USA > Illinois > Kane County > History of Kane County, Ill. Volume I > Part 8
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The land in Illinois is clay, while Michigan is sand.
I am at Rock river, within 100 miles of Chicago.
J. C. H. Oct. 21.
Chicago Jany Ist 1835
Dear parents
I again find time to answer your request to write often. Through the continued goodness of my maker and preserver I yet enjoy good health My privileges for attending meetings, &c have been pleasant I have not missed an evening for more than a week. Last evening I attended a prayer meeting then went to the Methodist watch meeting till past midnight this morning at daylight I again attend prayer meeting. Professors here are getting awake to their duty and I am in hopes the churches will be faithful that the Lord may come in power
Last evening at the Methodist meeting 7 or 8 went to the anxious seat The presbyterians think of holding meetings a part of next week
KANE COUNTY HISTORY
I can say of a truth the Lord has been kind unto me even since I left home, though an unreflecting glance at my history Looks hard, I have had strength of Body to surmount every hardship. Every undertaking I have laid before the Lord for him to direct mne and the still small voice has told me I was doing my duty. Never before have I lived so long without a remorse for doing what I ought not to have done or leaving undone things I ought to do
I have made several attempts for an easier way of living than out doors work but in each have failed but was not disappointed for I knew that him who I chose for to decide the case would decide for the best
The weather still continues fine sun shines now and it looks more like Oct than Jany
There was a ball in town last evening but not much extra doings today
You will see where I spent monday and tues on my map above Chicago in making a claim for speculation in S. F. Spaldings name I have chopped. fenced, sowed and dragged a piece of ground, cut some house logs and begun a house so that if the preemption law is extended we shall gain a preemption and get our two lots of poor land at 10 - the acre William you wished me to rectify my mistake about the Springs. Tell Elisha that there is a spring nearly as large as Uncle Zz within six rods of where we stuck the stake for his ploughing. There is dry land for building 6 rods below it where it might be carried in to the Lower windows
It will be 3 weeks tomorrow since I came from my farm and began work. I have earned $23.50 in the time but my Board makes a hole in it. C. Metcalf and myself will start in a day or two out on the Oplain (Desplaines ) river to split Rails at 50 cents a hundred and be found.
The most I ask of you is to write 1/2 as often and half as much as I do. I can think of no more for the present only that you must be making prepara- tions for the West and urging all honest friends with all the confidence you can put in me to come to the far west.
With the Lord I leave you praying that you may put all confidence in him and it shall be well with you.
Your distant unworthy son
J. C. H.
To B. & E. Hanks :
Our lattitude is but little south of you. I will give you my own opinion why we can raise larger corn here than with you. I think it is because of the black soil. You know that anything black will retain more of the sun's rays and become hotter than light colored. The ground becomes hotter and brings forward vegetation faster. If this looks reasonable to you you may believe. If not it is only an opinion of my own.
Oplain River Jany 18th 1835
Happy Home
Tis true I love thee all thy scenes I love them well I have not much news so I will give you some of my views concerning these prairies you know my belief is that we live in an age of Improvement and that we ought not to take everything that everybody says for granted without looking at the reason
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JAN
FREE
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3 Nanke ley pm 2 Linnedy Ville
FRONT AND BACK OF A LETTER WRITTEN IN 1835 BY J. C. HANKS FROM ELGIN.
