Box 4, Folder 4: Typewritten Letters 1871-1875

Chapter XXII 1871

1435

Jan. 16. Left Milwaukee at 3.45 P. M. for Jacksonville, Florida. Stopped at the Briggs House, Chicago. Jan. 17. Ice on trees, fences, wires, cornstalks, &c. N. E. side wires down. * * * 36 miles south of Michigan City end of sleet, little snow. * * * Louisville at midnight- -sleeping chairs on the train. Jan. 18 Nashville 9.15 A.M. Beyond Nashville saw first cotton field. Grass green in favorable places. Arrived at Chattanooga 7 P.M. Took sleeping car "Milwaukee." Jan. 19 Atlanta, Ga. 4 OP.M. stopped at Kimball House. Went to State House, Agricultural Society &c. Left for Macon at 7 P.M. Jan. 20. At Macon had to wait from 3 1/2 to 7 A. M. Then by Central Railroad to Savannah. Heavy frost and ice at Macon this morning.

Visited Georgia Historical Society.

Jan. 21. Left Savannah 4 P. M.- -no sleeping car. Jan. 22. Arrived in Jacksonville 7. A. M.

------

Jacksonville, Fla., Jan. 23, 1871.

Dear Julia--

I arrived here Sunday (yesterday) morning at 7 am found that Byron and his mother were living at their pleasant home on the east bank of the St. John's river about 20 miles above, and accordingly went up by steamboat "City Point" and am now nicely cared for at that beautiful spot.

At Savannah I was detained twenty-four hours on account

[Handwritten inscription in pencil, u.r.: 1276; handwritten inscription in pencil, u.l.: 594]

-1436- // 1871.

of the "connection" of the trans; and I improved the time to see that ancient city, its cemetery (Bonaventura), its rice mills, cotton presses, public squares, and [inserted] monuments, &c., &c. [crossed out]. I will send some photographs that will interest you and all the others at home. * * *

One the cars at Savannah met Mrs. Alex. Mitchell *** *** She was on the same train as far as Live Oak, where she changed cars for Tallahassee, where here [her] brother Harrison Reed is, Governor of Florida. On the same train I found Dr. Jeffries Wyman of Boston, pres. of Boston Soc. Nat. Hist. * * * He goes with a party to the upper waters of the St. John's, where they will dwell in tents for some months, studying whatever may be found. * * *

Love for all from Julia A. Lapham / I. A. Lapham.

______

Jacksonville, Fla., Jan. 24, 1871.

Dear Son--

I find it will not be necessary for me to remain here as long as I supposed, so you must not be surprised if I drop in at home some cold frosty evening.

I have had a delightful time so far; weather like out June! The steamboat ride from here up the river to Hibernia (25 miles) is exceedingly pleasant. We pass among other places "Mandarin," made famous by Mrs. Harriet Beecher Stowe. The wreck of a war steamer lies in the way, only her walking beam visible above water; it was destroyed early in the war by a rebel torpedo.

Have been so busy that I have had no time for scientific recreation or social visiting. * * *

[Handwritten inscription in pencil, u.r.: 1277; illegible handwritten inscription in pencil, u.l.]

-1437- / 1871.

Please take the river observations regularly. Love to all. / Yours truly, Henry Lapham. / I. A. Lapham.

[align center] __________

Jacksonville, Jan. 27, 1871.

[align left] Dear Son--

I spend most of my time at Hibernia. Day before yesterday I went up Black Creek to its tributary, Peter's Creek. I saw yellow pong lilies and [inserted] wild violets. &c., &c. [crossed out], in flower.

I went this morning in a rowboat to Mrs. Mitchell's fine Florida home. It looks rough yet, but will soon be a little Paradise of a place, especially if she succeeds in her attempt to make a grass lawn.

Mr. Bassnett called while I was gone, he left word at the hotel that he was going to St. Augustine, and I propose to chase him up. A steamer takes one there in six hours.

Saw Mr. Hawley and some other Milwaukee people this afternoon.

Picked ripe strawberries and yellow jessamine in blossom today.

[align right] Yours truly, [align left] Seneca G. Lapham. / I. A. Lapham.

[align center] Jan. 28. There are Indian Mounds opposite Yellow Bluff.

