Abstract of Watts Letter written about 1826-1830 in Vigo Co IN by Moses Watts to his father Moses and Brothers Thomas and Lyman in Peacham Vt.

Prairie Creek Township, Vigo County Indiana.

Honored Father and Respected Brothers.

I take this opportunity to inform you that we are all well at present hoping these few lines will find you all well. I received a letter from Lyman last week with great pleasure and land if it is in the United States do not buy it. If it is the Canadian Locations buy as many as you can and bring them before the twenty-fifth of September next. They must or can be laid before the sails for they are valuable if they are lawful ones. Take care that your title is good and the Lawyers or some suitable person and be sure of your title for there is some counterfeit. You want to know what Labor is worth here. Timber is worth one dollar per day farming fifteen dollars per month. Labor in still house twenty five dollars per month and grain house 25 dollars per month and grain is very cheep. Corn 25 cents per bushel. Wheat fifty cents per bushel. Oats twenty cents per bushel. Whiskey fifty cents per gallon.

In fall of the year corn is bought here for 12 1/2 cents per bushel in money. The timber has been uncommon hard the snow was six inches deep here. I have been all threw this country. I been to Orleans. I have been up the Missouri to Boons Lick and all threw this western country I find this part to be as healthy a part as any in this country. It is something of an undertaking to come here. I want you to be careful how you start with money. See that it is good and what company you get into for you will find sharpers on the road. Your road will be to come to Albany New York. From there to Kinston in Pennsylvania to Reading and then to Harrisburg from there to Wheeling on the Ohio River from there to Zionsville in Ohio, from there to Columbus and from there to Little Darby and there you will find Polly and Peggy and from there to the seat of Government in Indiana and from there to Fort Harrison on the Wabash. I have seen hard times. I have had a great deal of sickness in my family but at present I am doing very well by the blessing of my maker. Three years November coming my wife left me with four little children and one but a few days old. I was married on the second day of March last and we are in good spirits hoping to see Lyman the first of September next. My children are to boys and two girls. Three is with me, the oldest Lucinda and Willard and Thomas. The second girly Polly is living about three miles from me.

I follow hewing and framing for a livelihood. I built a house last summer for one hundred and fifty dollars. I have another job on hand. I can have work enough and more than I can do. I have a good still and a good stock of cattle. Our prairie here is able to raise great stocks of cattle. A man may have as many hogs and cattle as he is a mind to have (prairie here is all sides from five miles to one hundred in magnitude. We have only to plow and fence our ground from which we raise great crops as any in the world. It is said by credible men that one of my neighbors had one hundred bushes of corn per acre - but our common yields is from fifty to eighty bushes per acre. One man and two Horses can tend forty or fifty acres of corn - find farming. Lumber plenty joining the prairies.

I you can buy the Canadian title of land and lawful ones buy as many as you can for they will be worth more than you think for and bring them on before the sales in September the 26^th. If you do not come so soon it wont make me ?? get them ?? you can lay them any time.

Digital copy of Letter provided by John and Beryl Amann.

©2002 Kay S. Diekemper

Updated 1/3/2003