The following letter was forwarded to Karen Anding Crook from Julia Dunn:
1846 December 21
From: William O'Brien Tyrer From: Dodgeville, WI
To: Ezra Nichols To: Collins Center, Erie Co, NY
"I take this opportunity to write to you to let you know that I am alive and well and have not forgotten you. I don't know that I have anything to write that will be very interesting to you at present. I am here and cannot return to you this winter without much more expense that it will [be] to return by water. Aunt Sally requested Mother [Nelly Curtis Tyrer] to write to me to know whether I would come back or not."
"Uncle Ezra, I have one word to say in this respect. If you had said anything to me about staying with you to take care of you in your old age, I never would have left you. I do not want you to take what I write too hard or saucy [or sassy], but I must be plain and write what I think. I may be wrong; if I am I am ready to receive advice and instruction. In the first place, you know that I have a very bad temper to deal and govern with, and have not the patience that I ought. Secondly, life is uncertain and death is certain. I do not want to return on uncertainty and to disappointed; not thinking that you will disappoint me, only by sudden death, and in this case, relatives sometimes plays the rogue and cheats the one that has done the most out of his honest dues. In this case, I had rather stay here and never show my face in that country, for I can do better here than I can there, by the month, and do it easier. To the question is this: what and know how you will do, and on what conditions you want me should come back on. Hiram feels real cunning tonight, but I don't feel as much the other way. Enough on my good to say. If I have but one word to say, that is this: I am sorry for doing so."
"I will give a short history of the weather since I wrote my other letter. It is very pleasant for winter. The ground has not been fairly whitened with snow yet, nor froze more than three inches on grass ground. Today and tonight it sleets some, but not bad for this country. You may want to know that I have made this season. I have made eighty-five dollars. We have very good diggings at present. It is general time of health here at present. It is most ten, and I must quit for tonight, with cold fingers. The house is noisy with snoring. L'M Tyrer
Wisconsin in December 22d, 1846
Dear Mother,
"I take my pen in hand to let you know that I have not forgotten you yet, although you have not wrote much to me, nor I to you. I want to know who Uncle Ezra has in view to live with him, as I mistrust he has somebody in view. He told me the night before I left there that I could come back any time in one, two or three years. They may do better than to have me come back. If so, I do not want to stand in the way. O, Mother, Mother, with tears of sorrow in my eyes, I now begin to think and know that old folks know more than young. Young people does not know nothing to what older ones do in general; they think that they know more. I want you should talk with Uncle Ezra and Aunt Sally on my account, and write to me soon. O'Brien Tyrer"
December 23rd, 1846
James,
(Note: There was a James Nichols who was 21 years old and was married March 1848, born 1827; according to Prusha Allen Parkinson's letter, James Nichols wife died and was buried June 30, 1848 (1868?) I don't know if this is the same James mentioned in this letter of December 23rd or not.)
[A second possibility is that the letter was written to William O'Brien Tyrer's brother, James.
Julia Dunn transcribed the original letter as it was written, but I have corrected spelling and added punctuation to allow his thoughts to be understood more freely by the present-day reader. N. P.]
"A word to you. I have had late ____ [news? communication? word?] from there which has caused my _______. I do not know whether it is true, or it is done to injure me. Tell Uncle Ezra that I do not want that money at present. I had ___________ it would remain where it is no more. I be home in the spring or summer. I am bereaved and can not write no more, so goodbye. Wm. O'Brien Tyrer"
"Sally has got a great boy, 5 weeks old yesterday, and it weighs all of 6 pounds."
[Which Sally is he referring to? Could it be LUTHER's 2nd wife, SARAH? Could she and the infant have died not long after he wrote this? Robert Tyrer gave 1846 as his mother's date of death.
Another possibility is that William O'Brien Tyrer had a sister named Sarah, married to Michael Bennett, but this Sarah's whose first surviving child was born in 1849. However, the son referred to in the letter above could also be her son, as they were in Wisconsin at that time, too.]
