Sylvester Waite to Elihu Waite

Mr. Elihu Wait

I hope that you remain my dear father, as yet also a dear mother, but as I have not heard from father mother brothers nor sisters so long that I don’t know whether any of you are now in the land of the living and if you are all dead may these words be found by some connection or some neighbor that I may hear whether you are dead or not as I am some distance from you and do not expect to [two words crossed out] see you very soon it would please my mind to hear from you very much. 

I am now in the state of Ohio town of Talmage (Tallmadge) village of Middleburg county of Portage thirty six miles from Cleaveland.  I am to work for a man by the name of Jackson a making fanning mills which I got thirteen dollars a month for one year which I begun April the twenty fourth.  He had got fifty mills all but done and fifty more expect to finish the first of October which I think they will sell them all for thirty dollars a pease.  I like this business very well but if I cant get a living at this I shall try the plough.  If I get any money from Chester I think that I shall try Michagan another year if  [?] don’t suit myself in this estate. 

I was out to see our cousins the twentieth of March they were all well and I think in a good situation to live.  They want that I should buy a lot by them of thirty six acres they think that I can get the lot for three dollars an acre.  The land suits me very well but I think there is more chance for the rise of land in Michagan.  I have been expecting a letter from Chester this month but I have not heard from him yet I think that he must be well off.  I should heare from him and Elihu but I think that they must be well. 

[?]  corn is worth thirty one cents wheat is worth thirty seven cents. This is a lively place, there is a stream runs through this place that is called the little Cuyahoga there is two large gristmills, two sawmills, a forge, two carding machines, clothing works, all in about to miles.  There is six or seven stores in this place, three stages run through this place and teams without number.  The canal runs within about a mile and a half of this place which causes a great deal of trade.  I went out a coursing [not sure if that is the word]  which is about thirty or thfive miles.  Some I conversed with a while they knew me not and expect it will be so with you and I am forgot on every side and it seems  that you had forgot me entirely, therefore I think it will be of no use for me to come home. I am not known but dear father brothers and sisters if you would just call and see this western world, see the population and soil of this country you would forget the days that you have had and no rocks and stones which I expect that you are carting them stones at this day while the farmer here has not hardly stone to weigh on his scythe. The crops are coming in well, the wheat not so good the fruits hang beyond all description.  And now I must draw to a close and wishing you to give my love to all that has not forgot me.  I remain your youngest son Silvester Wait

 July th30 1826. 

Notes on the Letter:  This is an original held by the Whately Historical Society.  It is handwritten on both sides of a 8.5 x 11 sheet of plain paper.  It is in very good condition.  There is an envelope.  On the back of the envelope is written the following list of names:  Patty, Calvin, Dimmis, Sally, Luther, Roxany, Rufus, Chester, Rebecah, Elihu, Silvester Wait.  These are the names of the whole family including the parents, Rebecah and Elihu.

Notes on the Family:  Silvester Waite (he used the spelling Wait but the customary spelling includes the "e").  was born 12 June 1799 in Whately, Massachusetts.  He was the twelfth and youngest child of Elihu and Rebecca (Graves) Waite.  The list of children provided in Crafts History of Whately  matches that on the envelope with the exception of their first child, Lucretia who is not included in the list.  His mother had, in fact, died in 1821 and his father was remarried to Electa Kellogg by the time Silvester's letter arrived.  

Crafts writes that Silvester "resides about ten miles from Leroy", and says he had a least three children of whom only Elvira is named.  A Sylvester Waite of the right age, born in Massachusetts was in Elba, New York in the 1850 through 1880 census records.  He had a daughter named Elvira and it is presumed that this is the same man who wrote the letter.  Further substantiation of this is that Silvester's brother Chester also resided in Leroy.