Correspondence Archive of the Hodges Family of California and Wisconsin

California and Wisconsin: Mainly 1882. A collection of 24 letters sent between members of the Hodges and Jones families of Walnut Creek, California and Platteville, Wisconsin. Benjamin and Emily Hodges were pioneers in Contra Costa County, moving from La Fayette County, Wisconsin to settle near Walnut Creek in 1852, where they farmed a ranch of almost 300 acres. Most of these letters were sent in 1882 between their daughter, Minnie Hodges Jones, and her husband, Henry Jones, also a California native. In all, there are 14 letters sent from California, and ten letters from Wisconsin. In good to very good condition, letters with staining obscuring some text (though legible with care), fading to some of Henry Jones’ letters (also legible with care)

Minnie was quite sick, and at the time was living in Platteville, Wisconsin, where she received medical treatment in what was thought to be a more favorable climate. The nine letters Minnie sent to Henry and her sister Ella from Platteville detail her daily life, her sickness and medical treatment, her thoughts on being separated from her husband, advice for her husband, her thoughts on letter writing, and more. She is at times quite sassy with her husband regarding his professed loneliness:

“It would do Henry good if Mr. Sharp would run him through the machine. Henry has not spoken a pleasant word since he has been home has he? Not many do I get he is all the time complaining about being so lonesome and I can see him going around with that frown of his.” (Minnie to Ella, Platteville, Wi, Aug 6, 1882)

She mentions her sickness, including bleeding spells, and her treatment with a Dr. Richards and the pharmacists Chase and Sanford, which involved being weighed after every meal:

“I am very near as light as before but am really fleshier I sued to eat fearfully and was always weighed right after dinner. Mr. Chase told one story about it and I think he made me weight heavy to please me and when Mr. Sanford (his partner) weighed me he had 15 crawl out.” (Minnie to Henry, Platteville, Aug 11, 1882)

In the five included letters from Henry to Minnie, meanwhile, he expresses his loneliness, his hard work cutting wheat, the activities of at the ranch, and family news:

“I found one of wife’s night-gowns and when I put it back tears came in my eyes to think there was no wife here to sleep in it. I don’t see what makes hubby be that way but he can’t hardly keep the tears back sometimes…” (Henry to Minnie, Walnut Creek, July 23, 1882)

One letter mentions a Chinese servant named Wing:

“You know how he used to growl about the Cinnamon’s make of pie crust?…I don’t think Wing does as well about the house as he used to do when you was here, he is more careless. But he gets up awful early.” (Henry to Minnie, Walnut Creek, July 19, 1882)

An additional four letters were sent from Minnie’s mother, Emily, and sister, Ella, in Walnut Creek. These contain family news and discuss life on the farm, with both women taking an active interest and role in the ranch:

“Our apricots are getting ripe, the trees are as full as they ought to be. Something caught one of my little chickens last week. Both of your Fathers sold their wheat Monday. Father J. got $1.55 for his. Pa got $1.52 1/2.” (Ella to Minnie, Walnut Creek, July 7, 1882)

“We put some plus out to dry this morning, we have to put them out before they get eatable looking, to keep the birds from eating them…She is getting awful big, Minnie, she will soon be the largest cow we have. The most of the heifers Pa has bought are beauties…I wish you could see what a cunning little calf we got of Mr. Hale.” (Ella to Minnie, Walnut Creek, Aug 7, 1882)

By the end of 1882, Minnie and Henry were reunited, living with Minnie’s mother in Colton, San Bernardino County, California. Minnie died in Colton in 1884. A letter each from Henry and Emily describes their time settling in Southern Calfornia:

“Nearly 1/2 the men carry pistols down here and the clerk in a hotel was hit over the head with one on Monday by a stage driver.” (Henry, Colton, Ca, Dec 7, 1882)

“The first few days we were here we could hardly stand a fire to get our meals…Wood is eight dollars a cord…we are to have cabbage for dinner, five cents for a head that lasts us a week—we got some pork and chopped some sausage…” (L. Emily Hodges, Colton, Dec 14, 1882)

Other material includes two letters sent to Henry from his schoolmate G.D. Shaffer from Anaheim in 1877, detailing old school friends, the weather, and crops; an 1860 letter from Aunt Ellen back home in Wisconsin; and an 1870s courtship letter from Annie Hodges of Oakland. Item #12709

Price: $1,250.00