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of the case and searching to know whether or no people are not imbibing mistaken notions
My opinion concerning the origin of these prairies is different from any person I have ever yet talked with on the subject It is the minds of all that they are formed by fire killing the timber but I believe that this opinion is without proof or foundation I believe that 1000 years ago there was not 14 as much timber here as there is now
We read in the bible that in old times they would drive their flocks to different parts of the country for pasture no person can doubt but what that country was blest with prairies I believe that from the hands of the Creator a large portion of the world was left without timber but no part of the Eastern country that I have seen has a rich soil enough to produce a growth of grass that by burning would kill the young trees and keep them from getting the start but here the fires on the rich soil kill the young trees. All the timber in this country is on the poorest land or swampy where fires cannot run as a general thing the further from the timber the better the prairie Where there is timber here there is not half as much dead timber as there is in Steuben further reasons I will bring with me Jany 26. Since my last with pleasure I acknowledge receipt of your, Sarahs, Jasons and Win but have no news on hand to answer them I cannot say that I was pleased to hear of Jason's appointment for I think he could have done better to come here I am pleased with Wm singing and believe if he comes here in the Spring he will gain his health if he does not before Everybody here back in the country is hearty there is no cesation for cold weather by the new comers and claimers of lands Win if you do not come in the Spring early I cannot answer for you a farm have one of uncle Elijahs Boys come if you can the claim I am trying to hold for Jason I shall try to hold still for some friend mention all the names who are coming in the Spring Win Rumsey is boarding here with me he came here the other day took him a claim and is now to work on it 28 miles north west of Chicago he has a good claim but I do not like the river I have a week yet to stay here then I think some of going to mine we have not had more than two days yet but what it has thawed some for the last 2 weeks we have had rain and wet snow 3 or 4 days sleighing on about 3 inches of snow but is now all gone This letter is a hard case for all the time I have been writing there has been half a dozen or not much less talking and you know of old that I never could write where others were talking As ever J C Hanks
Chicago Febr 20th 1835
Kind Father
My absence from here longer than I had expected has prevented my writing as often as I should like. But as we cannot always do as we would I shall try to be contented with doing as I can I have been absent from here about 7 weeks and my situation has not been as pleasant as at your own com- fortable fire side we had no hard winter weather until the first of Febr the first week in Febr was the coldest take the week through I ever knew though I quit work but one day for the cold. Since the first week It has been come-
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fortable winter weather When there was moveable snow with wind it was nothing uncommon to have the walls and floor white with snow the day that I lay by for the cold our fire did not thaw the snow and ice off from the floor four feet back from the fore Wm R boarding with me our living was poor I am safe in saying that the poorest days board that I ever had in Steuben was better than the best I have had on the - plain river Why I staid was that I might learn the value of a comefortable living I could still have made good wages but could bare no longer to see others getting their farmis fenced and mine untouched I expect that I shall have rather a lonely time for a few days or weeks I shall go and build a house and live bachellor hermitage The hardships of the past and the prospects a head has never yet drew from me one faint wish to be back or that I never had come but with as good health as I have had I am determined to fence and plough sow and plant 20 acres this Spring if Wm can come in the Spring I shall make calculations on fencing 40 acres by the first of June My purse is light to form so strong a resolution on though my wages have been very good and I have not spent only where necessity called I cannot begin house keeping without running in debt you need not put yourself out to send me any money soon. If I have my health I will work it through. My clothes, seed, fall ploughing axe &c has taken my money as fast as I could earn it your last which told of Wm. buying J's Lumber unhinged my calculations and ex- pectations for a short time It causes me rather unpleasant feelings to give up the idea of your holding the claim joining mine but my hope of holding it for you until you return from down the river is very faint for new land claimers are beginning to come in droves Wm if you are very anxious to come and live in this country if it is as good as I have recommended I think you must come early in the Spring or you cannot suit yourself with a con- venient farm do not think me homesick by urging you to come early in the Spring. I tell you as I have formerly that nothing but the love I have for the happiness and comefort of my nearest and dearest kindred would ever call me back again the thought some times comes into my mind that perhaps I am wrong in urging you to come so far when you are so comefortably sit- uated there. It also looks as though I was trying to draw the property out of your hands and get it into my own the country suits me and I cannot content myself to come back and settle for life in Steuben what I have formerly said of the country I still think to be true It is not on my account that I could urge you to come but have looked at your comefort in old age I want you should act upon your own feelings. If it should be your choice to stay there and William will consent to stay with you I want you to do so but if you had rather come here it would suit me better Brother Win If you think it best to stay there with your health again regained and continued you can have a comefortable living I want you to do as you think will best suit my dear parents you know their mind better than I do If you have heard Father say he had rather not leave Kennedyville you cannot suit me better than to lay out your money for the Wheeler farm and make your selves contented or you cannot be happy. Nothing would give me more pain than to know you gave your selves uneasiness on my account If you think best to stay
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KANE COUNTY HISTORY
there I have no claim but on one dollar of your property and could not receive more without repaying with interest give your selves no uneasiness about me for the Lord is my helper your sou
J C Hanks
2Ist In 2 or 3 years it will be much the cheapest building of brick in this State The people here are of the opinion that the preemption law will be extended in that case I shall be sure of mine at 10 -per acre If I had not made iny claim last fall and should go on now and make it I would not give 2/-per acre extra to have it warranted to me at congress price.
