Person:Lucy Hovey (3)

From a web page at http://www.michaelrmurphy.com/Hovey.htm:

Lucy Ann Hovey King wrote to her mother, Mrs. Lucy (Rockwell) Hovey from Belvidere, Illinois on September 14, 1846: "As I feel it is a duty and privilege to write a few lines to you and rest of my friends whom I have left. I feel as though I could not improve the present opportunity to any better advantage than to write a few lines and let you know that we are all well at present and hope these few lines will enjoy the same fervour. We arrived here the 4th of Sept. all well and enjoyed a very pleasant trip across the lakes. We are now at Mr. Butlers. Leander has bought him 80 acres of prarie and it cost him $107.50. There is no improvement on it, but I think he has got a very pretty place. Wm. and Leander are to work on Wm. house and we expect to move into it this week. The house is rather small. It will be 16 x 20 which will be very comfortable until we can get a better one. I find things much different than I expected before I left. We find a plenty to eat and to drink. We think that the water is good as in the East. We find first rate potatoes and a plenty of them but when I think and look back upon the friends that I left behind I feel as though I could not be contented until I could have you all settled here around me and then I think I should feel as thought I feel perfectly happy as regards things of this earth. I wish you were here to see what large mellons they raise here. They have them that will weigh 5 to 16 lb. There was one man that raised one that weighed 16 lbs. But I will not extoll this country too much. Perhaps you will say that I have become somewhat excited but I am not. As for the apples there are very few at present but we see there are quite a good many young trees that just begun to bear and think in a few years there will be plenty. I felt rather homesick when I first got here but have got over it and are contented. Leander has got him a yolk of oxen and they are the largest and the best yolk there are in this country. They measure 7 1/2 ft. high. Clavin is ploughing for Wm. and likes it very much. Wm. says he has 165 bu. of wheat. He has cut up his corn and Leander is going to husk it out. We have had some prairie chickens and like them very much. Leander thinks that Henry would do well to sell if he could without too great a sacrifice. L. says that it cost him $87.87 to come here. L. wants some of you to get ready to come back with Wm. if he returns for I shall expect to see some of you for I shall want you all to come if I stay and which of course I shall. L. says that he has perused this sheet and thinks he can say amen to the above and Francis says he would not go back for $8.00. He says that it is no country for him. He says that He wants to see the girls and Grandma and he would give them all a sweet kiss. And now I believe that I have written the news at present and will write again when I hear from you. Now I must draw these few lines to a close by wishing well and want you to give my respects to all inquiring friends." The letter is signed "From your daughter, Respectfully yours, Lucy Ann Hovey King." The William referred to in the letter is probably William Hovey, Lucy Ann's brother; the Leander referred to is Lucy Ann's husband, Leander King, probably Harlow King's brother.