August 25, 1857 Edwin Benjamin-1833 to Elizabeth Benjamin-1830

Belvidere, Ill

August 25, 1857

Dear Elizabeth,

Yours of the 24^th Frances brought from the post office this afternoon.   I am sorry to hear you say what you did in the letter, but I suppose you thought that I had gone away and without doing a thing for you.  But I can assure you it is not so.  I have a feeling towards you and all the gamily.  I mean an affectionate feeling. 

I sent you a letter last Sunday with one dollar in it and an order for $3.00 of Mr. Allen.  If I had more I should certainly send it to you.  As to butter we haven’t any to send.  I don’t know what to do about your furniture.  I don’t think you will get half what it is worth.  And if you think it best, I will take some of it down here and sell it for you as I think I could get more for it than you will get at Beloit. 

I shall come up next week.  I can’t come up this week because the men that furnishes power for me here are going to stop the mill next week to do some repairs on the boiler and the saw mill.  I think of going to Rockford next week too and get the things for John.  But I don’t know where I am going to have money to get the things that he wants.  I sent a letter to Ballard the same time as yours and told him to come and get the bedhead and I suppose he will.  

I don’t think I can go out west with you now, but I may go by and by as I am so situated that I can’t at present.  The lathe I can’t get now because I have no money to get it for him.  And I don’t know what to do about the machine in Rockford, whether to send that without the lathe or not.  And I think it would be best to hear from him first and then I should know what to do about it.  The lathe is mortgaged for $50.00 and if John sends $35, the same as I paid him at Rockford, and the Boland, I will pay myself. 

Yours affectionately,

Edwin

Dear Elizabeth,

I hope you will excuse me for not answering your letter before, for I have been very busy.   I have often thought of you and spoken to Edwin about you but that is about all that we could do for we are just beginning to keep house and we __ our furniture buy and everything to pay for so that it takes all that we can get.

Believe me to be your affectionate sister,

Frances

May 16, 1857 Elizabeth Benjamin-1830 to John Benjamin-1823

Belvidere

May 16, 1857

My Dear John,

I received your letter this afternoon.  I was glad to hear from you.  Frank and Nuice Albrite came here yesterday in that heavy shower and stayed until 6 o’clock today.  They may come back again tonight for it rains again and they may turn back. 

Mr. Pragg was here this morning and wanted to see you.  He wanted to know too whether we were going to stay here or not.   I told him you would see him on Saturday afternoon, so he said it was all right. 

Robby is awful cross at times.  Anne has got a very bad cough; she kept me awake the half of the night last night.  I put two bandages on her in the night.  I hope she will be better tonight.  The baby has got a bad cold.  He coughs some and one eye is entirely shut up but it looks some better tonight.  I worked faithfully with her all day.  I felt so bad to have it so, the little dear.   She is so good you would not know there was a baby in the house. 

The children are in bed this half hour so I thought I would finish this letter.  The girls did not come back again.  Mr. Dreskey spoke to me at the door tonight.  He was going to fish.  He will come here Saturday night or Sunday when you are at home, he said. 

The cow has had the last of her feed this noon so I am giving her some of the meal until you come home.  You can let her into the garden on Sunday for there is a nice lot of grass after this rain.

The children are looking for you by every train.  I am sorry your employers are selling out but hope all will come right again. 

I shall finish this in the morning.  Good night, dear John.   Friday morning – the children are some better.  Come home tomorrow noon.  Stop over Sunday and be here.  Me to remain.

Your fond wife,

Elizabeth

June 24, 1885 John Benjamin-1823 to Elizabeth Benjamin-1830

Moorhead, Minn.

June 24, 1885

Dear Elizabeth,

We expect to get through here tomorrow and will leave here on Friday morning for home via Alexandria.   I wish you could meet me there and come home on the cars at the same time.  You will be able to find out the time the train will arrive there as we shall telegraph ahead all the way as this will be a special train.  All others will have to get out of the way.  It will cost you nothing on the cars to ride to St. Paul. 

I expect our mill to be up by we get home as it was at Glencoe before I left. 

Get ready to go home if possible & meet me at Alexandria.

Love to all.  Yours truly,

John

Olive, you must try to get Ma started for home along with me.  You & Frank can go via Sauk Center & get Mr. Pendergast to come with you.  Meet at the depot.