I have frosted my feet and obliged mne to get a pair of shoes to-day I shall get 150 lbs pork to day
23 on the 23 I shall start for my farm
The nearest meeting house to Chicago is about 60 miles south was dedicated last Sabbath about 200 present and not one had lived in the place more than 20 months this speaks well of the rapid settlement of this country
Kennedyville 15th May 1836
Dear Son
We Received your Letter sent from Warren was glad to hear you was well. I have Received a Letter from Genl. McClure and put my mind to Rest Respecting your holding the two claims all will be safe when you get there I also Received a Letter from Fanny Cline which gave me great satisfaction Also one from S. F. Spalding in answer to the one you began before you left We are now .all in Tolerable health Locky has had a of the Billious fever and fever Ague which kept her Down about five or six weeks she is now smart again my health continues about the same as when you Left. I think the pain in my side Rather increases. I can do but verry Little Labour I have had one of Mrs. Hannas Boys with me about 3 weeks. I have finished my sowing and plainting and shall not hire any more until Haying if my health continues as well as it is now. Eleanor is in the school again this Summer at $2 per week begun i May. Asahel & Eliza was out hear 2 weks ago all well. Jason started for the west 8 days ago in Company with Joseph Burnham He said he should come and see you before he come back. Expects to be gone until fall. I borrowed the $45 for him from Ostrander a few Days. I went Last Thursday to S. Mills and J. Smith and made out to get the amount. I have wrote to St. Louis and Chicago before. I expect to get a Letter from you in the morning from Pittsburgh or Cincinnatti. Times are very Dull here now all are waiting for the Rail Road to be Located as you can hold both of your claims according to Genl. McClures statement I think you had best hold on upon these for we all have the Illinois fever and want to come there as soon as we can Dispose of what we have here. you must give my Respect to all inquiring friends. Mother and the Children join me in sending their Love may the Lord protect you and preserve your health and pore upon you the best of Heavenly blessings
B Hanks
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KANE COUNTY HISTORY
Dear Brother
I feel as if I must write a few lines to you this evening seeing that I cannot have the pleasure of talking with you. We are very lonesome without you and feel as though we could not be separated from you when we could be with you. The Illinois Fever has raged still harder with us since we read Aunt Fanny's letter stating that her health had not been so good in three years and that she was well pleased with the country. She said that you must come and see her as soon as you got to Fox River. Ward Sherman, James Hogland, & two or three others started last week for Illinois. Asahel sends word that you must write to him. Locky says I must tell you she had the Billions Fever and that run into the Fever and Ague and from that into the Illinois Fever. My health is quite good but yet I am not willing to stay here. Please write to me on the receipt of this. Ma sends her love and says you must write to her.
