Looking for someone to "read" an 1829 letter
I am looking for someone familiar with old handwriting that would be willing to read a letter for me. The letter writer (my 4x great grandfather, John Finley) is giving my 3x great grandfather, John Finley, directions to his home. I would like to pinpoint where this is but I can't make out all the words. It could be Indiana, Kentucky, or ???? I recognize Tippicanoe, Princeton, Monroe, Kirkesville. It was written in April 1829. Thanks, Caren Carlson
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Re: Looking for someone to "read" an 1829 letter
If you attach a good scan of the letter to your post, I'm sure that someone will be happy to take a look at it for you.
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Re: Looking for someone to "read" an 1829 letter
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Re: Looking for someone to "read" an 1829 letter
Wa[] to kirkesville follow the lotrace leve tippacanoe to the rite Inquire for necelsies princeton monroe Strek lan settlement about 6 miles from where we live no mo[r]e.
Best remaines your affectionate father
John Finley Elizabeth Finley
My best guess? From Kirksville, the reader is to follow the lotrace [perhaps this refers to a trace (road) maybe one called the Low Trace or Buffalo Trace?] and then, I suppose, leave Tippecanoe by going to the right. They are to then ask for directions to Necelsies [beats me] and then go to Princeton to Monroe and finally reach the Strickland settlement about six miles from where John and Elizabeth live.
I’m not familiar enough with Indiana to take a guess, but do see that Princeton and Wheeling (formerly known as Kirksville) are in Gibson County. You might try posting a query on the Indiana forum and see if someone recognizes the place names.
Alternately, check the deed, tax and census records for John Finley lived to see if that helps narrow it down.
Good luck,
Scott
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Re: Looking for someone to "read" an 1829 letter
I seems to me that Wa???? was a point of origin and Kirkesville was (or close to) the final destination.
The Tippecanoe river is in northern Indiana, in very old maps there is a route that runs from that area all the way down western Indiana to the town of Princeton, in Gibson county near the Patoka river. Just east of Princeton, on the Patoka, a mill town was founded by Mason Kirk, Kirksville, now Wheeling, Indiana (as the other poster pointed out).
Just a guess but I wonder if John, Jr was to inquire in Princeton about a Monroe Strickland settlement. I couldn't find such a person in Indiana in the 1830 census but Monroe appears to have been a common Strickland forename. Perhaps John, Sr needed to be specific in order to distinguish the settlement from Aaron Strickland and Stephen Strickland as seen in Gibson county in the 1830 census.
I hope you nail it down someday.
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Re: Looking for someone to "read" an 1829 letter
Thank you Scott!
This gives me a fresh look at my letter. I did not see "Strickland". I thought the word was maybe a German word for a church settlement. Plus, I wasn't sure they were in Indiana.
Caren
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Re: Looking for someone to "read" an 1829 letter
Thank You! This is so much fun for me. Do you think Wa?? could be Wabash or is that in the area?
John Jr. (for a fact) married Elizabeth in Kentucky about 1812. I can follow them to Iowa so I haven't paid much attention to Indiana. Guess I need to look at old maps.
Caren
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