Roger Hughey wrote:
Note:
The following letter copied from the original letter that was in the possession of Daniel
and Elizabeth Hughey. They, sometime after 1879 followed their son Herbert to Brainerd,
Minnesota.
Parents:
Daniel Hughes Hughey Born: Nov. 14, 1826 Died: Feb. 13, 1891
Elizabeth B. Campbell Born: April 24, 1830 Died: Jan. 29, 1904
Dear Parents, April 11,
1879
I know you are anxious to hear from me as soon as possible so I will write this morning.
We got here all right and sound. Got here yesterday about 2:00 P.M. Would have got here
sooner but was delayed in Buffalo the same night we started. We got in there about 12:00
Midnight and had to stay there about four hours in consequence of a smash up near
Rochester on the other road. As we was delayed in Buffalo we was late for the train that
left Chicago, Tuesday night so we stayed in all night. I was not sorry for we was tired
enough to rest. We got a good room at the Washington Hotel and left there at 10:10 A.M.
Wednesday morning.
We have had a nice trip and seen a good deal of country and come through a pile of cities.
I am happily disappointed in the country of Brainerd. It is quite level here.
This morning I have been through the RR Shops with Tom Congdon. Stayed in the store last
night with Charlie (Congdon). Today I am going to get out to the river (Mississippi).
There seems to be lots of business here. I probably won't get work this week. I
won't try to write much this morning only I am well and have felt well throughout the
trip with the exception of the night we got into Chicago. There I had a slight touch of
the headache.
Your Boy, H.C. Hughey
Note: Our grandfather Herbert C. Hughey left his parents home in Nelson, Pennsylvania and
traveled by train to seek a new life in Brainerd Minnesota. In this letter he had just
arrived in Brainerd and this was his first letter home to his parents to let them know he
was okay. It is my guess at this point, that he had probably come west at the
encouragement of his cousins the Congdons. Charlie and Tom Congdon were both mentioned in
this letter as having welcomed Herb to Brainerd.
Roger Hughey Rojan8(a)comcast.net
Thanks for sharing that Roger. It's a nice addition to Elizabeth
CAMPBELL Hughey's letter and the other letters -- which all mention
Hugheys and/or Congdons
Herb's phrase about the MN flatness "happily disappointed" is
intriguing. I never encountered that phrase before. My mother was born
and raised in Nelson, and for her, those low hills and narrow valleys
were "just right". She was uncomfortable when we would cross the Mohawk
Valley (usually around Utica), because it was "too wide". She
appreciated the Adirondaks, but wouldn't have wanted to live there. But
when we would take a trip from Binghamton, NY, to Nelson; after passing
Elmira and getting around Pine City, Webb Mills or Seeley Creek; she
would visible relax --- at last the countryside was starting to look
"just right".
It also did me good to see Herb's reference to "Tom Congdon". He always
signed his letters "E. T. Congdon" or Ed T. Congdon", but I carry his
"real" name in my data base as "Thomas Edgar Congdon". Even tho I
know people in those days often decided to switch their first and middle
names, it's reassuring to see some confirmation of Thomas as the first.
Herb would have known him (and siblings Charlie and Emma) back in Nelson.