Father

June 19, 1885 John Benjamin-1823 to Tribe of Benjamin

Hutchinson

June 18, 1985

Dear Ma & all the tribe of Benjamin,

Your letter came to hand last night.  We were very glad to hear of your safe arrival at the North Pole & that you found all the old & young Esgwumps all in the full enjoyment of good health.  I hope this may find you all well & enjoying yourselves.

I have not been very well for the two or three days but am better today.  My eyes have been very sore but are much better now.

I shall send you some papers herein.  You will see the account of the burning of the flouring mill last Sunday night during a very heavy thunderstorm which lasted for over two hours.    The children had not more than got into the house from church when the storm commenced.  Ludwig, Franz & Mimi Ritter were caught near the old Junes house on their return from the camp meeting.  They drove into our yard & had to stay all night not deeming it safe go home after the storm cleared a little.  I have not learnt of any further damage done in this vicinity with the exception of the burning of the mill.   The streets are all streams.

Our windmill is shipped from Minneapolis & will be here now soon.

John will be here in one or two weeks, a letter from him last night.  Mr. Coffin is expected here on Monday next from Minneapolis.  The children insist on my going to Moorhead next week.  They will not listen to the word and Mr. & Mrs. Higgins, Mr. & Mrs. Ritter are going & several others, Mr. Reed too.   He says only you must go.  He is going to wish if it were possible for you to go with me.  The train leaving St. Paul on Tuesday morning 7-15.   I shall send you the Enterprise where you will learn all about it.   I sent for the tickets for Higgins & Ritter. 

I was glad to hear that the horses went so nicely with you & that you got there without much rain.   It has rained here considerable since you left & today is very threatening & hot.

Robbie is going to S.S. convention this evening if it don’t rain.  Maggie has not been to school this week, fixing up her clothes.  Tell little Lizzie that Grandpa is coming next time.  The tribe of Benjamin at present is very much reduced & pretty well scattered over the face of the earth.  I shall expect to see some fragments of the tribe return the last of next week for this tribe was not created to be divided and torn asunder.

The last day of school today & the children are enjoying the big circus at Glencoe.  Next week they all want to go.  We shipped two cases (or 1 ½ cases) of butter last Wednesday.  ___ done well, I mean Louise & myself, of course, you will say sis.   I finished one churning this A. M. & Louise is calling for me to come & do the other as she has taken the butter out of the churn.

I have now finished my second churning.  It has been a little for the last hour.  It looks now again like fine weather.  Tell William & Frank not to take all the fish out of the lake for Arthur & Winifred.   Say that they want some when they come there. 

I suppose that you have been to Alexandria by this.   How do you like the looks of the country?  How is Mr. & Mrs. Frost, Mr. & Mrs. Blackwell?  Give my kind regards to them all.  Can the little girls play upon the ___ yet or not?   Tell that I shall expect them to be good players by the time I visit them by & by.

I word to you, Olive, privately.  I tell you what it is, I don’t like to occupy the editorial chair in your absence.  You must hurry up & come home and attend to this part of the business or I shall be obliged to suspend you & look out for anew editor in chief, and don’t you forget it. 

You will have to excuse Louise from writing this time for she is very busy getting herself & all the others ready for the convention.   Robbie is writing his speech upstairs & has taken my ink bottle, hence I am obliged to use this pale stuff. 

Your most affectionate,

Father

We shall expect a letter a day.

March 28, 1881 Mary Anne Benjamin McKenzie-1852 to Arthur Benjamin-1868

Holmes City

March 28, 1881

Dear Brother Arthur,

I received a letter from you some time ago but have put it off until I think it’s time to write, but I wish you wouldn’t wait for me to write.  

If I come to see you this summer, I hope you have freshed up so that I will hardly know you.   I guess your hook hasn’t been found as yet or the fish that swallowed it. 

I wish you would write & tell us all about the time you had during the storm for ma said you was at home then. 

The girls have written to you or Jensas several times thanking you for those drawings you sent & that almanac you sent & paper you Bryan & Winfred sent, but have got them hard round,  but can’t the one to suit .  How they talk about coming to see you next summer.

From your loving,

Sister

April 18, 1881 Thomas Price to John Benjamin-1823

Quincy, Mass.

April 18, 1881

Dear John,

We were most happy to receive your kind letter, and especially were we pleased to receive your photograph.  It is a very good one indeed.  Although you have changed somewhat since we saw you last, you still look very much as you did formerly.   I should readily have known you had it been my good fortune to have met you anywhere.  We trust we shall soon have the pleasure of receiving the photographs of your dear wife and children for we wish very much to have them. 

