John Benjamin was born in England in 1823. In 1849, at the age of 26, he immigrated to America with the goal of seeking opportunities in the new world and improving the life of his family. During his immigration and eventual settlement in Hutchinson, Minnesota, John saved many personal letters that were written by and to him. These letters, the subject of this web site, bring to life his immigration and the life of others during this courageous adventure. The most recent letters posted on this sight are on this front page. To see all the earlier letters, keep pressing the “Older Posts” button on the bottom of this page. The earliest letter recorded here is June 20, 1849. The letters…………









May 25, 1890 John Benjamin-1823 to Family

Roseland, La
May 25, 1890
Dear Ma & All,
No preaching here today, so Howard, Olive and myself will drop a line home, trusting that it will find you all well as it leaves us all well at present.  I hope that you received my last letter too of one day last week containing five dollars to help out with .  I am at a loss as to how to inform you what to do in regard to the taxes before June first.  I shall try to be home sometime in June if possible. 
I am glad that you have a good boy again to work.  I shall be a boy too when I come in the house at angst as I shall have to take up with my churn & tank again. 
I was not very well on Friday & Saturday last; some headache and dizziness.  Am all right again today. 
It must of been quite an undertaking for Winfred to milk cows when Antonio was absent that night & the next morning too, and had to get Robbie to milk his cows while he went to find Arthur.  This puts me in mind of McEwen some years ago.  One 4th of July he commenced at night and kept milking all night.   When he was done with the night milking, it was time to commence the morning milking the next morning.  He had about 200 cows to milk. 
Ma, let me charge you not to sit up so late to write letters as you are not able to stand it to be up so late when you most certainly ought to be in bed taking your natural rest.  Condense your letters to be more brief.    I know that you are anxious that we should hear all that is going on at home and abroad too. 
Has there been any inquiry after any part of the farm yet?  Let me know if Uncle Edwin has been to visit or not as he wrote me he would on his way to the Pacific coast.  Do you hear from Frank or not as to how he is getting along?  Am afraid he has gone to a rather poor country as far as I can learn from parties who left there for Roseland, La
There was a meeting held here last Monday night to form a canning factory company.   They voted to capitalize a company of ten thousand dollars, 60% to be paid in at once .  A good move this.  It will be the making of the place as they intend to put in a pickling plant in connection with it, which they say will pay big profit. 
George has the frame up to his house but is at work at present at Dr. Hale’s house while waiting for lumber for his own house, but the lumber has come & he will be to work on his own again soon.   Howard has the foundation of his house built, but is waiting for some of his lumber when he, too, will be busy. 
My kind regards to all,
Father

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