The above William O'Brien Tyrer is the same man as below, when he returned to New York State. He died at Leon Center, NY, per the depositions in the probate case of Hiram Tyrer:
From The History of Cattaraugus County, New York, by Franklin Ellis, 1879, page 489:
Taverns and Stores: "…About 1834, Thomas Noyes built a tavern at Leon Center, which has been enlarged from time to time to its present dimensions… James Dunlap erected the first store-building at Leon Center in 1833, on the corner opposite the Noyes tavern. In this building have been as merchants, Amaziah Strong, Jenks & Cooper, Cooper & Brand, Spencer Horton, J. H. Chaffee, W. O. Tyrer, and one or two others for short periods…"
Post Offices and the Professions: "The Leon office was established at Leon Mills about 1835, and first bore the name of that locality. John Carpenter was an early and probably the first postmaster. About 1840, Carpenter went to the village of Leon, and removed the office with him. Since that period it has there been kept, the postmasters having been Henry Lang, H. H. Holmes, R. A. Kellogg, Anthony Day, John Cooper, E. W. Cooper, W. O. Tyrer, C. A. Kingsley, and H. R. Hollister…"
1846 December 21
From: William O'Brien Tyrer From: Dodgeville, WI
To: Ezra Nichols To: Collins Center, Erie Co, NY
"I take this opportunity to write to you to let you know that I am alive and well and have not forgotten you. I don't know that I have anything to write that will be very interesting to you at present. I am here and cannot return to you this winter without much more expense that it will [be] to return by water. Aunt Sally requested Mother [Nelly Curtis Tyrer] to write to me to know whether I would come back or not."
"Uncle Ezra, I have one word to say in this respect. If you had said anything to me about staying with you to take care of you in your old age, I never would have left you. I do not want you to take what I write too hard or saucy [or sassy], but I must be plain and write what I think. I may be wrong; if I am I am ready to receive advice and instruction. In the first place, you know that I have a very bad temper to deal and govern with, and have not the patience that I ought. Secondly, life is uncertain and death is certain. I do not want to return on uncertainty and to disappointed; not thinking that you will disappoint me, only by sudden death, and in this case, relatives sometimes plays the rogue and cheats the one that has done the most out of his honest dues. In this case, I had rather stay here and never show my face in that country, for I can do better here than I can there, by the month, and do it easier. To the question is this: what and know how you will do, and on what conditions you want me should come back on. Hiram feels real cunning tonight, but I don't feel as much the other way. Enough on my good to say. If I have but one word to say, that is this: I am sorry for doing so."
"I will give a short history of the weather since I wrote my other letter. It is very pleasant for winter. The ground has not been fairly whitened with snow yet, nor froze more than three inches on grass ground. Today and tonight it sleets some, but not bad for this country. You may want to know that I have made this season. I have made eighty-five dollars. We have very good diggings at present. It is general time of health here at present. It is most ten, and I must quit for tonight, with cold fingers. The house is noisy with snoring. L'M Tyrer
Wisconsin in December 22d, 1846
Dear Mother,
"I take my pen in hand to let you know that I have not forgotten you yet, although you have not wrote much to me, nor I to you. I want to know who Uncle Ezra has in view to live with him, as I mistrust he has somebody in view. He told me the night before I left there that I could come back any time in one, two or three years. They may do better than to have me come back. If so, I do not want to stand in the way. O, Mother, Mother, with tears of sorrow in my eyes, I now begin to think and know that old folks know more than young. Young people does not know nothing to what older ones do in general; they think that they know more. I want you should talk with Uncle Ezra and Aunt Sally on my account, and write to me soon. O'Brien Tyrer"
December 23rd, 1846
James,
(Note: There was a James Nichols who was 21 years old and was married March 1848, born 1827; according to Prusha Allen Parkinson's letter, James Nichols wife died and was buried June 30, 1848 (1868?) I don't know if this is the same James mentioned in this letter of December 23rd or not.)
[A second possibility is that the letter was written to William O'Brien Tyrer's brother, James.
Julia Dunn transcribed the original letter as it was written, but I have corrected spelling and added punctuation to allow his thoughts to be understood more freely by the present-day reader. N. P.]