I have been thinking very much of late of the time when you and I came to this country.   It will be 32 years the 22^nd of this month.  How time flies!!  I don’t think that either you or I have any reason to regret that we came to America for it has proved a good thing both for ourselves and our children.  We have changed somewhat since that time for we were then strong active young men. 

We are very glad to learn that you have such bright intelligent girls – and boys too, for that matter.  They are a blessing to you and I doubt not you are justly proud of them.

As Olive wished you to ask me the prices of pianos, I send you a price list of Mr. Chickering’s instruments, which are undeniably the best.  The prices written in ink are the real ones from which a discount of 10% is made for cash. 

I wish to thank you kindly for the papers you have sent me.  I have taken much pleasure in reading them.   I am glad to hear of the remarkable growth of some of your western towns.  Minneapolis has done remarkably well.  Your property must appreciate in value considerably during the next decade.  I am sure you cannot do better than we wish you, for we wish you and yours every prosperity and success. 

I suppose you will soon be quite busy sowing.  I should think the farms in the west must look very fine during the growing season.

I am happy to say that I am gradually improving in health.  My wife and Willie are still quite well.  Willie has written this letter for me for I wished to answer your letter without much delay.  We trust you will soon have fully recovered from the effects or your late sickness.  We trust the rest of you are quite well. 

With our love to you all and hoping to hear from you again soon, I remain as ever,

Your sincere friend,

Thomas G. Price

Jan. 15, 1881 Wm Radley to John Benjamin-1823

Sandwich, Ill

Jan. 15, 1881

J. Benjamin

Dear Sir,

Your postcard of 10 at hand.  We mail you circulars of our windmills etc. and enclose you price list herein.  If you consider purchasing a windmill we would be glad to sell you one of ours & can guarantee you satisfaction as we have the finest arranged mill on the market.  As we have no agent in your section we can give you the benefit of wholesale prices.  This for a 10 ft. windmill is 40% & 10% off list or $40.80 net cash.  We can send you full directions so you can push it up without difficulty.  We warrant our mill in its broadest manner and we hope to have your order.  Anything in the pump line we can also furnish at low rates.

Yours truly,

Wm. Radley

Nov. 30, 1880 Mary Anne Benjamin McKenzie-1852 to John Benjamin-1823

Holmes City

Nov. 30, 1880

Dear Father and Mother,

The first thing I will say is we are all well.  The next is my eyes are well and I do thank you both for your true kindness in all you have shown.

Don’t feel bad if we are not with you Christmas for we will do enough of that.   Robbie, if we come I would enjoy cracking some of those butternuts. 

Frank, we will cross some of those sloughs.

Ollie, that letter is a tough pill (more too).  I have pondered and pondered and cracked and cracked my head and cannot get it off.

I would be glad to hear from all any time, or any at any time.  Love to all. 

William L. McKenzie

I went to meeting last night.  Mr. Frost came with his team.  Mr. Frost was along so W. and I went & James kept house with the girls.  The girls hoods came, which we send money.  Many thanks, they look well.

William is going to town so I am in a hurry so please excuse this this time.   More sent next time.  I have not got time to finish this letter but will as soon as I can.   I hope this may find you all well as it leaves us.    

From your daughter,

Anne E. McKenzie

 

 

June 13, 1880 John Benjamin-1823 to Sonia & Olive Benjamin

Holmes City

June 18, 1880

Dear Sonia & Olive,

I have written to Robby & Frank both but forgot to mention to either whether or not I paid Mr. Higs the 2 5/100 dollars maintenance money due him on the last notice.  I wish you would tell Robby to try & get the money from Mr. Goodnow & pay it to Mr. Higgins.  I think it will be due on the 15^th of this month.  You also tell the boys to clear the bush out of the trees & mow down the weeds and grass if possible for they will go to seed now ___.

We have all just returned from church in a visit to a friend of Williams who is very sick & not expected to live from one hour to another.

