Sarah Ann Camfield, 5 Dec 1888

Noble Dec 5th 1888

well I dont know what you think is the reason you have not had aletter before I have talked enough about to write a dozen I have been out burning brush for three day but but not all days as I used to but part of each just to help Fred and learn him how Father is grubbing so you see we are all well
we had a snow squall to day but the sun shines now we have no school this week
I intended to send you and Joseph a crock of butter each this fall but it was dry the feed was so short the milk gave out sooner than we expected so it left us short I only make enough for ourselves glad of it
there is no news to write news was we received a paper from you the election
S A Camfield


1888 ended the way it began.

For more see:
Camfield Family Letters
Descendants of Sarah Ann Wisner
Michael Camfield


Camfield, Sarah Ann. (Noble Center, MI) “well I dont know what”
[Anna Camfield Carlisle]. Letter. 5 December 1888. Digital Image.
Privately held by Apple, [ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE,]
Snowville, New York. 2009.
[Carlisle Family, Box #1, Correspondence, 1887 - 1889,
Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan. 2008.]

Sarah Ann Camfield, 23 June 1888

Noble June 23rd 1888

well I guess you think you are not going to hear from us any more well it is a shame that I have not written before but I have kept talking about it but did not go at it so it didnot get done there did not seem to be any thing new to write so I kept neglecting it
we are as well as usual I cannot stand it to work as I used but feel pretty well if I do not work to hard Father has complained more than common this spring but is well now he is plowing for buckwheat is going to 2 acres of it we are just working our own place this year he did not put any corn on Bogarduses place this year we have apiece of wheat up there and oats that is all it looks very well now

2

we have had a verry cold backward spring corn has been looking very backward but the warm weathe we having has set it to growing it seems almost as if we can see it grow
26 Father has sowed some buckwheat today I washed yesterday and to day I have been lopping round not doing much
Fred went fishing yesterday and got 10 nice fish to day he is at school we do not have here on Monday but have saturday what are you going to do the 4th I have not been to Celebration in 8 years I dont know whether we shall go or not they are going to have quite atime to Bronson wheat is kooking pretty wel in these parts ours is winter killed some we did not out any on our place what we have is on Bogarduses place we have about 12 acres but we only have one half of it and it takes most of our share to pay the harvesting abd thrashing
write soon S A Camfield


School Tuesday through Saturday seems unusual to me but it must have worked for the community. I'm betting that Sarah didn;t get to go to the 4th of July Celebration that year either.

For more see:
Camfield Family Letters
Descendants of Sarah Ann Wisner
Michael Camfield
Henry Bogardus, Shirt-tail Cousin


Camfield, Sarah Ann. (Noble Center, MI) “well I guess you think”
[Anna Camfield Carlisle]. Letter. 23 June 1888. Digital Images 1-2.
Privately held by Apple, [ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE,]
Snowville, New York. 2009.
[Carlisle Family, Box #1, Correspondence, 1887 - 1889,
Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan. 2008.]

Sarah Ann Camfield, 4 April 1888

Noble Apr 4th 1888

well I have going to write to you along time have been putting it off I have 10 little chicks most a week old we are well as usual have just commenced spring work there is no news to write we have no calves yet Fred is going to the postoffice sp I can say no more ata present

love to all
S A Camfield


For more see:
Camfield Family Letters
Descendants of Sarah Ann Wisner
Michael Camfield


Camfield, Sarah Ann. (Noble Center, MI) “well I have going to write”
[Anna Camfield Carlisle]. Letter. 4 April 1888. Digital Image.
Privately held by Apple, [ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE,]
Snowville, New York. 2009.
[Carlisle Family, Box #1, Correspondence, 1887 - 1889,
Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan. 2008.]

