Feb 18, 1864--Great Salt Lake City

The blog is ahead of the story.  Ever since the Articles of Agreement were discovered,  December 17, 2012, I have been blogging about them instead of posting the next Stephen Sherwood letter.  "An Early Christmas Gift," "Name Dropping," and "From Rags to Riches," have been posted about finding the Articles of Agreement and summarizing their contents.  But from the last published letter (April 6, 1863) to when the Articles of Agreement were signed (October 26, 1867) over 4 1/2 years need to be covered.  Stephen was far from claiming any reward from his mining ventures in February of 1864 when this letter was sent to his son, Henry, in Illinois from Salt Lake City.  I should have posted this letter yesterday, to celebrate 149 years since it was written.  I did the best I could to "translate" it, but you will get an idea of what is happening in Stephen's life at that time.

Salt Lake City

This letter was possibly written at the home of Thomas Box on the corner of 1st North and 1st West* 
in Salt Lake City.  Thomas Box had purchased land there in 1860.  Stephen Sherwood
 was boarding at the Box home in February of 1864. (see note below)

Great Salt Lake Citty, Utah Territory

February 18, 1864

Dear Henry i have not received a letter from you since th 17th of last June  i was glad to here you was all a live and still willing to hope  an i rote you  I sent from?? the Dalles by Express to be Delivered to you at Wakegan one hundred Dollars in gold coin and I paid Express charges and i have a receipt for the obey Dated June 8, 1863   i want you to rite me whether you got it or not  as for my self i am well and my hopes and prospets are better than has ever been since i came __ the East??  i have a  ___hundred ___ in 3 Diferent silver bar ___ and _bar? Essay 247 in silver and 16 in gold to the ton which is very good  the other we have sent some rock to San francisco to get Essayed  we ___have re turns the last of this month  it is selling from 10 Dollar___ foot but i want bigger licks than that an ___the fact is if it is worth any thing it is a fortune and a grate many 

sell fortunes for nothing  I am a going to start out in a Day or two a prospecting and shall be gon a month  when i return i will rit you all about it  i have not heard from William Oren and Hiram ___Walker they with Drawen??  from me when there was nothing more for them to get and thank god for it and i intend to keep clene?? and if i am successful a nuff to make a fortune  i intend the Dat ___ ____will st____ a small share? of it as they have done?  Do the best you can and hope and i will make claims for  you all  thare is beter Days a coming, yet the bread that is cast upon the wather shall be gathered through many Days after a night __ a full letter all particulars in full   Direct as a bove???

give my love to Sarah and your little ones  i miss your ___circumstances??   and feel sufficient?  that we will realize a g___competance yet.

from your affectionate Father S. Sherwood

H.S. & S. M.

Notes:

H.S. = Henry Sherwood
S.M.= Sarah Sherwood

Note:

In February of 1864 Stephen Sherwood was boarding at the home of Thomas Box in Salt Lake City, Utah.  At this time he encountered an old mining friend, Jacob N. Vandermark.  Stephen said in the letter:  "I am a going to start out in a Day or two a prospecting."  He must have left about February 20, 1864.  Stephen travelled  with Thomas Box, Thomas Box Jr., Peter Shirts, and Jacob Vandermark.  They arrived in Southern Utah in March.  Source:  Making Space on the Western Frontier, Page 23-24,  by W. Paul Reeve.

According to the blog, "clmroots," The "Salt Lake City Directory" lists Thomas Box living on the corner of 1st North and 1st West in 1869.  He had purchased the property in 1860, and could have been living there in 1864 as well when Stephen Sherwood was boarding with him. 

 In 1860, Thomas Box was in the 13th Ward, but by 1861, he was in the 17th Ward in Salt Lake City.  He probably moved to 1st North and 1st West during that time period.

For more on Thomas Box go to the blog "clmroots"  The information on where he lived was obtained there.  Click here to go there.

April 6, 1863--Stephen Sherwood to his Family (Page 1 of 4)

It has been interesting to find the history that is falling in place behind these letters.

"The discovery of gold at Canyon Creek on June 8, 1862, brought a rush of people and supplies into the  Upper John Day basin.  Within a year nearly 10,000 fortune hunters trekked to the gold fields from the nearest access and supply point-- The Dalles-- over a series of trails that became
"The Dalles to Canyon City Wagon Road." Canyon City was larger than Portland at the time.