___ __ & all are very hungry & sis is going to work getting dinner for this ___ crowd.  The weather is beautiful today but the roads are abominable.  No bottom to them in some places in these woods.  The storm of day before yesterday was very severe.  Between this place and Alexandria the wind blew so hard that trees & houses & barns were blown down in all directions.  The thunder & the lightening was most terrific.  One young lady a short distance from here was killed by lightening & a sister of hers was also struck & badly hurt at the same time.   I don’t know how we are able to get home over such roads I am sure, unless they dry up before long.  May is at her aunt’s & is expected here tomorrow to go to Alexandria some days the coming week if it is possible.  We met with Frank McKenzie today for the first time.   Him & his wife is expected here to see us this afternoon.  They live about ½ mile from here.  Frank looks old and careworn.  Nearly all the settlers about here are Swedes & Norwegians.  No society of any kind, only of the above class & they are too clannish for white folks.

Have the boys fixed up the milk house or not, for the warm weather will compel you to move the milk there, if not already done.  ___ says that she is going to write to aunty soon.  Give our kindest love & regards to them, hoping that this may find you all & them two in the full enjoyment of good health.  We expect to hear from some of you now soon. 

I think it will be useless for you to write for there is no certainty of our receiving your letters at all, for all, or about all, the mail from here goes via Alexandria and Minneapolis and takes about four days for a letter to get found, and as we expect leave here the last of the week, the weather permitting.  Tell Byron & Winfred we have not forgotten them but on the contrary think & talk of them & all of you daily. 

Our united love to you all.  From your affectionate,

Father

My Dear Children,

I have just returned from looking over William’s Sugar Bush.  There is a beautiful little stream of water running through it.   We have been meeting today and on the way we overtook Frank McKenzie.  Him and his wife are here now.  He is looking a good deal older than older than he ought to.  Our meeting was held in a log school house.

I think you may venture to write to us if you write right away for the roads are very bad and we shall have to stay until the roads are better for they are awful now.  Tell aunty and uncle I shall write to them tomorrow.  Give our love to all of them and all the folks.  Arthur wants me to tell Bryon and Winfred to mow the popcorn. 

Our love to all, hoping these few lines will find you all well.  From your affectionate,

Mother

June 30, 1879 Stranger to John Benjamin-1823

Chicago City

June 30, 1879

Dear Sir, Mr. Benjamin

I am a stranger to you but I feel it my duty to write a few lines in behalf of your sister, Mrs.  Jones.  You have heard of the death of her dear daughter, Lizza, who was their standby, their only help.  Mrs. Jones has not good health and cannot earn what she could if not in good health.   Mr. Jones is doing nothing and all comes on her.  They have been in the house with me at a very low rent.  I have paid all rent hoping as the month come around she could their little.  I am a widow and sew for a living and I have not much to give.

I hope this letter will give no offense.  Mrs. Jones has often spoken of you and when she could see you.  Now Mr. Benjamin could you help them?  Their funeral expenses have been pretty high for poor people.  If you would send your dear sister some money to defray the great expense she would be very thankful to you I know.  For what they are to do I cannot see with her failing health as now all comes on her to pay rent and feed the four.  If her husband could only get something to do and only earn a few dollars a week it would be something.   Her son Richard has just gone to work.  She has had him to feed all winter with the rest.  With washing it does seem too hard for her to have all to work for at the wash tub.  Now can you not send her some help?  Money is what they most need.   

Hoping you will excuse this long letter from a stranger.  Hoping to hear her say soon “I have a letter from my brother”.

Yours truly,

A Stranger

PS – Please address Mrs. Jones with a $25 draft, 42 Cottage Grove Ave.

April 21, 1879 Titus Brothers Grocers to John Benjamin-1823

 

Minneapolis, Minn.

April 21, 1879

To Dr. Benjamin, Hutchinson

Dear Sir,

Were it not that we could plead sickness on the part of the winter we would tend to you an apology for not more promptly answering your letter of the 30^th ult.

Touching upon butter, were we decided to remain in business after the next 30 days, would be glad to resume our old relations & handle it as we did up to a year ago, but as we are almost decided to close or sell out we cannot ask you to ship to us until we return from business for the season.  We have not made any money for the past 2 years and think it a waste of time to continue.

You ask about a missing can.  We will do all we can to find what has become of it & as to your account on our books it appears to be closed, but that too will not be overlooked.

Butter today would command 18 cents possibly 20 cents.   As we remarked we may transfer our stock to parties who would like to retain our connections.  Also we will place them in communication with you.

Your little town done well to vote in aid of RR & before the snow flies again it seems as though you ought to be within hailing distance of us.  We certainly hope it will prove so.

Yours very truly,

Titus Bros.