"A word to you. I have had late ____ [news? communication? word?] from there which has caused my _______. I do not know whether it is true, or it is done to injure me. Tell Uncle Ezra that I do not want that money at present. I had ___________ it would remain where it is no more. I be home in the spring or summer. I am bereaved and can not write no more, so goodbye. Wm. O'Brien Tyrer"
"Sally has got a great boy, 5 weeks old yesterday, and it weighs all of 6 pounds."
[Which Sally is he referring to? Could it be LUTHER's 2nd wife, SARAH? Could she and the infant have died not long after he wrote this? Robert Tyrer gave 1846 as his mother's date of death.
Another possibility is that William O'Brien Tyrer had a sister named Sarah, married to Michael Bennett, but this Sarah's whose first surviving child was born in 1849. However, the son referred to in the letter above could also be her son, as they were in Wisconsin at that time, too.]
The above William O'Brien Tyrer is the same man as below, when he returned to New York State. He died at Leon Center, NY, per the depositions in the probate case of Hiram Tyrer:
From The History of Cattaraugus County, New York, by Franklin Ellis, 1879, page 489:
Taverns and Stores: "…About 1834, Thomas Noyes built a tavern at Leon Center, which has been enlarged from time to time to its present dimensions… James Dunlap erected the first store-building at Leon Center in 1833, on the corner opposite the Noyes tavern. In this building have been as merchants, Amaziah Strong, Jenks & Cooper, Cooper & Brand, Spencer Horton, J. H. Chaffee, W. O. Tyrer, and one or two others for short periods…"
Post Offices and the Professions: "The Leon office was established at Leon Mills about 1835, and first bore the name of that locality. John Carpenter was an early and probably the first postmaster. About 1840, Carpenter went to the village of Leon, and removed the office with him. Since that period it has there been kept, the postmasters having been Henry Lang, H. H. Holmes, R. A. Kellogg, Anthony Day, John Cooper, E. W. Cooper, W. O. Tyrer, C. A. Kingsley, and H. R. Hollister…"
The following letter was forwarded to Karen Anding Crook from Julia Dunn:
1846 December 21
From: William O'Brien Tyrer From: Dodgeville, WI
To: Ezra Nichols To: Collins Center, Erie Co, NY
"I take this opportunity to write to you to let you know that I am alive and well and have not forgotten you. I don't know that I have anything to write that will be very interesting to you at present. I am here and cannot return to you this winter without much more expense that it will [be] to return by water. Aunt Sally requested Mother [Nelly Curtis Tyrer] to write to me to know whether I would come back or not."
"Uncle Ezra, I have one word to say in this respect. If you had said anything to me about staying with you to take care of you in your old age, I never would have left you. I do not want you to take what I write too hard or saucy [or sassy], but I must be plain and write what I think. I may be wrong; if I am I am ready to receive advice and instruction. In the first place, you know that I have a very bad temper to deal and govern with, and have not the patience that I ought. Secondly, life is uncertain and death is certain. I do not want to return on uncertainty and to disappointed; not thinking that you will disappoint me, only by sudden death, and in this case, relatives sometimes plays the rogue and cheats the one that has done the most out of his honest dues. In this case, I had rather stay here and never show my face in that country, for I can do better here than I can there, by the month, and do it easier. To the question is this: what and know how you will do, and on what conditions you want me should come back on. Hiram feels real cunning tonight, but I don't feel as much the other way. Enough on my good to say. If I have but one word to say, that is this: I am sorry for doing so."