From your
Sister Sarah
James C Hanks
Dear Brother
August 31 1836
I this evening sit down to write a few lines to my dear and only brother to let you know how much I miss you in our little circle especially when we sit down to sing We are very sorry to hear that you have been sick We are all better than we have been We received your letter Monday morning Pa & Ma & Sarah & I went to Branchport last week We received a letter from Asahel they are all well Sophia walks and talks some Eleanor is a keeping school yet I have not been more than two weeks this summer on account of sickness Jason has moved into Widow Chapins house they are all well We expect a new Minister here he is a comeing next Sunday Vincent McClure is a going to St. Louis in two or three weeks with his Uncle Wisner he thinks he shall come and see you Old Mr. Hastings died a few weeks ago and Mrs. Chapins babe it was about ten months old Diantha Smith is married to Mr. Fuller Minerva Howell is married to Mr. Underhill We are a going to clean the meeting house tomorrow Hiro Kennedy is not any better he has got the Consumption he is confined to the house most of the time you must write a great long letter to me It is so late that I cannot finish my letter to night
Thursday it rains some this morning I suppose that you want to know something about the fruit We have not got any plums but we have got plenty of apples I should like to come out to Fox River and see the bound- less prairies Ma says it is the lonesomest summer she has ever experienced for there has one of us been sick all the time with the Fever We have cleaned the meeting house today I want to see you very much Martha and Caroline is here tonight they all send their love to you and we all do to I must now to a close for I expect the Mail every minute so good bye dear Brother From your sister Locky (J C Hanks)
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KANE COUNTY HISTORY
(you must not mind Lockys mistake in subscribing your name in the place of hers. we had some frost here night before last the fog prevented it from doing much injury )
Kennedyville Sept Ist 1836
Far distant Son
Your letter of the 8th august was received on Monday last we were glad to hear that you were getting better of your sickness I hope you will be prudent and not work beyond your strength We have been severely afflicted with sickness this summer I have been unable to do any work for five weeks yesterday I about 2 acres of my got tired and quit at 4 oclock and Today am hardly able to sit up I have had the bilious fever and it hangs about me yet Together with a severe D
I feel sometimes almost discouraged and ready to give up but when I Reflect that God is able to keep and support all that will put their Trust in him I try to be reconciled to my lot I have got through my harvesting had I think about 50 or 60 bushels of wheat and about a hundred bushels of oats my corn and potatoes 3 acres on the ground we t of will be as good as I could expect if the frost keeps off until the middle of Sept shall have a good crop of buckwheat it is very hard hiring any one to work cannot get work done without paying the money our orchard back of the B is full this year and some consid in the other the grafts are full I want you should write to me the particulars of your bargain with Jason he says he let you have $53. and is to have one of your claims I think you have mised it if you have sold him one of your claims for that price when he says you could sell your claim for $1000. I think you had better sold to some person that would have given you the worth of the claim Jason says he shall not go to that country but will pay for the lot when it comes in market so you see That it is a mere p of speculation with him if you had sold one of your claims say for five Hundred Dollars it would have helped you to made improvement and paid for the other The Rail Road is not located yet they are surveying the Different Routs it will be located this fall we have now but faint hope of its coming this way I am obliged to sell the Wheeler lot for what I can get for it D says he must have the interest
immediately Jason talks some of buying it I offered it for Ten Dollars an acre and that will leave me but about $80. If the Rail Road is located up the Canistro this will be a hard place to dispose of property, but if it comes up this valley I shall be able to sell to good advantage Mother is gaining her health sloly Sarahetts health is verry poor this summer the Doctor has given her some stuff that she thinks helps her I paid of Dr. Case by paying fifty-one Dollars he thrown of Ten Dollars by my paying him $40. in money I thought best to do it although I had to borrow some I think I shall get along with it I think if my health gets better I shall sell the first opportunity write often Locky will tell you the Rest
B Hanks
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KANE COUNTY HISTORY
Chicago Sept 6, 1836
Dear Afflicted Home
You are not forgotten by me though you may think neglected I left town near four weeks ago and went into the country 25 miles South west to help the man I Board with here in town to do his having and harvest. I ex- pected to be gone but 2 weeks this has caused my neglect. I worked 26 days at haying and harvest and in the time I had but 1/2 days rest for wet weather price 10 - I have been very hearty since I wrote my last. All Steuben folks are well. I saw J. G. Higgins at church yesterday all well at his house. Truely your afflictions are great but precious promise that God does not afflict willingly but for our good. Be ye reconciled and faithful and God will be our friend I cannot say much in favor of onward progress of Christianity but I hope there is enough praying souls to save the country from a judgment. I am glad to hear that you expect a minister I have not lately heard from my claim but spring crops are coming in well. I am not much disappointed in Jasons account I thank him for the credit he gives the Fox River Country but I do not his asserting absolut no such things.
