing that you can, as I have been in Minnesota 15 years and have not seen it rain 15 minutes in the whole time in the Winter season. The air is very dry during the Winter time always, no Atlantic fog seen here, never we have snow and rain here but it comes in its own place. Therefore leaves the air dry during the winter time.
I think it would be well to take your family with you as we have it plenty of house room to make you comfortable. Your mind would be at ease therefore I think you would gain where you would not if they are not with you. As for Mother [Mercy (Bryant) Jones] you could make some provision for her for the winter. I want you should tell Mother for me. I want she should be reconciled to you coming, in order to get your health back again, if your lungs are not affected and nothing but a cough there is a cure, I think. Take the change of climate into consideration, when I lived in Portland [Maine] I had a cough two thirds of the time. I have no cough here, only when I get cold. Well, Asa, enough of that. We have had a very cold summer. Hope this summer corn will be little something. Potatoes are good. Wheat crop is very big. Oats never was Better. Barley good, very good grass, good fast good. You had aught ___ [sic - to ?] be here now to take the fall air. The sooner you come, the better to get as much of the fall air as you can.
Wheat market opens at 1.10; oats 33; barley 75.
The boys Eben [Ebenezer Pitts Jones, son of Richmond Jones and his first wife Achsah P. (Gammon) Jones] and Charles [Charles A. Jones, son of Richmond Jones and his first wife Achsah P. (Gammon) Jones] went west 2 years ago last May and both took up a farm & lease this year. They harvest 60 acres of wheat of their own. They went two hundred miles west so you see, I am A [The rest of the page is torn away]
[from Rhoda Hannah (Beeman) Jones to Mary E. (Tyler) Jones, wife of Asa Bradford Jones]
Dear Sister
I cannot write but a few lines for we are in a hurry to take it to the office, but what I wanted to say was that if you and Asa could arrange your affairs so to leave Mother comfortable that you had better come with Asa, then his mind will be more at rest if you and the children are with him and he will gain faster to have his mind at rest and you will feel better to be with him. Write as soon as you get this so that we will know that you have got it and let us known when he will come and what your minds are about your coming. Minnesota is called a great place to help a cough. People are here from every quarter for the same. We will write within two weeks again for fear that you won't get this. The children send their love to Gramma [presumably Mercy (Bryant) Jones, mother of Richmond Jones Jr. and Asa Bradford Jones]. My love to you all. Write soon.
Rhoda Jones.
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