James Carrol Stinson (1858)
This is a letter from James Carrol Stinson to his step mother/sister in law. James father Joel Stinson married for his 2nd wife Mary Scrivner WEBB. She was the sister of his son James Carrol's wife Amanda Scrivner, thus making Mary Scrivner Webb Stinson, James stepmother and sister in law.
July 1858
Kansas Territory, Lynn County (Linn County, Paris Twp)
Dear Mother; (actually stepmother & sister in law)
After a long time I again take my pen in hand to write you a few lines, I can inform you that we ar all well at this time. You think strange no doubt of my not writing to you sooner in the spring of 1857 I moved Kansas Territory and I am a liveing in lynn County Kansas Territory at this time but I am not sattisfied hear and I am not agoing to stay hear any longer than I can sell out my place and stock. I think I will go to Texas ar to Oregon next spring if I can if I go to Texas I will go to north Western Texas if I don't go to Texas I will go to Oregon next spring I think we have had bad health in the family since I came to Kansas our second daughter ided last winter She died of typoid fever and we came very near loosing our youngest boy with the same fever. Melvina died the 12 day of December and on Christday James L was taken down and like to died but he is well and heasty at this time we had another heir last July the 13 and we call her Harriet She ws a year old the 13 day of this month and is quite a smart child we ar a liveing in a very good county there is plenty of good land hear and pleanty of timber and no water hadly at all only wells and the creeks all go dry in the summer nearby I would likea to stay hear if there was not so many horse thieves and robers in the county but an honest man can't keep any property hear without he watches it all the time and I cant stay in any such place where people is a fussing and steeling all the time. Rhodam Stinson came to see me since you went to texas he went back to arkansas and I have not heard lately whore he is he wrote to me where he got home that he was a coming back to kansas to live but he hant come yet your father and mother last accounts I have not heard from them in two years. corn crops looks ver wel up to this time wheat was very good oats was killed with the rust cowes and calves worth 20 to 25 dollars ? steers from 60 to 150.00 dollars land is worth from 5 to 10 dollar per acre bacon 10 censts per pound corn 40 censt per bushel this will be a fine county some time but I dont know when Amanda has gat her health is heap better than she had where you saw her last She looks like a gal fourteen years old She is prity yet nancy jane is larger than her mother and ben is allmost as large as I am Melvina was nerly grown when she died Mary is grate big gal marthan and Jim is rite smart children I have not heard from Jo for some time Polly and Jane was well when Rhodam went home to ar I want you to write to me as soon as you get this letter and direct your letters to Paris Lynn County Kansas Territory we all send howdy to you and plenty of fare well at this time.
James C Stinson, Amanda Stinson
This letter is from James Carrol Stinson. They moved back to Lawrence County, Kansas but his daughter Nancy Jane married William Baker Sept 16 1861 in Linn County and died there between 1870-1877. They had Melvina Baker, James Baker, Willliam Benjamin Baker and Caroline Baker.
Their dau Mary married Elisha Bradford Johnson. They moved back to Lawrence County, Missouri. Their son Benjamin Franklin moved back to Linn County, Kansas. Benjamin Franklin married Mary Atta Nickel in Lawrence County, Missouri. They were the parents of:
Rainie Wayne 1891-1960 = Nellie Opal Finch
Clarence 1893-1894
Mary Anna 1895-1970 = Edd Coffeen & George Fleming
Olive Ester 1897-1956 = Lester Patterson & Gene Murrell
Loyd Bradford 1899-1984 = Lucy Mae Shuck
Franklin Lester 1901-1981 = Christina Marie Norcross
Ulas Uras 1904-1988 = Blanche Marie Browning
Roy Dexter 1905-1986 never married
Beulah Phelma 1907-1994 = Laurence Amer
Beuford Glen 1911-1976 =Evelyn Dora Goodrick
Cleo Atta 1912-1995 = Philip Andrew Vidonne
Clifford 9/1916-2/1917
Jeannie 1917-1917
When Frank died March 4, 1917 four days after the death of Clifford on Feb 28, 1917 it was to much for Etta & she delivered Jeannie early and Jeannie was born stillborn. Three deaths in less than 2 weeks would be hard to handle. The little children did not understand where they brother, daddy and new baby went. When they tried to ask Mommie about it, she started crying so they stopped asking.
Elisha Bradford Johnson was the brother to Suzanne Johnson (married John H Johnson).
Elisha & Susanne’s parents were Hines Johnson (died 1850-1857 in Polk County, Missouri) and Elizabeth Dukes (died Bet. 28 Jul 1870 - 18 Mar 1873 in Linn County, Kansas).
Hines & Elizabeth children are:
Harmon Franklin Johnson 1833-died between 1860-3/18/1873 no further info
Luranie 1834-11/4/1868 = John Riley Driskell died in Linn Co
Susannah 1837-8/26/1902 = John H Johnson (1st cousins) died in Linn co
Sampson Virgil 1836-7/13/1901 = Sabra Ogle or Smith died in Linn co
Elisha Bradford 1839 Christmas-8/8/1925 died in Lawrence Co, Mo
Mary Melvina 1841-1915 = Martin VanBuren Perry died in Bates County, MO
Burton H 1844 died in civil war
James J 1845 died 1850-1857 died in Polk Co, Mo
Nancy Elizabeth 1846/1922 = David Frear died in Linn Co
David Staton 1849-1926 = Julia Ann Perry died in Linn Co
Many of Linn County, Kansas residents are descended from Hines & Elizabeth (Dukes) Johnson.
