Anna Camfield Carlisle, 29 April 1890

Buchanan Mich.
April 29, 1890

Dear Ashley

Orville came last evening brought your letter all right. I have been to town this afternoon. I tryed to make the money go as far as I could but it got away from me very fast. I went to Mr Helmicks and paid them $1.50. I went to the grocery and got some groceries and paid up all we owed there it was $7.56. I got cloth for Frank and Daniel some pants $1.44. Paid Mrs Voorhees $1.25 that settles my account with her and have not paid him for the house yet as she did not know how much it was and he was away. I got flour today $1.20 also a new

page 2

Butter dish 10 cent and I hope you will be careful and not break it Orville says he willpaper the sitting room for us so I will get the paper when he is ready, he and Frank are drawing pictures just now. Mr Boyles brough another load of wood monday and says he will be ready and wants you to do his work the first week in June if you cannot do it he wants to know soon so he can engage some one else. I told him we would send him a postal as soon as I heard from you.
Jo Voorhees is working in Niles now he goes and comes with his horse every night and morning, he leaves there at 5 o'clock at night so I guess you could not get there quite in time to ride over but I guess he goes early enough in the morning so you could ride over monday mornings

page 3

in time for the train.

Toley has finished the carpet. Ab did not come home, his wife went back friday he thought he could not get along with out her any longer. we have not had any letter from your Mother yet but she sent Frank a pacage of flower seeds 22 different kinds. If you do not come home sunday write and let me know what you think about doing Boyles work. a fire in town last evening one of those houses back of the waggon factory but they soon put it out. It is time to mix the bread so good night.

A. Carlisle

Sarah had mentioned something about pants for Daniel in her last letter.

I assume most of the people named were local business people with the exception of Toley who was a friend of Anna, s that I have not tracked down yet.

This is a repost and I apologize for it going out over the feed twice. I was hit with comment spam and blogger would not let me delete the comment so it seemed expedient to simply delete and republish. There were no comments other than the offensive one at the time I reposted.

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


Carlisle, Sarah Camfield. (Buchanan, MI) to “Dear Ashley”
[Isaac Ashley Carlisle]. Letter. 29 April 1890. Digital Images 1-3.
Privately held by Apple, [ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE,]
Snowville, New York. 2009.
[Carlisle Family, Box #1, Correspondence, 1890,
Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan. 2008.]

Sarah Ann Camfield, 16 Feb 1890

Noble Feb 16th 1890

well Anna we received your letter it had been allmost a week on its way we are all well and hope this will find you all the same
they are having the same diease in these parts in Colwater it is verry bad Fred we think had it but not hard every boy in school was taken sick the same day ot was friday but they were all at school again on monday morning but two you asked about Boil we have seen him twice this summer we went to honey lak to a picnic and saw him there then we saw him to a grove meeting he asked about you all and how many children you had
he asked about Mcknight he said didnot that man go to the dogs
Father drawed some wheat to Burr Oak

page 2

and he s old Harvey
the 4 of july we went to Burr Oak and we saw anumber of the old neighbours
I suppose Mrs Woods is alive yet
I am going to send the two handkerchiefs to the two little ones one for each and some cards I wanted to send Daniel something for some pants but did kno what nor how much I wanted to send Frank something but did not know what to send but tell him grandma will remember him some other time
if I could have gone to town I would have sent a valentine it is verry bad going and I was not wel I could not go

write soon

S A Camfield


Harvey was probably a horse.

Honey Lake is near Burr Oak.

McKnight and Boil (Boyles) have been mentioned in previous letters, as has Mrs Woods.

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


Camfield, Sarah Ann. (Noble, MI) to “well Anna”
[Anna Camfield Carlisle]. Letter. 16 February 1890. Digital Images 1-2.
Privately held by Apple, [ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE,]
Snowville, New York. 2009.
[Carlisle Family, Box #1, Correspondence, 1890,
Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan. 2008.]

