I am going to go ahead and post the copy given to me here. It is not the actual document. Just the translation. A lot of good info. I received these from Virginia Peter, who was a god send in my research. As mention above Peter Hennen is my 4th Great Grandfather. His son Mathias whom is mentioned in these letters was my 3rd Great Grandfather followed by Joseph Albert Hennen, and then Edward Joseph Hennen was my great grandfather. My grandmother was Edwards daughter Donna. These letters were fascinating. Describing life after arrival from Germany. Enjoy!

1) (On back of paper addressed to Nicholas Grüsen, marked Doty Ville 3 March, and postmarked 23 Mar 1853 at New York)

Dear Parents-in-law, brothers, sisters, brother and sisters-in-law,

I’d like to know how it is going with you; whether you are all still well; I wish that some of you were here, because it is better here than in Germany. I’m not writing to anyone that he should come here, because not everyone is successful here. Some settle here and later regret it, especially in the older states, where one earns big money, but also spends much. Then one does not have a fortune. In the older states one seldom can get more than 20 or 30 acres. That is not enough for one farmer, for he does not have wood, nor hay to begin with; then 40 acres is still not enough. It is better to buy land here. In the beginning even 40 acres is scarcely enough. One sees that by and by every acre will be seeded, and then one has none for the cattle. Here, everyone lives on his own land, but not so near that anyone’s hens can come to lay on the neighbor’s nests. Here, no one has a herder to watch his cattle, for the cattle wander around in the summer. In the morning, the herd goes away and in the evening returns home. In winter, most have sheds where the cattle are fed. The livestock are the same as you have: oxen, cows, sheep, pigs, and horses. Even the wild birds are as in Germany, because here the climate is the same and everything as in Germany.
In the southern states it is not so healthy. For young single persons it is much better than in Germany, especially in the older states, to earn money.
For fresh cultivation it is better to buy the land than to earn currency, but not so as in the older towns. All farmers must accept goods in exchange for their products. Now we can receive hard currency already, and so from year to year it will be better, especially when the railroads are finished. We are 7 miles from the next town, and another 6 miles from another one, and one 9 miles ( Probably St. Cloud, Dotyville, and Taycheedah.-- Virginia) A plank road, 40 miles long, made with boards, which is 5 miles from here, winds from Sheboygan to Fond du Lac. Gerhard and Nicholas Mertes are 7 miles away from us. Nicholas Kutschied is 4 miles from us, by Lambert’s; Matthew Joseph Kaspars from Büchel lives 2 miles from us, and he lives ½ mile from Matthew Konz; Joseph Hofmann and Anton Mertes are ½ mile from us. Our next door neighbor is from the Obermosel, the one on the opposite side is a Hollander, and on the other side is someone from Munich. Now you can see that we need not be afraid as if we were living in a wilderness. And our children do not long for Germany anymore, except that Mathias asks almost daily about his grandpa and his grandma, and Peter, who took his lambs to care for them. And your maid, Margaret, told us to write whether it would be good for her to be here. Here, a maid in the city earns 10-12 shillings for washing, and otherwise, it would be good for her here, as for all single persons who want to work.

Now, I will close my letter, and let me greet each of you with many thousand greetings, especially father, mother, brother, sisters, brother-in-law, sisters-in-law, godparents, and cousins, young and old, and uncles, with all of your families. Also all neighbors, friends, and relatives and all who ask about me. Especially give friendly greetings to the pastor, and to Jacob Lorentz and his entire family, and to Peter Joseph and his wife, Katherina Mertes, Philip Feien, Mathias Joseph Kessler and his family, Nicholas Schaefer and the Diederichs family, Joseph Kessler and his family, Lambert Kutschied and his family, the schoolmaster, John J. Schneider and his family. John Becker from Beuren asked me to write and tell him whether it would be good for him here. If he were here a year or two, he could make a nice comfortable living, since his children could be his helpers. I also include warm greetings to all my friends in Beuren.

2) Letter dated 2 March 1853 Kalmut

Dear Uncle, Aunt, Karl and (his)Sweetheart,

I must write to you how things have turned out with us. We came happily to New York the 17th of July. We stayed there only two days, because there are nothing but scoundrels there. When one gets there, one goes directly to the railroad and arranges it there and not on the steamboat. One travels on the railroad to Albany or Buffalo, without making any further arrangements, for with further arrangements one could be cheated, especially with heavy household goods, and even then there are a lot of squabbles. Anyone who wants to visit us, comes from there to Detroit, then to Chicago, then to Milwaukee, and then to Sheboygan, then on the plank road, which is 36 miles long, to Fond du Lac. Then one travels to Calumet, past St. Nicholas church, and then ask about me, from there I am only one mile further.*

Now I will write about my humble self, to let you know how things are with us. We are now, thank God, still all vigorous and healthy, as we hope you are too. We lack nothing now, except cattle, for they are very expensive here because of all the emigrants. Counting all the settlers, there are 60,000 souls in our state, Wisconsin, in this year. However, our city is not yet filled with people, but they survey more land each year. The land is much more expensive in Milwaukee, where a building spot, which is a quarter acre, costs 5___ 40 dollars, which is bought with 9000____.

