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what if I should be trusting is a false hope: Pray for me, that I may not beleft to the wishes of Satan, but may scorch my heart and know whether I haveyielded it entirely to God.I went over to Olive's yesterday and spent theday-wish you could have been with us-she has everything comfortableand a very kind husband - it seemed so pleasant to sit down by then chestnutfireplace when it came evening and have him read to us while we scared - thebabies were fast asleep so there was nothing to interrupt us - Little Hellenis a darling child - she was two years old last Saturday - I wish you could seeher she says "Aunt Bell" and "Uncle Dodolo" - We are in hopes to moveover to Theodore's in two or three weeks as father has perhaps told you.I am anxious to go it will be much for comfortable and I thinkthe evenings will be more pleasant - they are very dull here - sittingdown in this dark gloomy cabin usually with a thick cloud oftobacco smoke almost choking me - but I will try and be patientand hope for better things when we got our new house. I don't knowwhen that will be if John should have a stiff arm I don't knowwhether he can work on a farm too much advantage, shouldthink he could attend to some other business better. Father needs tohave some of the care taken from him he has grown so childishI never saw one fail so fast as he has since last spring. I know it was too much of an undertaking for him to come here. but Isuppose he would not like to admit it - I think sometimes thathe had better rent his farm and not try to do so much that is if John is not able to work but I don't know what he will thinkof it. I wish you were here to advise him - I always think that youradvice is right - but perhaps I am a little partial - Well I shall want towrite some more often Joh gets back so good by today.Wednesday PM John got home this morning - the Dr thinks his arm will alwaysbe some stiff but may get so that he can use it considerable - he toldhim to shower it twice a day in tepid water and rub it in warmwhisky and volatile linement says, the condiles of elbow are injuredI don't know what they are but had quite a snow storm last nightbut it has most all melted today - Everybody is driving business it a great[right hand side]rate now, pulling turnips and housing them, they are afraid the ground will shut up early. I have seen but one fire on the prairie,t'was not so much of a sight as I expected to see[upside down at top and left-hand side] Lucy, don't work the book-mark, till your eyes get well. I inquired about it because I thought perhaps you had sent it and the letter was lost. I suppose Samuel dont get the Californian fever any, does he? a great many seem to be going from your vicinity. Wouldn't you like to come to some of our sings? Olive wants us all to come over there some of these moonlight evenings to sing. dont know whether we will get started we have a family choir with the exception of Mr. Watson a tenor singer. I dont feel so lonesome today as I did yesterday because the sun shines. I have been mending trousers today. I dont love to do it a bit. I can mend anything else with a good will. when are you coming to make us the promised visit? next year? Well good by Sister Bell.
Title
Furber Family: Furber, Olive (Samuel's sister), Isaac Stevens Metcalf family papers, 1850-1851
Creator
Metcalf, Isaac Stevens, 1822-1898
Date
1850-1851
Place
United States
Subjects
Bowdoin College
,
Brothers and sisters
,
DuQuoin Coal Company
,
Illinois Central Railroad Company
Description
Use the link to the finding aid for a fuller description of collection contents that explains the use of the name and subject terms appearing in this catalog record.
Summary
Correspondence, writings, diaries, and journals documenting family and rural life, as well as early business correspondence and records, and a few photographs, all pertaining to Isaac Stevens Metcalf and the Metcalf, Furber, and Putnam families. Family correspondence was used to keep all of the branches of the family in touch with each other when family members moved away. There are many instances where multiple family members wrote on one letter to one or more other family members, and some people even wrote "family letters" that were intended to be shared amongst parents, siblings, and the like. Topics of family correspondence tend to be related to religion, daily activities on the farm, weather, and the news of friends and relatives (births, deaths, sicknesses, etc.) Business records of Metcalf's pertain to land ownership, railroad engineering and construction, and running a coal mining business. The mid-19th century business records also document tax payments and some reports including labor and payroll expenses. There are a few drawings and sketches from Metcalf's tenure as division engineer of the Illinois Central Railroad. The first accession of these family papers was a donation of the letters between Charles W. and Albina Rich, given by Grace Leadingham, Charles Rich's granddaughter. This gift was facilitated by Keyes D. Metcalf, 17th child of Isaac Stevens Metcalf.
Biographical/Historical Note
Railroad engineer, farmer, and businessman of Maine, Ohio, and Illinois during the second half of the 19th century. Isaac Stevens Metcalf was born in Royalston, Massachusetts, on Jan. 29, 1822. His father, Isaac Metcalf, had married Lucy Heywood in 1810; she died childless in 1820. In March 1821 he married Anna Mayo Stevens Rich, the widow of Charles Rich, by whom she had had three children (named Charles, Elizabeth Anna, and Almeida). Isaac was born to Metcalf and Rich, followed by Joseph, Lucy, and Eliab. Isaac Metcalf (father) died in Boston in 1830, and the family relocated to Milo, Maine, where half-brother Charles had purchased a farm. Isaac Stevens Metcalf lived there with his mother and siblings, preparing for college and working on the farm until he entered Bowdoin College as a sophomore in 1844. He graduated there in 1847, having taught school while studying engineering. He surveyed and built railroads in New England until the spring of 1850, when he became a division engineer on the southern section (near Centralia, IL) of the Illinois Central Railroad. Metcalf worked closely with the Chief Engineer, Roswell B. Mason. Metcalf remained on the job until the line was completed to Cairo, IL, in 1855. While in central Illinois, Metcalf purchased land and with his partner Chester A. Keyes laid out the railroad town of Du Quoin, which was officially dedicated on Sept. 20, 1853. On Jul. 5, 1852, he married Antoinette ("Nettie") Brigham Putnam, the daughter of prominent New Hampshire minister John Milton Putnam. The couple had twelve children, three of whom died young. They settled in Elyria, Ohio, in Nov. 1856, to be near Metcalf's half sister, Elizabeth Ann (also known as Ann Elizabeth), and more family joined them within the next ten years. Metcalf and family lived in Elyria for over 41 years, farming and running a flour mill while Isaac Stevens Metcalf maintained business interests in Du Quoin, Illinois (real estate and coal mining). Antoinette died Aug. 14, 1875, and three years later Metcalf married Harriet Howes. That couple had six boys. Harriet Howes died of pneumonia Dec. 7, 1894, and Isaac Stevens Metcalf died Feb. 19, 1898, age 76. A more complete Metcalf genealogy family, focusing on the children of Isaac Stevens Metcalf, is available in the Special Collections Department information files. The genealogy was compiled by Keyes DeWitt Metcalf, 17th child of Isaac Stevens Metcalf.
Extent
10.8 linear feet (20 boxes and 1 oversize folder)
Format
Business records
,
Correspondence
,
Diaries
,
Genealogy
,
Invoices
,
Manuscripts, American
,
Personal narratives
,
Records and correspondence
,
Sources
Archival Collection Title
Isaac Stevens Metcalf papers
,
Midwest Manuscript Collection
Rights Status
No Copyright - United States
Newberry Open Access Policy
The Newberry makes its collections available for any lawful purpose, commercial or non-commercial, without licensing or permission fees to the library, subject to
these terms and conditions.
Contributing Institution
Newberry Library
Link to Catalog
View finding aid
|
View record
Call Number
midwest ms metcalf Box 3 Folder 64
BibID
821787
Size
2807px × 3467px 55.72 MB
IIIF Resource Type
Canvas
Filename
998217878805867_mms_metcalf_box_03_fl_64_001_001.tif
Unique Identifier
NL11FEZL
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