Ohio History Journal

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Reviews, Notes and Comments

Reviews, Notes and Comments.           153

 

A PIONEER LETTER

The letter here presented was written by Miss Rachel

R. Lockwood, great aunt of George R. Lockwood, Edi-

tor of the National Republic, published in Washington,

D. C. She emigrated from Sussex County, Delaware,

to Preble County, Ohio. In 1845 she moved with other

members of the family to Miami County, Indiana, where

she became the wife of Jonathan Potterfield.          Dr.

Dingle, to whom the letter was addressed, was a mem-

ber of the State Senate of Delaware. The letter was

written "from New Paris, Ohio, on the Cumberland

Road." The envelope indicates the point from which

it was written and the cost of postage, twenty-five cents.

The letter is a good description of Pioneer Life in Ohio

and is worthy of reproduction here in full.

 

FEBRUARY 24, 1834.

Respected Uncle:

I embrace the opportunity of writing to let you know that I

am well, and also the rest of the family, and I hope when

this intelligence shall reach you that you will enjoy good health.

This is the first time that I have availed myself of the privilege

of writing you, but the long silence that has prevailed between

us I hope will be considered a sufficient excuse. It is probable

that you wish to know where we are and how we are doing. We

live in the same neighborhood in a house of our own. The site

is a handsome one; it lies in sight of a new town that is located

on the Cumberland Road within three miles of Paris (New

Paris). Mother has bought two acres of land for forty-five

dollars and the present prospect [is] her situation in old age will

not be as uncomfortable as some anticipated, for she now has

a home of her own that she can dispose of at her own option

and no person, were they disposed to, can turn her out of doors.

Mother is well satisfied now. I do wish you could come and see

for yourself our circumstances and things as they really are, for

unless you do it it is impossible to believe the advantages which

this country does possess. The limit of my paper is too con-

tracted and the power of my pen is too weak to convey any