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Theo to Jennie
from Clyman WI to
dated May 8, 1870
Dearest Jennie,
Your letter of April 10th received the 15th of the same month. so you see it was not
long on the road. I would have written sooner but have been so busy & so tired out that I
thought I would wait. we have finished the wheat & oat. everything looks beautiful here.
the trees are all in bloom. I suppose it is the same there only more so. Looked for a letter
from you for --- last week. I don’t know as I can give you much news this time but will in
my next --of some other county. if nothing happens. the story is that Ed (C)otton & Eva
Jones are going to be married. constant courtship is kept up between them. he is there
half of the time & Eva is at Cottons the other half. that is what the Lowell folks told me
the other day. so you see Jennie it is fashionable for the girls to do half of the sparking. I
suppose they will do it all before long but enough of such. how is times down there. I
suppose you like it much better now than in the winter. Mr. & Mrs. Nottingham were up
to make us a visit. he spoke of your farm several times. the quality of the land. he
thought it not of the best. well Jennie what was the wish on my ring. you know you
wished it on when I was down there & I have not had it off and don’t know how long it
was wished on for. I would like to see you a little while. for this reason. I start for
Kansas one week from tomorrow. will go to Iowa first & may go no further if I like it
there. Lee Clark goes with me. don’t know what you will think about it. we will be back
in the fall perhaps before. you spoke of coming up this summer in Lina’s letter. don’t
come Jennie until I come home. because I want to see you & will write as often as I can.
& you must write to me often because I will be among strangers. but stranger or not,
write often. will you. Salmon Griffin & Chas. Griffin of Juneau are out there like it first
rate. Chas. Spaulding likes it very well. we may not stay till fall. depends on how we like
it.
*partial letter only
Jennie McQuivey to Theodore Drake
Warren, Illinois to Clyman, Wisconsin
dated: May 8-10, 1870
Dearest Friend,
A long time having lapsed & receiving no answer to my last, I am feeling very anxious. I
hope I said nothing to offend you. I have dreamed of you nearly every night lately. most
always that you had just come, sometimes that you had been off on a journey and come back
this way. Dora, Mr. Crandall started north saturday with horse & buggy. if you wish you can
ask about tim’s story. it don’t make any difference to me but I hope you don’t think I would
tell an untruth. your letter looked very much as if you thought so. I am sorry I said anything
about W.C. & ---- & must learn to think before I act but I was so vexed to think tim would be
mean enough to tell after promising he would not. I couldn’t help letting you know how much
he is to be trusted. I thought how it would be at first but was willing to be convinced to the
contrary. We told Jim W. all about Lina & E., let him read all of her letters. I don’t blame you
for telling him. I doubt that if Lina had made me her confidant & told me her & Ed were
engaged, then asked me if I was, I should have told her. was provoked to have Pa know as he
did not know how it came about.
Oh Dora, do you remember one year ago today, how short the time seems & yet how long.
short for the changes that have taken place, but it seems long since I left the old place. where
will I be one year from today, the future alone can tell, but I hope it won’t be far from here.
when can you come down. have you given up coming down this summer. you ought to see
our place, it is the pleasantest place anywhere around, but I tell you we’ve been busy outdoors
& in this spring. but it is quite late & must retire so as to be up bright and early in the morning
for my school commences tomorrow.
School House, May 9
The sky looks very gloomy, think it will rain within the hour, how in the world will I get home
tonight if it does. there is only 10 or 11 children this morning but I think there will be more,
when pleasant they are all bright looking, the teacher first engaged went away, her parents
moved to Bloomington & so she left. she has a school there, gets $40 a month, I get $20 &
board at home. that is as much as the [oplain] teacher gets & has a great deal harder school to
manage. I have the school east of us on the corner. well it’s school time, I will finish this at
noon.
Afternoon recess
I am well pleased with my school so far. children only 11 study grammar, history, geography
etc. & take them from oldest to youngest. I never saw such good readers. the school house
too is clean & pleasant. It did not rain, the sky is clear but the wind grows quite strong. I
think they have had good teachers here but they have no register, no key & no bell & teachers
have no written contract & yet is called a good school. I was down to Waukegan Saturday &
Dora I had some [gems] taken. almost everyone says they look like me, but I think they are
too ---- faced. the gallery was full and I had to wait nearly an hour. it was after three when I
went, I was so nervous, thinking Pa would be waiting & tired withall I could not smile to save
me. I will send you one, judge for yourself.
