Leeds, March 10, 1856Jeremiah Plank's Letter
To his daughter Mariah Jane, who moved from Greene County to
Kalamazoo, MI. with her husband John Canavan and their children. They had a
celery farm in Kalamazoo. The family then spread out to North Michigan to follow
the lumber trade.
Contributed by Beth
Crawford
Leeds, March 10, 1856
I once more undertake to write you a few
lines to inform you of our health
at present is tolerable good, yet round about as the mumps
prevails and
the scarlet fever rages to a considerable extent, a number of
children in
Gefferson have died with it. Our winter is long and cold.
Wood and
provisions is very high and labour scarce so that it makes
hard times for poor
folks. On Sunday afternoon march d2 Mr hagars house took fire
and burnt down so they saved nothing but the clothes on their backs. They left
home about noon and it is soposed that as the bed stood near the stove that a
spark of the fire must have lodged in the bed clothes and from that the house
took fire and before it was discovered it could not be put out nor anything
saved.
We long to hear from you and how you all do. This is the second letter that I have wrote and no answer received. Please write the particulars about your situation and your family and also whether you did get your trunk and your box of baggage or not. So no more at present but my best respects to you all and especially to Mary. This truly from your friend and well wisher until death.
Jeremiah Plank
P.S. We received Elizabeth letter stating that you had got your trunk and..... John Vedder and Caty are all well and their little boy I. and Levi got home from Albany half past twelve o'clock at night. William's wife has a young daughter one week old. Thus I close my letter by wishing you all well.
Jeremiah Plank