First marriage to Eleanor "Nelly" Beard" who was born 1800 died 1841. {Please see the memorial marker for Eleanor B. Lett, which shows the name Elizabeth B.. Descendants believe the incorrect first name was carved on this stone, and research seems to confirm this].
Second marriage in 1842 to Elizabeth Duncan Southern [widow of John Southern].
Children of Abraham Lett and Eleanor Beard Lett are:
Elizabeth 1825-1905 married to John Tuthill
Margaret A. 1834-1900 married to Amos Highsmith
Ellen B. 1837-1927 married to John McClure [her second husband]
Alvin Richard 1839-1886 [born blind]
John Ashley 1841-1937 died in York Co., Nebraska
[All children born in Richland Co., Ohio]
*****************************
Abraham was born into the semi-famous "Lett Settlement" in the Meigs, Ohio area - a community of mixed-race families who moved to Ohio in roughly 1870 to establish a community of more equal freedoms for themselves. They in fact became activist with the government of Ohio at the time to get voting rights and better education for their children.
******************************
"In 1841 my father, Abraham Lett, moved from Ohio in covered wagons. It was spring and roads were almost impassable. While traveling through Indiana the horses seemed to go almost out of sight in the black swamps. After a long, tiresome journey we arrived at Tipton on the thirtieth of May. In addition to our family was that of Samuel Akers, and we made our home in an old log cabin which stood two blocks west of the court house, and which was used at one time as a clerk's office. The room was twelve by twelve feet and had an immense fireplace on one side. Before long our friends built a house of their own and we had the whole log house for ourselves. In the fall we moved into our new house of one room.
The winter was very cold, and the house being unplastered we were obliged to put up quilts to keep out the penetrating cold. The one stove we had was so small that you could pick it up easily. After the first winter we raised a crop and food was plentiful. Game was abundant and we had our own corn meal and flour by going to Pett's Mills at Anamosa or Maquoketa. Later on in our history we got our supply from Dwigan's mill, and better meal never was ground. The first yeast we had was brought from Virginia by water. About twice a year my father would take a load of wheat to Muscatine and get thirty-seven cents a bushel for it. In the winter dressed pork was hauled to the same market, and sugar and coffee brought on the return. In addition to this, there was always a bolt of muslin and a bolt of calico, invariably blue. I was raised on blue calico, and these were our best, our every-day dresses being made of unbleached muslin dyed with hazel burrs or oak bark. In the autumn we gathered crab apples and made sauce, and such good sauce as it was. We made sorrel pies in the summer when fruit was scarce.
Great companies of Indians came along in those days traveling west. They were very friendly and were continually wanting to trade horses. Father brought out a horse and one old fellow said, 'Horse sick, heap sick,' after having given a careful examination of the animal. Wolves howled at night, and their mournful sounds used to frighten us very much. They came close to the cabins in those days and depredations were often committed.
Not all experiences of those days, however, were tragic. A few, very few, were comic. I remember one occasion that seemed vital to a hungry child. By some means mother had secured apples enough to make dumplings, one apiece all around, and just as they were done who should come in but Harvey Leech, and, of course, he remained to take dinner with us. At that time it was the fashion for children to wait when company came, and just imagine our feelings as we watched those long-cherished apple dumplings disappear until not one was left. When we came to this county we had no washboard and it was our custom to either pound our clothes on a block or in a barrel.
SOURCE- A TOPICAL HISTORY of CEDAR COUNTY, IOWA, 1910
Second marriage in 1842 to Elizabeth Duncan Southern [widow of John Southern].
Children of Abraham Lett and Eleanor Beard Lett are:
Elizabeth 1825-1905 married to John Tuthill
Margaret A. 1834-1900 married to Amos Highsmith
Ellen B. 1837-1927 married to John McClure [her second husband]
Alvin Richard 1839-1886 [born blind]
John Ashley 1841-1937 died in York Co., Nebraska
[All children born in Richland Co., Ohio]
*****************************
Abraham was born into the semi-famous "Lett Settlement" in the Meigs, Ohio area - a community of mixed-race families who moved to Ohio in roughly 1870 to establish a community of more equal freedoms for themselves. They in fact became activist with the government of Ohio at the time to get voting rights and better education for their children.
