letter, Emanuel Fashbaugh, age 41, Keuka, Putnam County, Florida to his
sister and brother-in-law, Frederick and Lovina Fashbaugh Hartline, my
great grandparents, Franklin Twp, Tuscarawas, Ohio
Frederick Hartline
Franklin Twp
Tuscarawas County, Ohio November 17, 1885
"I thought I would write you a few lines. We are all well and hope this
finds you enjoying the same good health. We are in the land of Flowers
and Sunshine and Sand.
"It seems there is a coldness with you for I have not got a letter from
you since Winfield was out to Indiana to see us. If he told you
anything that caused hard feelings I don't know what it was. I have
always tried to do what was right. If I have wronged you I feel sorry
that you think so for it was not done intentionally.
"I feel well pleased with Florida. The climate is so mild as spring
but the country is new here. It has not been settled 2 years yet. The
orange trees are not large enough to Bear fruit but garden truck is
getting Plenty such as Potatoes and strawberries and Peanuts and Bananas
and Goobers, but Provisions are high.
"Flour is $7 a barrel, corn 80 cts, beef 8 to 12 1/2, Cabbage 4 cts,
Apples 4 for 5 cts, Oranges 10 cts a dozen. Boarding at the hotel is
from $4 to $8 a week. I got my Stove and Hardware about as cheap as in
Indiana. We are living in a shanty of 2 rooms only weather boarded and
shingle roof. A person could live in a tent here and not suffer with
cold if they had 3 or 4 blankets to sleep under.
"The nights are generally cool and mornings foggy. There are so many
lakes here. We live close to a small lake about 1/4 mile from town and
can count only a couple dozen houses in sight. Keuka has 2 stores and 3
hotels and 1 Dunkard church.
"There is plenty of work here for carpenters and saw mills. They charge
80 cts a hundred for sawing this pitch pine that grows here.
The land sells for $10 an acre in this lot that we are living in and
about 3 acres cleared and an acre and a half set out with oranges and
other fruit.
"The man that owns it asked $800 for it. I thought some of buying it,
but Lavina is getting homesick so I'll wait awhile and see if she will
like it better after awhile. They are all from the North and West
that live here. I have been painting one of my neighbors for a few
days. He is finishing a boarding house.
"I was fishing this afternoon and caught 7 bass. The fish is plenty
and small game like rabbits and quail and they say about 8 miles from
here there is plenty of deer and bears and panthers. I saw wild turkey
tracks that crossed the road but did not get to see the turkeys.
Emanuel Fashbaugh
respectfully transcribed verbatim from the original.
It has been more than 3 years since Winfield Hartline made his visit.
Jim Hartline, Sterling Heights,
Michigan