1847-07-07 GRAND RAPIDS MICH--KENT CO.--BLACK 30MM CDS & BOLD STAMPED 10 RATE---HAS PASTED ADDRESS LABEL TO WILLIAM WOOD, WEST FARMINGTON, ONTARIO CO, NEW YORK-----"WE LEFT CHICAGO WEDNESDAY MORNING(JUNE 16), ARRIVED AT THE MOUTH OF GRAND RIVER THURSDAY AT DARK, LAY AT ANCHOR ALL NIGHT ON ACCOUNT OF THE WIND, ENTERED THE RIVER FRIDAY MORNING, TOOK THE STEAM BOAT AND REACHED THHE RAPIDS AT 5 OCLOCK P.M. WE HAD LAID OUR PLANS TO GO RIGHT TO A HOTEL. & AFTER BRUSHING OFF SOME OF THE DUST TO APPEAR TO SAMUEL IN HIS STORE, BUT AS WE WERE GETTING INTO SMITH HOTEL CONVEYANCE WE SAW SAMUEL A FEW RODS OFF SETTING IN HIS BUGGY, LOOKING ON WITH A GREAT DEAL OF COMPOSURE-- THE SCHOONER ON WHICH WE SAILED FROM CHICAGO WAS THE "WHIG" WHICH WAS IN THE LUMBER BUSINESS HER CABIN WAS SMALL & WELL FINISHED, BUT WAS AT THIS TIME NEGLECTED & QUITE DIRTY EMMA SAT UP ALL THE FIRST NIGHT RATHER THAN LIE ON THEIR DIRTY BEDS, BUT SHE FINALLY GOT SO TIRED THAT SHE HAD TO TRY IT SHE WAS QUITE SEASICK & VOMITED BUT WE NEVER THOUGHT OF BEING AFRAID IT IS ALL NONSENSE TO BE AFRAID TO CROSS THE LAKES I WOULD HAVE LIKED A HEAVY BLOW, THOUGH I WAS SICK A LITTLE WITH THE WIND WE HAD THERE IS NOTHING BUT SCHOONERS AT PRESENT RUNNING TO & FROM GRAND RIVER & THEY GO TO CHICAGO PRINCIPALLY. AS TO OUR VILLAGE, I CALCULATED TO GIVE YOU A FULL DESCRIPTION OF IT AND A MAP OF THE STREETS & HOUSES BUT IT IS AT LEAST FOUR TIMES AS LARGE AS I EXPECTED & ACCORDINGLY, I CHANGED MY PURPOSE. THERE IS A GREAT DEAL OF IRREGULARITY IN THE STREETS ON THIS SIDE (SOUTH) OF THE RIVER, BUT ON THE NORTH SIDE, THE GROUND IS NEARER LEVEL THE STREETS (AS FAR AS LAID OUT) MORE REGULAR & AS IT IS PREFERABLE FOR RESIDENCES, I THINK IT WILL BE THE MOST INTRESTING PART OF OUR VILLAGE. SOME ARE BUILDING ON THAT SIDE. THE COUNTRY FROM 4 TO 12 MILES AROUND IS OAK OPENINGS & MOSTLY SANDY, AS ABOUT PITTSFORD OR VIENNA BUT I THINK A LESS PRODUCTIVE LIGHTER SOIL. THIS IS ONLY MY OPINION FOR AS THERE ARE NO GOOD FARMERS ON IT, THOSE WHO CLOVER THEIR LAND, IT IS DIFFICULT TO TELL--THE CHANCES HERE OF MAKING MONEY TO THOSE WHO HAVE MONEY TO DO WITH ARE INCOMPARABLY GREATER THAN IN YORK STATE. AN ENTERPRISING WIDE-AWAKE MAN WITH CASH IN HAND, WILL DOUBLE HIS PROPERTY HERE IN 4 OR 5 YEARS WITHOUT DOING A STROKE OF WORK. IT WOULD BE FAR BETTER TO HAVE A HORSE & BUGGY & RIDE ABOUT & HUNT & LOOK INTO THE CHANCES FOR SPECULATION, THAN TO DEPEND ON DAY-LABOR. I NOW SPEAK OF THOSE WHO HAVE