Sarah Ann Camfield, 29 Oct 1884

letter no 2 Noble Centre Oct 29th 1884

[upside down, top of page]
love to all write soon

wel I will begin again weare gathering Apples there is a small crop and no sale hardly Mr Bogardus has gone to Coldwater with a load he was here and Father got him to go down with aload he knew better where to sel them Father hates to take any thing to market the worst of anything I believe we sold 4 head of Cattle last week for 85 dollars and 4 hogs for 44 dollars and 50 cts now I have 8 hundred laid up for the payment on the farm we have to pay 1 thousand the first of march I dont know the rent on this place is not half paid yet we have stock enough if we can sel it for what it is worth but there seems to be nothing

page 2

doing in that line there dont seem to be much business any way that is not much buying and selling you would think there was something doing if you could see how they are building up Bronson since the fire
we went to Burr Oak two weeks ago last sunday we went to Geries the Irishman the old woman and man both are looking better than they used to they was so pleased to see us she the old woman hugged me almost in to she shook Father all most to pieces she said give me both hands to shake I thought she was going to kiss him he said she squeezed his hands til they was sore for 2 days
Old Boyles wife has left him the Plants have gone to Decota except Will and his family

page 3

Billy Davison and all Will lives north of Burr Oak he put in apiece of corn there by geries this summer Rob and Morrice has bought twenty acres of the plant farm astrip on the north side rite through to the Boil rad so they have 30 acres there in one piece and you know Rob had 40 so now they have 70 acres I guess hey are doing first rate the girls was all at home the one that married that Simpson had only been home from cansas 2 weeks they had been gone 2 year Emma Grave has gone back to the asylum they say there is no hope for her
O I must tel you we saw Old Harvey and his wife and daughter but he did not have on his smock or he had it poked in side

page 4

now Franky Grandma wants to know how you are getting along then she wants you to give three times three cheers for Blain and Logan loud enough so we can hearit

S A Camfield

PS Mr Seaver family are in Burr Oak yet Julia is teaching in the Brick school house in that town and Bev is clerking in the hardware and the rest go to school they live across the creek some where they say they dress terrible fine but he dont work I guess they must have got Aunt lucys money

side margin of page

am alone yet have had no girl for more than a month

upside down, top of page

We have not heard from South bend since june I think I am hinders to write to morrow if nothing


Gerie the Irishman may have referred to Jerry Donahue, born about 1814, Ireland. The reason that I am not sure is that he would have been only three years older than Sarah. Jerry's wife, Maragaret, would have been younger than Sarah, Margaret having been born about 1830, Ireland.

The Boyle's, Plant's and Seaver's have been mentioned in earlier letters, as had Emma Graves. I'm not sure how Billy Davison fits in. Rob, Morrice and Harvey are mysteries.

Three cheers for Blain and and Logan refers to a political song of the time. The sheet music can be found here. Also see: Lives of Blaine and Logan (1884)


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


Camfield, Sarah Ann Wisner. (Noble Center, MI) “letter no 2” [Anna Camfield Carlisle]. Letter. 29 October 1884. Digital Images 1-4. Privately held by Apple, [ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE,] Snowville, New York. 2008. [Carlisle Family, Box #1, Correspondence, 1884 - 1886, Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan. 2008.]

Sarah Ann Camfield, 27 Feb 1883

Noble Center Feb 27th 1883

we receive your letter saturday was glad to hear all well we are as wel as is common it has been hard work for Father to tae care of the stock it has been so icy and is yet the horses are not shod and he cannot get them to the shop he we did not cut only 2 loads of hay last summer we had corn stalks and corn to feed so we left one field to feed without husking it cost so much to get to get it husked and in fact we could get no one to husk hands was so scarce we paid 8 cts a shock for one field and the other stands in the field to draw as it was wanted and it is almost imposible to get it quite some of the time

reverse

about the earth quake we have not seen or heard any thing only what you wrote
I have only seen one woman once since the 18th of January so you must think it has been pleasant for me it has been such unpleasant weather we have 1 little calf and expect another in aweek or 2 I am making carpet rags I want make acarpet this summer if I can why not take your loom and come and weave it for me Frank can you sew carpet rgs good yet I am sorry you have a blind eye but I think it is now how is Asleys aunt write soon
S A Camfield

written across top, upside down

the house where Rozy and you went to the post office burned down last wednesday


It sounds like little Frank had suffered an eye injury of some sort.