******************************
"In 1841 my father, Abraham Lett, moved from Ohio in covered wagons. It was spring and roads were almost impassable. While traveling through Indiana the horses seemed to go almost out of sight in the black swamps. After a long, tiresome journey we arrived at Tipton on the thirtieth of May. In addition to our family was that of Samuel Akers, and we made our home in an old log cabin which stood two blocks west of the court house, and which was used at one time as a clerk's office. The room was twelve by twelve feet and had an immense fireplace on one side. Before long our friends built a house of their own and we had the whole log house for ourselves. In the fall we moved into our new house of one room.
The winter was very cold, and the house being unplastered we were obliged to put up quilts to keep out the penetrating cold. The one stove we had was so small that you could pick it up easily. After the first winter we raised a crop and food was plentiful. Game was abundant and we had our own corn meal and flour by going to Pett's Mills at Anamosa or Maquoketa. Later on in our history we got our supply from Dwigan's mill, and better meal never was ground. The first yeast we had was brought from Virginia by water. About twice a year my father would take a load of wheat to Muscatine and get thirty-seven cents a bushel for it. In the winter dressed pork was hauled to the same market, and sugar and coffee brought on the return. In addition to this, there was always a bolt of muslin and a bolt of calico, invariably blue. I was raised on blue calico, and these were our best, our every-day dresses being made of unbleached muslin dyed with hazel burrs or oak bark. In the autumn we gathered crab apples and made sauce, and such good sauce as it was. We made sorrel pies in the summer when fruit was scarce.
Great companies of Indians came along in those days traveling west. They were very friendly and were continually wanting to trade horses. Father brought out a horse and one old fellow said, 'Horse sick, heap sick,' after having given a careful examination of the animal. Wolves howled at night, and their mournful sounds used to frighten us very much. They came close to the cabins in those days and depredations were often committed.
Not all experiences of those days, however, were tragic. A few, very few, were comic. I remember one occasion that seemed vital to a hungry child. By some means mother had secured apples enough to make dumplings, one apiece all around, and just as they were done who should come in but Harvey Leech, and, of course, he remained to take dinner with us. At that time it was the fashion for children to wait when company came, and just imagine our feelings as we watched those long-cherished apple dumplings disappear until not one was left. When we came to this county we had no washboard and it was our custom to either pound our clothes on a block or in a barrel.
SOURCE- A TOPICAL HISTORY of CEDAR COUNTY, IOWA, 1910
First marriage to Eleanor "Nelly" Beard" who was born 1800 died 1841. {Please see the memorial marker for Eleanor B. Lett, which shows the name Elizabeth B.. Descendants believe the incorrect first name was carved on this stone, and research seems to confirm this].
Second marriage in 1842 to Elizabeth Duncan Southern [widow of John Southern].
Children of Abraham Lett and Eleanor Beard Lett are:
Elizabeth 1825-1905 married to John Tuthill
Margaret A. 1834-1900 married to Amos Highsmith
Ellen B. 1837-1927 married to John McClure [her second husband]
Alvin Richard 1839-1886 [born blind]
John Ashley 1841-1937 died in York Co., Nebraska
[All children born in Richland Co., Ohio]
*****************************
Abraham was born into the semi-famous "Lett Settlement" in the Meigs, Ohio area - a community of mixed-race families who moved to Ohio in roughly 1870 to establish a community of more equal freedoms for themselves. They in fact became activist with the government of Ohio at the time to get voting rights and better education for their children.
******************************
"In 1841 my father, Abraham Lett, moved from Ohio in covered wagons. It was spring and roads were almost impassable. While traveling through Indiana the horses seemed to go almost out of sight in the black swamps. After a long, tiresome journey we arrived at Tipton on the thirtieth of May. In addition to our family was that of Samuel Akers, and we made our home in an old log cabin which stood two blocks west of the court house, and which was used at one time as a clerk's office. The room was twelve by twelve feet and had an immense fireplace on one side. Before long our friends built a house of their own and we had the whole log house for ourselves. In the fall we moved into our new house of one room.
The winter was very cold, and the house being unplastered we were obliged to put up quilts to keep out the penetrating cold. The one stove we had was so small that you could pick it up easily. After the first winter we raised a crop and food was plentiful. Game was abundant and we had our own corn meal and flour by going to Pett's Mills at Anamosa or Maquoketa. Later on in our history we got our supply from Dwigan's mill, and better meal never was ground. The first yeast we had was brought from Virginia by water. About twice a year my father would take a load of wheat to Muscatine and get thirty-seven cents a bushel for it. In the winter dressed pork was hauled to the same market, and sugar and coffee brought on the return. In addition to this, there was always a bolt of muslin and a bolt of calico, invariably blue. I was raised on blue calico, and these were our best, our every-day dresses being made of unbleached muslin dyed with hazel burrs or oak bark. In the autumn we gathered crab apples and made sauce, and such good sauce as it was. We made sorrel pies in the summer when fruit was scarce.
