Oregon Blues

May 5, 1845, Oregon Teratoree

Deer Tina,

We’s been here in Oregon for ‘bout 6 weeks now. It’s really perty here. Theyz so much open land for free. They just givven the land away and we done got us a deed and evereething. Me and Pete gonna set us up a farm on a 120 hole akers. It won’t be one a’the biggest, but it’ll be plenty fer us. We kin grow corn and weet. Theyz a general stor set up for stuff you’s will need to set up the house. They even got cast iron skillets and blankets. Real sheets. Pete sez hi. He caint wayt fer you and yer ma and of corse Suzy to git here. I caint wayt neether. I reelee miss you.

Me and Pete are a’workin’ on the cabin. They’ll be a hole bedroom just fer us since we’s newlee weds. Your ma will have a bed set up in the livin area by the fireplays so she’ll be nice and cumfertabul. Pete and Suzy will have a room too. We even got reel doorz fer the bedrooms. Once’t we git us a good crop I’ll be a sendin fer ya and your ma and Suzy. You will luv it here. It’s gonna take a bit to start bringing in enuf crop to make money but we’ll do fine. I caint wayt fer ya to see it. We bricked up the chimnee real good and there’s a cooker bilt in the fireplays. I’m a gonna save up fer a wood burner stove for heat and cookin’ fore winter hits. They sez it gets reel cold but we will hav a nice warm cabin to snug up in.

Sinse I need money fer the stor and all I started doing some trappin. Today I trapped my first beever. The traps are really neet. They’s a bunch of mountin men in the hills round here that trap ‘em and sell the pelts. They fetch a good price. You can git 6 hole dolars for a good un. They use wat they callz musk oil to bait the traps and put them in water near a beever dam. Theyz got wayts on the bottom so the beever goes in the trap to git at the oil and then it drowns. Actually, I feel a tad sory fer ‘em. That caint be a good way to die. Still, I needz the money.

You will like Big Tim. He’s one a the mountin men. He showd me how to mayk a beever trap and set it up and all. They call him Big Tim on account a he’s bout 6 feet 3 and broad as a barn. He got a beerd that goes half down his chest. He sez it helps keep him warm and the women folk up here like it. Sez it tikkelz ‘em reel gud an marks ‘em laff. Big Tim gonna show me how to trap other things like otter too so’z I kin bring in money while we’s settin’ up.

Don’t you worry nun bout the trail here from North Carolyna. It was hard but Pete will be cummin back to make the trip with you all. We flipped us a coyn to see who would make the ride back an I lost. I really want to seez you. It’ll be a couple munths a’fer he cin set out. Theyz a wagun train heading back sumtyme in late July or Oggust. They sez Pete can cum with and help rangel the horses an such. He’s exsited bout it. Sez he caint wait to snuggle up with Suzy. I’s a tad jellus sinse I want to snuggle with you but sumwun gotz to stay here an keep things runnin.

Pete’s a yellin fer me to cum help with the plow. By the way, the nayborz, Ed an Carla Simpson, loan’t us a plow fer the field. We got us a mule for onlee $10 to pull it. He’s an ornery cuss but itz better than tryin’ to do it all wid a shuvel. I gots ta git to stepping. I’ll ryte more in the mornin. I miss you so much.

May 6, 1845

Dont tell Pete, but his coffey makin is gettin better. We got up with the chikens this mornin so we culd git an earlee start. You should see the sunryze over the mountin. It’s beuteefull. Our bedroom winder will face East and have reel glass so’s you can see it in the mornins. We fried us up some eggz from our own henhous fer brekfest. Big Tim sed he wuz gonna be here earlee today so’z he cin show me some more ‘bout trappin. He gives me $2 out of everee 6 for animals we trap together. I made $20 hole the other day. That’ll get me an Pete a heap of cornmeal, coffey and flour. We’s gonna make a trip to the stor tomorry fer supplize.

Big Timz a cummin up so’z I’m a gonna git fer now. I’ll let you know how we did tonite.

….

Well, I’m back. Big Tim showed me how to trap otter 2day. Big Tim sez they aynt as minny otter as they used to be on a’ count a all the huntin’ an trappin. Still, we got us 4 today and 3 beeverz. That’s $38 and I’ll git $12 out of it. I seed the doc ridin’ up to the nayborz when we cum back so I went to check. Ed sez Carla got the dissinterry. She might die. I sure hope not. She’s a reel nyce lady an makes reel good pies and cornbred. The doc iznt reelee a doctur. He dint go to no fansee skool or nuttin . His grand dad wuz a doctur back in South Carolyna and tot him a bunch so he does perty good.

Pete cut his hand diggin’ out rocks in the feeld wyle I wuz gon trappin’ so I gotta stay round here tomorry to keep workin the farm so we cin get a crop in. We’z gonna buy seed next week. Oh, don’t wurry nun bout Pete. Doc sez he won’t looz his finger or nuttin. Sez fer Pete to boyl water and wash it reel good and stay out of the dirt fer a few dayz.

I’m building us a reel nyce bed fer our room Tina. It’ll be big enuf fer the too of us no problim. Well even have feather pillows and sheets. I sure caint wait to mess those up.

Life is hard out here, sure nuff, but itz also reel good. This’ll be a good spot to rayz kids. Plenty of room fer them to run and play. A crick to swim in with good fishin’. They’z a couple wagons heddin back tomorry an I gots to take this here letter down fer them so’z they cin git it to you. Just knoe that me and Pete are doin’ gud here and we’ll have things all set up when you getz here.

Oh, don’t worry nun bout Pete and Suzy livin’ here. In the spring we gonna start on anuther cabin a cupple akerz over fer them. Yer ma kin stay wid us or Pete and Suzy. There room will be for our kids when they cums along.

Pete sends his luv to Suzy and your ma and you. He sez to say hi to his frend Karl fer him. He thinks Karl may be willin’ to cum with y’all on account a his daddy dyin’ and him being alone an all. You kin talk at him maybe or just wayt for Pete. Well, I gotta go get dinner russeld up and get this letter down to the post. I caint wait to see you.

All my true luv,

Your husbind

Willy.