Ashley had lots of aunts however many died prior to 1883. Perhaps a clue will be found in the Carlisle letters.

Sarah must have had a letter from Anna fairly recently based on the reference to the earthquake.

From the USGS: Michigan Earthquake History

Between 1872 and 1883 a number of moderate earthquakes were centered within Michigan. On February 6, 1872, three shocks lasting 30 seconds were reported at Wenona. No additional information is known about these tremors. Reports from Redford and Greenfield Village, not far from Detroit, indicated a minor earthquake occurred on August 17, 1877. It was noted that horses were frightened during this shock. Some persons reported hearing a noise like a train. On February 4, 1883, an earthquake cracked windows and shook buildings at Kalamazoo (intensity VI). This shock was felt in southern Michigan and northern Indiana. Cities as distant as Bloomington, Illinois and St. Louis, Missouri also reported feeling this earthquake.

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



Camfield, Sarah Ann Wisner. (Noble Center, MI) no salutation “we receive your letter” [Anna Camfield Carlisle]. Letter. 10 February 1883. Digital Images 1-2. Privately held by Apple, [ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE,] Snowville, New York. 2008. [Carlisle Family, Box #1, Correspondence, 1882 - 1883, Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan. 2008.]

Sarah Ann Camfield, 18 Feb 1881

Noble Center Feb 18 1881

Dear Children
I suppose you are anxcous to know that we are wel as usual Father was laid up 2 weeks he seems as well as ever now or better than for sometime past
I am as well as I ever expect to be I feel as wel as ever I did if I dont do any thing very hard or lift any thing I ma doing my work washing and all it is hard work but get along very wel now dont make only 5 or 6 pounds of butter per week now
it snowed more last night than it has at any one time before this winter and is still snowing and the sun shines is not cold nor windy did you get the magazines

page 2

how do you like your new home and is it a village or what you spoke of a dancing hall and no postoffice within a mile and a half that seems singular we thought you was on a farm
we had bad luck with our fat cow and big Calf I told you about in my letter we expected to get $50 dollars for them had been offered $48 but would not take it butchered them they was diseased some way we could only sell the hind quarters of the calf so we only got $31 for both
the tallow is not tried yet it will probably fetch 3 or 4 more I am drying aples they froze in the cellar so they will rot as soon as they thaw am drying to save them the pottatoes froze and my plants

page 3

Frank Graves and wife and baby was here and spent thanks giving evening and we promiced to go there but have not been there yet their Boy was 2 years old in august his name is Carl Frank says Mary is as slim as a rail you know how fleshy she used to be
we have a niece of old Boils for a neighbor she is 20 years old and maried awidower with four Children the oldest 16 was married the first of January she is about as big one way as the other and has but one eye

all this time
write soon
I should like to see Frank and hear him talk tel him Grandma did send one picture to him S A Camfield


They were able to sell diseased beef!? I'm glad they got the money they needed but a bit revolted at the thought.

For more on the Graves family see the Biography of Luther Graves.

Mr. GRAVES was married the second time, April 27, 1853, to Miss Joanna, daughter of Benjamin SELLICK, who is now deceased. He was a mason by trade, and the family were at that time residents of Coldwater. Of this union there have been born seven children; Frank, a farmer of Burr Oak Township; Emma, at home with her parents; Daniel, who is farming in Burr Oak Township; Minnie, who died at the age of two years and nine months; Mary, Maude and Mabel, the latter of whom was twelve years of age Oct. 14, 1888. The GRAVES property consists of 160 acres of land in a highly fertile condition, with good improvements. The proprietor is industrious, frugal, and in good circumstances.

On the 1880 census Frank Graves is shown with wife, Addie, and son Carlos so I assume the Mary mentioned in the letter was his sister.

I believe that "old Boils" was George Boyles, who owned quite a few parcels of land in Burr Oak according to the index of the 1872 Atlas of Saint Joseph County.

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


Camfield, Sarah Ann Wisner. (Noble Center, MI) to “Dear Children” [Anna Camfield Carlisle]. Letter. 18 February 1881. Digital Images 1-3. Privately held by Apple, [ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE,] Snowville, New York. 2008. [Carlisle Family, Box #1, Correspondence, 1881, Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan. 2008.]