Great companies of Indians came along in those days traveling west. They were very friendly and were continually wanting to trade horses. Father brought out a horse and one old fellow said, 'Horse sick, heap sick,' after having given a careful examination of the animal. Wolves howled at night, and their mournful sounds used to frighten us very much. They came close to the cabins in those days and depredations were often committed.
Not all experiences of those days, however, were tragic. A few, very few, were comic. I remember one occasion that seemed vital to a hungry child. By some means mother had secured apples enough to make dumplings, one apiece all around, and just as they were done who should come in but Harvey Leech, and, of course, he remained to take dinner with us. At that time it was the fashion for children to wait when company came, and just imagine our feelings as we watched those long-cherished apple dumplings disappear until not one was left. When we came to this county we had no washboard and it was our custom to either pound our clothes on a block or in a barrel.
SOURCE- A TOPICAL HISTORY of CEDAR COUNTY, IOWA, 1910
Second marriage in 1842 to Elizabeth Duncan Southern [widow of John Southern].
Children of Abraham Lett and Eleanor Beard Lett are:
Elizabeth 1825-1905 married to John Tuthill
Margaret A. 1834-1900 married to Amos Highsmith
Ellen B. 1837-1927 married to John McClure [her second husband]
Alvin Richard 1839-1886 [born blind]
John Ashley 1841-1937 died in York Co., Nebraska
[All children born in Richland Co., Ohio]
*****************************
Abraham was born into the semi-famous "Lett Settlement" in the Meigs, Ohio area - a community of mixed-race families who moved to Ohio in roughly 1870 to establish a community of more equal freedoms for themselves. They in fact became activist with the government of Ohio at the time to get voting rights and better education for their children.
******************************
"In 1841 my father, Abraham Lett, moved from Ohio in covered wagons. It was spring and roads were almost impassable. While traveling through Indiana the horses seemed to go almost out of sight in the black swamps. After a long, tiresome journey we arrived at Tipton on the thirtieth of May. In addition to our family was that of Samuel Akers, and we made our home in an old log cabin which stood two blocks west of the court house, and which was used at one time as a clerk's office. The room was twelve by twelve feet and had an immense fireplace on one side. Before long our friends built a house of their own and we had the whole log house for ourselves. In the fall we moved into our new house of one room.
The winter was very cold, and the house being unplastered we were obliged to put up quilts to keep out the penetrating cold. The one stove we had was so small that you could pick it up easily. After the first winter we raised a crop and food was plentiful. Game was abundant and we had our own corn meal and flour by going to Pett's Mills at Anamosa or Maquoketa. Later on in our history we got our supply from Dwigan's mill, and better meal never was ground. The first yeast we had was brought from Virginia by water. About twice a year my father would take a load of wheat to Muscatine and get thirty-seven cents a bushel for it. In the winter dressed pork was hauled to the same market, and sugar and coffee brought on the return. In addition to this, there was always a bolt of muslin and a bolt of calico, invariably blue. I was raised on blue calico, and these were our best, our every-day dresses being made of unbleached muslin dyed with hazel burrs or oak bark. In the autumn we gathered crab apples and made sauce, and such good sauce as it was. We made sorrel pies in the summer when fruit was scarce.
Great companies of Indians came along in those days traveling west. They were very friendly and were continually wanting to trade horses. Father brought out a horse and one old fellow said, 'Horse sick, heap sick,' after having given a careful examination of the animal. Wolves howled at night, and their mournful sounds used to frighten us very much. They came close to the cabins in those days and depredations were often committed.
Not all experiences of those days, however, were tragic. A few, very few, were comic. I remember one occasion that seemed vital to a hungry child. By some means mother had secured apples enough to make dumplings, one apiece all around, and just as they were done who should come in but Harvey Leech, and, of course, he remained to take dinner with us. At that time it was the fashion for children to wait when company came, and just imagine our feelings as we watched those long-cherished apple dumplings disappear until not one was left. When we came to this county we had no washboard and it was our custom to either pound our clothes on a block or in a barrel.
SOURCE- A TOPICAL HISTORY of CEDAR COUNTY, IOWA, 1910
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