* St. Nicholas Church in Mt. Calvary burned in 1868 and was replaced by Holy Cross Church. The township of Marshfield, where the family settled, was not formed until 1853, hence the designation Calumet. Peter Joseph Hennen’s land was about a mile from the church on the hill in Mt. Calvary.



Now I must write to you further about our work. I have an American log cabin, which is 22 feet long and 18 wide. The roof is covered with shingles, as in Germany, which are wooden shingles. They are 15 inches long, and 1000 cost one dollar. Now, I know what hard work is, because there are trees here 50 to 60 feet long, without branches, of the same sort as in Germany, but also many other woods: sugar wood, four kinds of nut wood, and many grapevines. I have some on my land, which are 20 feet high, for the thickets are the best land. Thicket-land bears more than double as much as does prairie-land. However, on prairie-land, one can sow immediately, because there is no wood on it. It is, however, for the most part, wet land.

The fruit smells good here; the wheat costs 4 shilling per bushel; corn, 3 shilling; buckwheat, 2 shilling; peas, 5 shilling; beans, 6 shilling; potatoes 1 shilling; a pound of pork meat 5 cents; welsh corn, 3 chilling; oats, 2 shilling. We have for the present earned enough for food, until there is fresh food again. When one wants to work here, there are no shortages.

I will explain to you what our government is here. When one needs the constable, who is both the police and the judge, one must pay him 1 shilling per mile. When he has to work the Supervisor receives 1 dollar per day. At the courthouse, it is much like the government in Coblenz. I don’t know how much he earns. The president receives 24,000 dollars each year. Here, you can already see that a free America does not cost as much as in Germany, where there are so many thousands of salaried workers. The tax collector here doesn’t need as many dogs as in Germany. Every year he takes only once, a tax of 4 cents on the dollar. He goes to everyone in his own house and doesn’t need anyone ahead of him or behind him.

In the whole of Calumet there are three Catholic churches, which (means) most people in our district have 5 to 6 miles distance to go to a church, which is a difficult situation, because the roads are not yet as developed as in Germany. Here one has to go over muddy roads, 2 to 3 stone throws wide, where tree after tree lie. That is hard in wet weather. In winter, it goes good, because the winter is always as cold as in Germany. When it is very cold, it is not so easy, until April. They say that one cannot plant much before May, but then it grows very fast so that it is ripe at the proper time. The days in summer are somewhat shorter and longer in winter. The weather changes almost every 2 days, in summer it is warmer here than in Germany, because the sun shines directly over us, because the sky is different here.

As I have learned, sending money without an exchange note is dangerous, because the post is not managed here as it is in Germany. If one has good money (paper bills), then he can get his money in practically any store.

I wrote a letter awhile ago and still have received no answer. If you receive this one, write me an answer soon, because I do not know whether or not you received the letter. I would like to know whether I can receive what I have written about. It is still bad here with the money, because it is recently settled ___(missing part)____ one pays 20 dollars interest on 100 dollars, therefore you can understand that___can borrow no money. If I know that I will receive no money, then I must make it through. For, after 2 or 3 years, I won’t need to ask for so much, if it is God’s will that we are still here. It is much better here than in Germany. Here the young men do not need to become soldiers, which in Germany has cost so much. Now they are learning English, because a young man can’t really get along without English, which they are succeeding at very well.

Nicholas has a desire to become a priest, for which I gladly gave him leave, and he went now to our priest to study. He has promised him all the books for learning. It does not cost as much here as in Germany. (Note: Nicholas did not become a priest, but married had -- children and eventually moved to Idaho)

There is also a railroad surveyed from Fond du Lac to Sheboygan, which will go through a half mile from us, but it is not yet decided when it will be built. Then it will be much better, because the fruit and everything can be sent better. For the mill we go 8 miles. However, it is different than in Germany. Here 30 bushels are ground in an hour. The mills here are driven with steam.

I cannot describe much news, because I am not familiar with it yet. Until later; now I will close my letter and leave each many greetings: Uncle, Aunt, Karl and your sweetheart.

We wish that this letter finds you in good health. My address is: Peter Joseph Hennen in Calumetville, Wisconsin in North America. If you would be so kind and send this letter to my father-in-law in Gillenbeuren, namely Jacob Maas, because I do not know whether or not he received the first letter. For I think if he had received it, I would have already received an answer. Send me one of the 12 confession booklets with Lambert Kutschied when he comes.

Peter Joseph Hennen