Boulders of hornblende trap found in Florida; at Ship Yard they are found with oyster shells attached among shell beds.

Visited ship yard, or Henrietta Plantation [Plantation], on the St. John's river, 20 miles below Jacksonville. Nectarines in flower; six feet from the graft; one year, eight inches in circumference.

[Handwritten inscription in pencil, u.r.: 1278; illegible handwritten inscription in pencil, u.l.]

-1438- / 1871.

Trees in Florida are the Live oak, water oak, cabbage palmetto, magnolia, sweet gum, hickory, long-leaved (rough-barked) pine, cherry, plum, bay, 3 or 4 kinds of holly, red maple, prickly ash, cedar, cypress, mulberry, white ash, and persimmon.

Animals are deer, gray squirrel, cat squirrel, skunk, rabbit, mole, raccoon, opossum, bear and wildcat.

Birds are doves [doves], robins, quail, wild turkey, water turkey, mud hen, geese, ducks, white cranes, blue herons, pelicans, gulls and curlews.

Fish are hickory and white shad, mullet that jump out ["that jump out" inserted inscription in black ink] of the river, gizzard shad used only for manure, saw fish, edible sheepheads, drum, red bass, sharks, sting rays, devilfish, porpoise, yellowtails, catfish, (big ones), salt water catfish, snappers only in the sea, shovel-nose-shark, Jewfish, pike, needlefish, goggle eyes, skip Jack, silver fish very long, sailor's choice, croakers, sea trout, garfish, toad ["ad" inserted inscription in black ink] fish (poison), white fish (round)-spotted sides ), trout, pickerel, brim, Kavallia, herring, mudfish, Jackfish, sturgeon, sucker, eel, oyster, clam, &c., [crossed out] &c. [crossed out], needle fish found by enquiries among fisherman; alligators, lizards, turtles and big sea turtles. Jan. 29. St. John's bluff seems to be composed [composed] of drift! belonging to the glacial period. It is brought so far that the material is very fine; and only the hardest boulders have reached here and they are small in size.

The oyster banks are artificial, lying at top of bluff. As the bluff wears away they fall into the water and at certain points are thrown back by the waves, paving the shore with shells below the water line.

[Handwritten inscription in pencil, u.r.: 1279; illegible handwritten inscription in pencil, u.l.]

-1439- / 1871.

Went by steamboat "Henry Burden" ["Bu" inscription in black ink] to St. Augustine, arrived ["ed" inscription in black ink] at 3P. M.; rambled through the narrow south-of-Europe-like streets, on the fort, the sea wall, into the old church, &c., &c. [crossed out] and to other ["and to other" inscription in black ink] places of interest ["places of interest inscription in black ink] [align center] __________

[align right] St. Augustine, Fla., Jan 30, 1871.

[align left] Dear Mary,

Today at 10 1/2 A. M., I am to commence my retrogressive movements from this [most] ancient of North American. towns, which is the most southerly point of my travel. The ride down the St. John's river is not so pleasant as that above; more marshy land, or islands; and the ["and the" inserted inscription in black ink] channels ["s" crossed out] crooked. &c. [crossed out]

Stopped one day at the place called Ship yard, near St. John's Bluff, the very spot where the Frenchman ["Fr" inscription in black ink] Ribault (Rebo) ["Rebo" underlined] commenced a settlement in 1572, three ["three" inscription in black ink] years before the settlement of St. Augustine. The place belongs to Mrs. Kilbourne. * * * It is a wonderful place to one from so far north, its shell banks, left by the Indians a thousand years, perhaps, ago; its palmettos, its orange, lemon and other sub-tropical trees, &c., &c. [crossed out]

On my way home I propose to stop in Washington a day, to see what arrangements, if any, can be made with Gen. Meyer; and perhaps will make Urbana a point in the route. * * *

We have had charming weather here during my visit, no use for overcoat or shawl except on the steamboat while ["wh" inscription in black ink] at sea.

The shores in Florida are low, the sea was calm, and it appeared much like a trip to Chicago in May ["M" inscription in black ink].

I have gathered some cabbage palmettos, saw palmettos and air plants for Mr. Dunlop and hope to bring them with me in good