Our Yesterdays

The following is from letters George Trigg wrote to his sister Maria Knight Trigg

Richland, Dec. 5, 1872

Dear Sister,

I now take an opportunity of writing a few lines hoping it will find you as well as it leaves us at present.

We are in a different part of America to what we was when we received your letter, we are come from Pennsylvania about 1100 miles, and we are in the state of Iowa, right in the farming country and a splendid country it is, both healthy and rich, we are in a town of about five hundred inhabitants. It is not a very lively town, for here is no railroad within about 15 miles of it, but one has been expected, as we still expect it. The people that are here are much nicer people to live with than any I have seen anywhere. They are nearly all Americans born and a great many are of English descent, but they are well civilized. This is a temperance state, no license allowed to sell any drink, only druggists can sell to them that are sick, but a good many get sick very often, by the by.

Land just outside the town is worth from five dollars up to fifty per acre, and such land as you don’t see in England or anywhere else, only in America, some of it you can dig from four to six feet in black mould nearly as black as sut, and not a stone to be found in it, the mould is as fine as flour.

The second week we was here we bought a house and lot for one hundred and fifty dollars, the size of the lot is 60 feet front by 90 feet deep. It is in the center of town, the house is a little old, but the ground is worth the money I paid for it. There is great talk about a railroad coming through here next Summer. If it does it will be a good help, for it will be worth 6 or 10 times as much then. I am looking for some land that will suit me just outside town, if I buy any I will let you know.

I will let you know the price of things here — two cents are about one penny. Beef per pound from 3 to 11 cents, pork 3 cents per pound, eggs 8 cents per dozen, butter per pound 12 1/2 cents. Potatoes 20 cents per bushel, Indian corn 20 cents per bushel, a fowl is worth from 12 1/2 cents up to 25 cents according to the season. Flour is worth three dollars and a half for 100 pounds.

We have a splendid cow, 3 pigs and plenty of fowls, this is a great country for raising pigs and all kinds of stock, and it pays right good. I live in hope of raising some if I can get some land to suit me. It is the great West that supplies the Eastern states with the greater portion of the products and you are using the Indian corn that is raised here. So now I must conclude with our kindest love from your affectionate brother and sister,

G. and S. Trigg, Richland, Keokuk County Iowa, U.S.A.