"I will give a short history of the weather since I wrote my other letter. It is very pleasant for winter. The ground has not been fairly whitened with snow yet, nor froze more than three inches on grass ground. Today and tonight it sleets some, but not bad for this country. You may want to know that I have made this season. I have made eighty-five dollars. We have very good diggings at present. It is general time of health here at present. It is most ten, and I must quit for tonight, with cold fingers. The house is noisy with snoring. L'M Tyrer
Wisconsin in December 22d, 1846
Dear Mother,
"I take my pen in hand to let you know that I have not forgotten you yet, although you have not wrote much to me, nor I to you. I want to know who Uncle Ezra has in view to live with him, as I mistrust he has somebody in view. He told me the night before I left there that I could come back any time in one, two or three years. They may do better than to have me come back. If so, I do not want to stand in the way. O, Mother, Mother, with tears of sorrow in my eyes, I now begin to think and know that old folks know more than young. Young people does not know nothing to what older ones do in general; they think that they know more. I want you should talk with Uncle Ezra and Aunt Sally on my account, and write to me soon. O'Brien Tyrer"
December 23rd, 1846
James,
(Note: There was a James Nichols who was 21 years old and was married March 1848, born 1827; according to Prusha Allen Parkinson's letter, James Nichols wife died and was buried June 30, 1848 (1868?) I don't know if this is the same James mentioned in this letter of December 23rd or not.)
[A second possibility is that the letter was written to William O'Brien Tyrer's brother, James.
Julia Dunn transcribed the original letter as it was written, but I have corrected spelling and added punctuation to allow his thoughts to be understood more freely by the present-day reader. N. P.]
"A word to you. I have had late ____ [news? communication? word?] from there which has caused my _______. I do not know whether it is true, or it is done to injure me. Tell Uncle Ezra that I do not want that money at present. I had ___________ it would remain where it is no more. I be home in the spring or summer. I am bereaved and can not write no more, so goodbye. Wm. O'Brien Tyrer"
"Sally has got a great boy, 5 weeks old yesterday, and it weighs all of 6 pounds."
[Which Sally is he referring to? Could it be LUTHER's 2nd wife, SARAH? Could she and the infant have died not long after he wrote this? Robert Tyrer gave 1846 as his mother's date of death.
Another possibility is that William O'Brien Tyrer had a sister named Sarah, married to Michael Bennett, but this Sarah's whose first surviving child was born in 1849. However, the son referred to in the letter above could also be her son, as they were in Wisconsin at that time, too.]
The above William O'Brien Tyrer is the same man as below, when he returned to New York State. He died at Leon Center, NY, per the depositions in the probate case of Hiram Tyrer:
From The History of Cattaraugus County, New York, by Franklin Ellis, 1879, page 489:
Taverns and Stores: "…About 1834, Thomas Noyes built a tavern at Leon Center, which has been enlarged from time to time to its present dimensions… James Dunlap erected the first store-building at Leon Center in 1833, on the corner opposite the Noyes tavern. In this building have been as merchants, Amaziah Strong, Jenks & Cooper, Cooper & Brand, Spencer Horton, J. H. Chaffee, W. O. Tyrer, and one or two others for short periods…"
Post Offices and the Professions: "The Leon office was established at Leon Mills about 1835, and first bore the name of that locality. John Carpenter was an early and probably the first postmaster. About 1840, Carpenter went to the village of Leon, and removed the office with him. Since that period it has there been kept, the postmasters having been Henry Lang, H. H. Holmes, R. A. Kellogg, Anthony Day, John Cooper, E. W. Cooper, W. O. Tyrer, C. A. Kingsley, and H. R. Hollister…"
1846 December 21
From: William O'Brien Tyrer From: Dodgeville, WI
To: Ezra Nichols To: Collins Center, Erie Co, NY
"I take this opportunity to write to you to let you know that I am alive and well and have not forgotten you. I don't know that I have anything to write that will be very interesting to you at present. I am here and cannot return to you this winter without much more expense that it will [be] to return by water. Aunt Sally requested Mother [Nelly Curtis Tyrer] to write to me to know whether I would come back or not."
"Uncle Ezra, I have one word to say in this respect. If you had said anything to me about staying with you to take care of you in your old age, I never would have left you. I do not want you to take what I write too hard or saucy [or sassy], but I must be plain and write what I think. I may be wrong; if I am I am ready to receive advice and instruction. In the first place, you know that I have a very bad temper to deal and govern with, and have not the patience that I ought. Secondly, life is uncertain and death is certain. I do not want to return on uncertainty and to disappointed; not thinking that you will disappoint me, only by sudden death, and in this case, relatives sometimes plays the rogue and cheats the one that has done the most out of his honest dues. In this case, I had rather stay here and never show my face in that country, for I can do better here than I can there, by the month, and do it easier. To the question is this: what and know how you will do, and on what conditions you want me should come back on. Hiram feels real cunning tonight, but I don't feel as much the other way. Enough on my good to say. If I have but one word to say, that is this: I am sorry for doing so."