Winter wheat never until last winter failed in this country and the oldest settlers say that it would have stood then had it been sowed the last of August there is much wheat already sowed Spring wheat has always done well here average crops from 15 to 20. Just tell J that in this cold climate York State corn that was planted early was out of the way of frost in August Melons and punkins were also ripe in Augst now judge honestly whether it is a cold climate tell Jason probably he can get a farm up by the side of Elishas where the cold winds for many a year will not find his little opening. The money I had of Jason was not for a part of my claim nor did I give it to him only on conditions that he would move on early next Spring. I shall sell it
I shall go out and sow some wheat in about a week.
ICH
Sweet Sweet Home
Chicago Sept 16th 1836
I this rainy after noon have quit work and believe you will not think me idling away an hour by bringing into sweet remembrance my dearest Friends.
This must be a barren little epistle for I am destitute of interesting matter I have stayed longer from my farm than I expected to when I left it the man I left it in charge of was in town last week. he said my field had not been disturbed. The 4 acres that was to have been ploughed by my house he said could not be ploughed till the grass was burnt this fall.
I am looking for him in town again and shall move out my trunk and some provision for keeping house. he said there had been no sickness nor hardly a case of the ague in that section of the country this season all acquaintances are well except S F Spal he has been down at the heel but is getting better. The oldest settlers complain of its being a very cold season I think it has been as cold a season with the exception of frost as you often have in Steuben
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KANE COUNTY HISTORY
There was little frost here in August but it done no injury I have under- stood that it whitened the cornfields in some parts of Michigan.
Sept 19 Dear Sister Locky Your Lengthy and welcome letter has just come to hand and I feel that I should not be worthy of being called your Dear and only brother should I delay answering it I must say Sis (not wishing to flatter you) that your letter is more to the point and better than both that I received from E & S, I have not news enough on hand to pay for yours. these verses for your Album ( please write them in my scrap book) are the most I can at present do. Sister I think that we shall not always be separated but shall have our little family singing circls and shall enjoy and prize them more than ever a pleasant family sing last evening made me think of my sweet sweet Home there is peaches and apples brought in here but they sell them high
I do believe if Sarah was out here living in a little log house on punken pye and Indian she would get well I am looking for E. S. M. out here to live
Sister) I Though boundless space, doth part our clay, I see you often, at your play ; Your tuning harp, I almost hear When eastern gales pass by mine ear.
2 I see you oft in youthful glee, In search of fruit. from tree to tree. With club, or pole. that at your ease Your taste or fancy you may please.
3 Your thoughts may wander after me, You can not tell just where I be, No settled home, nor feeling 1111 To check my passage through this life.
Your Brother James To Sister Locky
Kind Father I am glad to see that you put your faith trust and hope on God in your afflictions both of body and of mind. I know by sweet experi- ence that if we in faith do ask that he will lend a helping hand in temporal as well as spiritual concerns Be thou not faithless but believing and you shall find help. I enjoy myself of late much better than I did when I first came here this spring though the cause of religion at large is very low. When I first came the Devil told me there was nothing in the way I might soon get rich in time I found out that he wanted to involve mne in business cares and anxieties that I might neglect my God I've told him I cannot buy his gold so dear nor part with heaven for him Of late my mind has been a perpetual calm I know of a truth that the Lord rules and reigns in my heart Nothing troubles me for the Lord will provide Father you know that it is customary with all Christians for to say that they just want
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enough of this world for a comefortable living and then they are going to do much more for the cause of religion O how many will in this way have to answer for the sin that it is better not to than to and not perform I have made a covenant with my God that a certain sum is all that I ask and should I ever obtain to that sum all my increase shall then be given to the Lord and I hope that I may ever give when an oppor- tunity offers should I never attain the sum I do not know how nor where I shall spend the winter yet this gives me not a moments uneasiness for I know that the Lord will provide.
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