Nelson Oct 15
Dear Emma
I thought you would like to hear from Nelson it is cold to day the
wind has blown a gale for two days it is raining now I went to
church to day Mr Jewel preached he is 91 years old but is real
smart his text was Watchman what of the night
Aunt lib got home all right She found a three weeks old baby at
Herbs Em I think she will have to work harder than ever, dont you
Most every one is going to Chicago John and Cal Joe and Dollie all
went and are home again Dell and Carrie are there now
E. B. Campbell and Minnie went and Mark and Judd but that is not
half well I think I will stay at home
Nell Wright is here at Nelson is going back some time this month you
must be tired of canning fruit we have put up about sixty cans I
canned eight of Peaches yesterday
Mr Armstrong is gone on a visit to his old home
Mrs Merritt has come back and Mrs Fisk is living with her we have
moved out of the Parks block and moved in Mrs Howells because it is a
great deal better for us Inez and Allie Babcock have a milliner Shop
and are going to have nice goods come out and get you a hat Aunt Ell
was down and staid all night and twenty of us ladies visited at Dr.
Loops we had a splendid time Aunt Mary Ann is about the same I
suppose your father will be home soon
Joe did not get many Peaches but got some very nice Plums
there was so much going on when you were here I was a fraid you
did not have a good time Em I was compleetly tired out but I am
feeling better now Mrs. Knapp is up to Mr Cooks to stay for tow [sic]
weeks Mrs Tuerns [???] has gone to the fair
Em I cant tell you all the news this time
So good
love to all
from Aunt
Phebe
* * *
Written by Phebe CAMPBELL Hoyt (1832 - 1917), dau. of Joseph & Ann
Clinch Campbell.
Sent to Emma CONGDON Buck (1848 - 1928), dau. of Phebe's sister
Sarah(1824 - 1892).
"Mr. Jewel" -- Joseph Jewel, friend of the family, former minister of
the Beecher Island Presbyterian Church, who had long before moved to
Bradford Co., PA. He spoke to one of the first Campbell reunions about
the history of Scotland's Clan Campbell, A picture and brief biography
of him can be found at
http://www.rootsweb.com/~srgp/kelsey/jewell.htm
"Aunt lib" -- Phebe's sister, Elizabeth CAMPBELL Hughey (1830 - 1904).
"baby at Herbs" -- Lib's son, Herbert Clinch Hughey (1857 - 1923), who's
correspondence with Will Selph led to the Campbell Cousins
Correspondence volumes; and his son, Harry Milton Hughey (1893 - 1977).
"Chicago" -- They were visiting the World Columbian Exposition of 1893
(Chicago Worlds Fair). The are many web sites where you can read about
it. One is
http://xroads.virginia.edu/~MA96/WCE/title.html
"John and Cal" - Phebe's brother, John Harper Campbell (1836 - 1899) and
wife Calphurna Bottom (1842 - 1858).
"Joe and Dollie" - Phebe's brother, Joseph D. Campbell (1839 - 1909) and
wife Dollie V. Bottom (1840 - 1920). We don't know what Joe's middle
name was. Nor do we know the middle initial for his father, Joseph
Campbell (1793 - 1864) or grandfather, Joseph Campbell (1748 - 1822).
But both Joe and his father were often referred to as "Joseph, Jr." As
to Dollie, page 1162, Vol 3. of John W. Jordan's "Genealogical and
Personal History of Northern Pennsylvania", 1913, has "Dollie, daughter
of Charles and Phoebe (Pierce) Bottum, born, January 25, 1840, married
Joseph D. Campbell, December 2, 1862 (see Campbell III). She was
educated in Nelson high school and Alfred University. Taught school
four or five years previous to marriage. Since death of her husband has
lived in their elegant home and reared the younger children. She is
highly intellectual and cultured, occupying and enviable social position
in the state of Pennsylvania." That same book makes the assertion
(which I have not seen elsewhere) that the Campbells and Hazletts were
cousins in Scotland.
"Dell and Carrie" - John and Cal's older son, Adelbert E. Campbell (1850
- 1922) and wife Carrie F. Sebring (1863 - 1938).
"E. B. Campbell and Minnie" -- Enoch Blackwell Campbell (1839 - 1912)
and wife Martha M. Hughey (1841 - 1901). E.B. was a son of James and
Mary Blackwell Campbell.
"Mark and Judd" -- Marcus Brutus Seely (1847 - 1932) and brother Jud
Delos Seely (1851 - 1929), son's of Phebe's sister, Mary Ann (1826 -
1894). Jud was then married to Mary Louise Hazlett (1854 - 1936), dau.
of Catherine Swartwood Knapp and John and Jane's son, Samuel Hazlett
(1816 - 1886).
"Nell Wright" - ???
"Mr. Armstrong" -- Probably Rev. Hallock Armstrong of the Beechers
Island Presbyterian Church from 1891 to 1902. In 1896 he married
Phebe's daughter Inez to Wm. Boller.
"Mrs. Merritt" -- There are a number of possible candidates. One is
Mary McDonald, 2nd wife of Hiram Merritt of Farmington Twp. and Nelson
Borough. I don't know if Hiram was related to Peter Merritt,
father-in-law of Eliza Ann Hazlett (1825 - 1899). I believe Mary
McDonald Merritt is the 'Mrs. Mary Merrit' that came to some Campbell
reunions.
" Mrs. Fisk" -- ???
"Parks block ... Mrs. Howells" -- Most of Nelson's commercial district
had already burned down or was closed by my time, so I don't remember
the Parks block. Perhaps some of our readers (or their parents or
grandparents) will. My understanding is that some of the buildings had
businesses on the first floor and living quarters above and/or behind.
I remember seeing a reference to Lena Emily SEELY Goodrich (1875 - 1954)
living behind her father Mark B. Seely's store for a while. After the
death of Phebe's husband, Wm. Hoyt (1832 - 1888), she lived with her
son, Joseph DeForest Hoyt (1860 - 1903). For a while in the 1890s, Joe
was a merchant in Nelson, as well as a farmer. Giving up merchandising
to own and operate two farms may have been a factor in his dropping dead
in the fields from "apoplexy." I don't know anything about Mrs. Howells
or her house.
"Inez" - Phebe's daughter, Inez L. HOYT Boller (1871 - 1934).
"Allie Babcock" -- ??? Alice BABCOCK Baker? The 1880 Farmington Twp.
census has an Allie M. Babcock, age 7.
"Aunt Ell" -- May have referred to Emma's aunt, and Phebe's sister,
Eleanor CAMPBELL Bosard (1828 - 1910). I can't think of any Aunt Ell of
Phebe.
"Dr. Loops" -- Dr. Ross George Loop (1876 - 1945) was too young, so it
must refer to Dr. Albert Mortimer Loop (1816 - 1904). I'm not aware of,
but there may be, a connection between A.M. Loop and James Wm. Loop
(1842 - 1912), husband of Phebe's sister, Maria B. Campbell (1842 - 1873).
"Mary Ann" -- Phebe's sister, Mary Ann CAMPBELL Seely ( 1826 - 1894).
"your father" -- Benjamin Docray Congdon (1820 - 1897).
"Joe" -- Phebe's son, mentioned above.
"Mrs. Knapp" -- various possibilities.
"Mr. Cook" - various possibilities.