"I will give a short history of the weather since I wrote my other letter. It is very pleasant for winter. The ground has not been fairly whitened with snow yet, nor froze more than three inches on grass ground. Today and tonight it sleets some, but not bad for this country. You may want to know that I have made this season. I have made eighty-five dollars. We have very good diggings at present. It is general time of health here at present. It is most ten, and I must quit for tonight, with cold fingers. The house is noisy with snoring. L'M Tyrer
Wisconsin in December 22d, 1846
Dear Mother,
"I take my pen in hand to let you know that I have not forgotten you yet, although you have not wrote much to me, nor I to you. I want to know who Uncle Ezra has in view to live with him, as I mistrust he has somebody in view. He told me the night before I left there that I could come back any time in one, two or three years. They may do better than to have me come back. If so, I do not want to stand in the way. O, Mother, Mother, with tears of sorrow in my eyes, I now begin to think and know that old folks know more than young. Young people does not know nothing to what older ones do in general; they think that they know more. I want you should talk with Uncle Ezra and Aunt Sally on my account, and write to me soon. O'Brien Tyrer"
December 23rd, 1846
James,
(Note: There was a James Nichols who was 21 years old and was married March 1848, born 1827; according to Prusha Allen Parkinson's letter, James Nichols wife died and was buried June 30, 1848 (1868?) I don't know if this is the same James mentioned in this letter of December 23rd or not.)
[A second possibility is that the letter was written to William O'Brien Tyrer's brother, James.
Julia Dunn transcribed the original letter as it was written, but I have corrected spelling and added punctuation to allow his thoughts to be understood more freely by the present-day reader. N. P.]
"A word to you. I have had late ____ [news? communication? word?] from there which has caused my _______. I do not know whether it is true, or it is done to injure me. Tell Uncle Ezra that I do not want that money at present. I had ___________ it would remain where it is no more. I be home in the spring or summer. I am bereaved and can not write no more, so goodbye. Wm. O'Brien Tyrer"
"Sally has got a great boy, 5 weeks old yesterday, and it weighs all of 6 pounds."
[Which Sally is he referring to? Could it be LUTHER's 2nd wife, SARAH? Could she and the infant have died not long after he wrote this? Robert Tyrer gave 1846 as his mother's date of death.
Another possibility is that William O'Brien Tyrer had a sister named Sarah, married to Michael Bennett, but this Sarah's whose first surviving child was born in 1849. However, the son referred to in the letter above could also be her son, as they were in Wisconsin at that time, too.]
The above William O'Brien Tyrer is the same man as below, when he returned to New York State. He died at Leon Center, NY, per the depositions in the probate case of Hiram Tyrer:
From The History of Cattaraugus County, New York, by Franklin Ellis, 1879, page 489:
Taverns and Stores: "…About 1834, Thomas Noyes built a tavern at Leon Center, which has been enlarged from time to time to its present dimensions… James Dunlap erected the first store-building at Leon Center in 1833, on the corner opposite the Noyes tavern. In this building have been as merchants, Amaziah Strong, Jenks & Cooper, Cooper & Brand, Spencer Horton, J. H. Chaffee, W. O. Tyrer, and one or two others for short periods…"
Post Offices and the Professions: "The Leon office was established at Leon Mills about 1835, and first bore the name of that locality. John Carpenter was an early and probably the first postmaster. About 1840, Carpenter went to the village of Leon, and removed the office with him. Since that period it has there been kept, the postmasters having been Henry Lang, H. H. Holmes, R. A. Kellogg, Anthony Day, John Cooper, E. W. Cooper, W. O. Tyrer, C. A. Kingsley, and H. R. Hollister…"