Joseph H Camfield, 23 Feb 1888

South Bend, Ind., Feb 23, 1888

Dear Sister and family

[stained and illegible] for a friend of mine _____ is in the patent medicine buis he wants a good lady agent
I thought perhaps mother Carlisle would like to try it there is big money in it for a good women and I think she would make a success by. I told him I thought so and he wanted me to write and see if she would like to try it
I send a lot of serklers so she can see what it is for frther particulars

2

she can write to the U G Manningseay or me J H Camfield
1120 so mich st
so Bend
Ind
Ps tell Ashley thare is going to be lots of his kind of work here this somer
We are all well here and hope you and yours are the same
Write and let me kno as soon as you can if she will try it. so if she wont he can look for some one else

JHC


This letter was written by my great-grandfather, Joseph Harrison Camfield to his sister, Anna Camfield Carlisle. Mother Carlisle was Anna's mother-in-law, Hannah Glover Carlisle. Hannah was against alchol consumption so I wonder if she went for this or if she was even aware that most patent medicines contained a large percentage of alchol?

This is the first reference to the S. Michigan St address that I have run across.

Ulysses G Manning was born 9 Aug 1864 in New Paris, Preble, OH and moved to South Bend, IN about 1873 with and uncle. At the age of 15 (about 1879-1880) he went to work as a clerk in a drug store and continued in that job for about 10 years when "he turn his interests to manufacturing interests as a maker of medical and toilet specialties" which would be about the time he connected with Grandpa Joe. A short biography of Mr Manning is found in A History of St. Joseph County, Indiana, by Timothy Edward Howard, 1907, on pages 582-583.

For more see:
Camfield Family Letters
Descendants of Sarah Ann Wisner
Michael Camfield


Camfield, Joseph Harrison. (Noble Center, MI) to “Dear Sister and family”
[Anna Camfield Carlisle]. Letter. 23 February 1888. Digital Images 1-2.
Privately held by Apple, [ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE,]
Snowville, New York. 2009.
[Carlisle Family, Box #1, Correspondence, 1887 - 1889,
Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan. 2008.]

Sarah Ann Camfield, 3 Jan 1888

Noble Center 3rd 1888

Dear Children

I dont know what you must think of us that we have not written before I thought I would write before Christmas but I did not we butchered and I had to do more than I was and and have been waiting to get a little over it I felling better now I have to do what I can and let the rest go Fred helps me in the morning what he can of course I dont have much to do but I am not able to do much we are as well as usual our presents came all rite but we feel ashamed to except because we did not send you any I intended to send you and Joseph each acrock of butter but our have rather gone back on us they are not doing

2

verry we expect they would give milk til march but they are most dry now.
Joseph sent a box of things to Fred for Christmas and among them he sent Father a pair of slippers and me a china cup and saucer
we have had quite a pleasant winter so far afew cold days and then warm we have a little snow now some sleighs slip round but a wagon runs the best there has been no sleighing yet so far
we hope you are all well and enjoying your selves Children and all how I should like to see you all I hope we shall when warm weather comes
how is your rheumatism this winter how is Ashley’s health this changeable weather would be bad for his lungs

write as often as you can
S A Camfield



Too bad Sarah didn't mention what presents Anna had sent. Without these letters I'd have no idea about Anna's rheumatism or Ashley's lung problems.

For more see:
Camfield Family Letters
Descendants of Sarah Ann Wisner
Michael Camfield


Camfield, Sarah Ann. (Noble Center, MI) to “Dear Children”
[Anna Camfield Carlisle]. Letter. 3 January 1888. Digital Images 1-2.
Privately held by Apple, [ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE,]
Snowville, New York. 2009.
[Carlisle Family, Box #1, Correspondence, 1887 - 1889,
Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan. 2008.]

Events of 1888

My family seemed fairly isolated from US and world events around them. Here are just a few events from 1888 that they may or may not have been aware of.

• 1888 was a leap year


• Schoolchildren's blizzard


• March blizzard of 1888


• Brazil abolished slavery


• Jack the Ripper's murder spree begins


• George Eastman registers the trademark Kodak, and receives a patent for his camera which uses roll film.


• The Washington Monument opened to the public


• National Geographic founded


• Willard Bundy patents time card clock