Dalles  April 6th 1863


Dear children  i received your letter and was over joyed to here that you all war a live and was as well as you was but am verry sorry for Wellingtons misfortune  we are all well Hiram and Oren started with the Pack Trane the other Day to the mines to Canyon citty

Canyon City, Oregon

 it is a bout 200 miles   they will be gon a bout 3 weeks there?  freight will come to 400 Dollars


  i am a waiting at the Dalles for Elizabeth and William to come  i Expect them on the next California Steamer

The Dalles

 i sent them 265 Dollars to come with and  i wish i had some to send to you but i will send you some as soon as possible  and i hope that will be be four long but own loses in california has made it very hard for us but we have got a start a gain am in a better location than before   you must not feel down? that I have not written often for the year past for the most of the time and have ben in the mountains and could? not  but my interest and feeling and affections   i miss the kids?   i have strong hopes and Determined to  make a move  and i will do it that I may a ward you for your Integrity  Don't dis pair  know hope on  the cloud?, will clear a way by and by all

Note:
Is Sephen telling his children not to despair but to have hope because even though it is cloudy, they will clear eventually ?).  He always has a message of hope in his letters. (go to page 2)

December 14, 1862--Stephen to His Children (Page 1 of 4)

Dalles
December 14, 1862

Dear Children it has ben a long time since i rote you a letter and i am a shamed of it but i have ben so irritated (?) that i could (?)  not ___ you ___Excuse me i have ben gon_ _____ are from any post office 270 (240?) miles  we are all well  Hiram (Parker) and Oren (Sherwood) myself is at the Dalles on the Columbia river in Oregon  we have a pack __orse of 30 horses and mules that we have Earned(?) this summer but we have not made any money but we think we can make money next summer  my wife and W (William Sherwood) & little children is in Cal ___ i had a letter (?) from _____

Notes:

The children mentioned here are Wellington (13), Dan (11), and John (7).  They are living with their older half brother Henry Stephen Sherwood and his wife in Antioch, Lake, Illinois

Hiram (38) referred to here is likely Hiram Parker (born 1824), the brother of Sophia Parker Sherwood (2nd wife of Stephen Sherwood).  Hiram has not been found in the 1860 Census with his wife and children (he may have been in California) but was with his wife, Sylvia (from Ireland) in the 1850 and 1870 Census in Lake County, Illinois.  Hiram would also be the Uncle of Oren and William, Stephen's children.

Oren (22) and William (18) are children of Stephen Sherwood and Sophia Parker Sherwood (who died in 1853).  His wife Elizabeth Denick Sherwood was in California with their their two children, Lewis (8) and George (2).  George was born in California.

The Dalles, Oregon, 1867

Map with the Dalles and Columbia River

December 14, 1862--Stephen to His Children (Page 3 of 4)

we heard of Mother Parker Death by the way of mr walker's letter   tell Hirams folks that he is well and a doing the best he can and will remember them as soon as possible   he is in company with us in packing  it takes some time to get a _____here  if we have good luck this winter  i think we can make a ___lot of money next summer   i Expect you have had very hard times and my hart has bled for you a many a time but that cant help you   i hope you have not had to under go the real hard ships that we have   i have not had my close of for 7 months to sleepe   slep on the ground roled up in a blanket

 Notes: 
 Mother Parker was probably Lavina Farnsworth Parker, the wife of Oren Parker (died 1852).  She would have been Hiram's mother as well as the mother of Stephen's 2nd wife, Sophia Parker Sherwood.  Stephen says "Hirams folks" but both his parents would have been deceased.  Is this another Hiram?or is Stephen talking about other family members and referring to them as folks?  (see more on Hiram on page 1 of this letter).

October 8, 1837--Sale from Robert B French to Stephen Sherwood

State of Wisconsin
Kenosha County


Know all men by the present that I Robert B French of the County of Kenosha and State of Wisconsin for and in consideration of One Thousand dollars to me in hand paid of Stephen Sherwood the _ _ ___ Where of I hereby acknowledge _  an assign subscribe ?  ____ and deliver  by their present do hereby assign ___ __subscribe ? and  deliver to Said Stephen Sherwood all my right, title, claim & interest in ___ the partnership, rights, credits, property & demands of the late firm of Smith French __  of the City of Kenosha, State of Wisconsin giving to said Stephen Sherwood the ___interest and rights in said partnership of Smith French__that I am Entitled and ___.

                                                                       R M B French
Kenosha Ws 8 Oct 1837          

Notes;


Possibly Stephen Sherwood used the $1000 he eventually received from the 1836 promissory note (bottom of page)  from George J. Goodhue of LaSalle, Illinois for this purchase in Kenosha, Wisconsin.   Deeds show Stephen Sherwood with land transaction in Lake County, Illinois and Kenosha County Wisconsin after this time.  Some of the people he did business with included Albert P Smith, Morris Lampher, and Hiram Parker.  A further study on his land transactions in Lake and Kenosha Counties would add to Stephen Sherwood's life story.