MONEY TO DO WITH THOUGH NOT A LARGE SUM WOULD BE REALLY NECESSARY. THE PLAN OF GOING TO MICHIGAN, BUYING LAND AND RETURNING IN 2 OR 3 WEEKS, OR MONTHS EVEN, IS A BAD ONE FOR IT AFFORDS NO MEANS OF GETTING ACQUANTED WITH THE LOCAL ADVANTAGES OF LOTS, OR WITH THE CHANCES OF BARGAIN WITH THOSE WHO SEEM NOT TO UNDERSTAND THE VALUE OF THEIR IMPROVED FARMS, OR WITH THOSE CASES WHERE PROPERTY IS OWNED BY MEN AT A DISTANCE & WHO DO BUSINESS THROUGH CARELESS AGENTS OR (STILL BETTER) WITH THOSE IN EMBARESSED CIRCUMSTANCES. THE TIME FOR BUYING GOVERNMENT LAND IN MICHIGAN TO SPECULATE ON IS PAST, AND A MAN WILL DO BETTER TO SPECULATE ON SECOND HAND PROPERTY IF HE BE WHERE IT IS & GET ACQUAINTED, THAN TO BUY ANY GOVERNMENT LAND ANYWHERE. AS TO HEALTH IN THIS PLACE, I SEE NO REASON WHY IT SHOULD NOT BE AS HEALTHY AS AT PALMYRA (FOR INSTANCE). THE RIVER HAS NICE DRY BANKS & GIVES NO MORE APPEARANCE OF SICKNESS THAN MUD CREEK DOES. THE COUNTRY IS HIGH & DRY & AS FREE FROM SWAMPS & MARSHES AS THE VICINITY OF PALMYRA & MORE SO. THE WOODS HAVE COMPARATIVELY NO LOGS DECAYING IN THEM AND AS THE TREES ARE NOT MUCH CLOSER TOGETHER THAN APPLE TREES IN AN ORCHARD. THE GROUND (WHICH IS BURNT OVER OCCASIONALLY) HAS HARDLY ANY DECAYING LEAVES ON IT. WE GENERALLY GO HUNTING WITH A HORSE & BUGGY, & FIND NO DIFFICULTY IN DRIVING THROUGH THE WOODS ALMOST ANYWHERE ON A SMART TROT. THERE ARE BUSHES IN THE WOODS FROM 2 TO 6 FEET HIGH. BACK OF WHAT I DESCRIBE IS HEAVY TIMBER LAND. .... THE COST OF OUR JOURNEY WAS BETWEEN $65 & $70 INCLUDING BOARD AT PLACES OF DETENTION, STORAGE & CARTAGE OF GOODS, FREIGHT PASSAGE ETC ETC GOODS ABOUT $31. IF WE COULD HAVE FOUND A BOAT AT BUFFALO BOUND FOR GRAND RIVER, WE SHOULD HAVE SAVED A 1/4 OF THE EXPENSE AT LEAST, BUT AS I LOOK BACK, I SEE NO WAY WE COULD HAVE DONE BETTER THAN WE DID UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES."----GENEALOGY----WATERWAYS ---SCHOONER "WHIG"----WATERMARK-------3 pg--COURTESY OF BILL BROOKS
Year: 1847
Date: 1847-07-07
County:
Kent
City:
Category:
Michigan Stampless Letters
, Letters Containing Correspondence
, Privately Owned
Associated Pages: 3
1. 1847-07-07 GRAND RAPIDS MICH--KENT CO.--BLACK 30MM CDS--3 pg--PAGE 1--COURTESY OF BILL BROOKS Read More..
2. 1847-07-07 GRAND RAPIDS MICH--KENT CO.--BLACK 30MM CDS--3 pg--PAGE 2--COURTESY OF BILL BROOKS Read More..
3. 1847-07-07 GRAND RAPIDS MICH--KENT CO.--BLACK 30MM CDS--3 pg--PAGE 3--COURTESY OF BILL BROOKS Read More..