My 10th
Trusted Friend,
It is afternoon recess & as I have nothing to do I will finish this letter. it has been very
pleasant today. a few drops fell this fore noon but the sky soon cleared. there were four new
scholars today. I feel quite drousy, hope I will soon get used to being penned up. I have been
out more or less all spring. I have to get up at half past four & help milk. we milk 15 cows,
there will be 20 before long. Pa carried the milk to the factory for the first time yesterday
morning. what are you going to do this summer. if you don’t stay at home, come here. that is
I would like to have you very much. Harriet wrote the 24th of April, Grandma don’t think she
will live long, told Harriet she would like to see me. I would like very much to go, but cannot
now. in two months will have a vacation.
May 11th
Well you see I did not finish this yesterday. it is quite cloudy this morning. I read in the
democrat that Mr. [g]ermain is dead. how is all the rest of the folks. Mrs. Hurford wrote that
you and Lee Clark were going to Kansas I think it was. write as soon as you get this & tell me
all about it. Pa hasn’t mentioned your name in a long time. he was talking one day & said I
would know what it was if I married a poor man. I told him I hadn’t married anyone yet. he
hasn’t mentioned the subject since. there are meetings and sunday school at [oplain] every
sunday. they tried hard to get me for a teacher. I don’t think I am capable & can learn so
much in the bible class. our lesson is six chapters in John & Luke. Now my dear, answer soon
if you can’t make this out-excuse it & remember me as
your dearest friend
Jennie
Letter from Theo to Jennie
dated: June 12 1870
Sunday
Union Co. Iowa
June 12 1870
My dearest Jennie,
I left home 4 weeks ago tomorrow. you can see where I am at present. where I will be
four weeks from now no one knows. I did not receive your letter until I got to Iowa Falls.
my folks forwarded it to me. Jennie I was ever so glad to hear from you & to see your
face again in your picture. am much obliged for it. returned Tammies from the Falls. I
think of you often & find it a great consolation to have your picture. I look at it often yes
I have two of yours with me. photo --- --- we remained at the falls ten days. did not
expect to stay so long when we started. saw all of the old clymen folks. Carrie, Mary &
Jim came down to see me the day we arrived at the falls. but did not see me as we did not
get there until late. they went home again. I told you that I should not go to see
Northrops but Jennie I did. we stayed there so much longer than we expected that I
thought I would go. they all urged me to go up and see them. seeing they had come so
far to see me. Hat (Harriet?) and Lina are teaching. get $50 per month. Carrie is to be
married the 29th of June. she gave me a piece of her wedding dress. I send you a piece. I
think it very nice. I saw her dress also. Mary don’t know when she is going to be
married. shouldn’t wonder if it all fell through. but my dear she did not stall my heart.
Oh I had quite a talk with her. I did not tell her anything about us or no one else. she said
she had heard I had been keeping company with a young lady. if she had been waiting for
me to tell her all about it she was disappointed. she asked me if I had any hard feelings
toward her. hoped I had not. never should forget me. she told me that we had never
understood each other right. if we had she would never have been as she is or something
to that effect. I told her that I had seen the time when I did not care wether I ever heard
from her or not. that she had not used me very good. had written me the last letter &
thought it best not to answer it. I enjoyed myself there very much well. they have a
miserable house & everything else. H. Mosleys have a nice place & so has ____ Pa’s. We
were up to goldfield to see J.W. Parmelie 45 miles from the Falls. I like the country well.
nice towns & nice folks. all americans. haven’t seen but a few foreigners in the state. we
may not go any further than this state. will write as often as I can you do same. so Hank
has been down to see you. what did he have to say about Drakes especially me. how
does he like it. Jennie I intended to speak to Harve but I did not get a chance to see him
only a minute. it is just as well I guess. Jennie I am sorry to have you think as you do.
you say my letter looks as though I thought you had told an untruth. no Jennie I trust
you. I never thought you would tell a lie. am sorry if I wrote anything that looks so to
you. I thought there was a lie somewhere. but I believe now that Tim (Jim?) told
someone that told Harve. but dear let it drop. it can’t injure us. I thought at first to bring
Harve out is why I wrote as I did. So your father is not satisfied with a poor son-in-law.
well I am sorry but can’t help it. I believe he had no more when of my age than I have.
I’m sure I don’t love you for your money. write me all the news when you write. I will
----- when I stop traveling. so you will know where to direct. this sheet has blown out of
the wagon twice since I commenced. we are resting today. camped in the woods. do our
own cooking. had strawberries for dinner. I am surprised to find this state so thickly
settled. such nice towns. good churches nice school houses. I will write no more this
time. I will mail this in another county. I guess I wish you was with me. I know you
would enjoy it. that is seeing the country.
from a faithful friend
Dora Drake
*NOTE: envelope contains swatch of moss green silk. Hat was Jennies older sister
Harriet and Lina was Theos sister Caroline.