Letters From The Past Letter from Emory W. Rogers and wife, Nancy to Family Copy published in History of Boz, compiled by Jean Caddel   Waxahachie, Texas January 4 A D 1858 Dear Mother, Brother & Sister, Your letter came to hand some 10 days since. I have not had time to answer until this morning, the first Monday morning of 1858, which has appeared with a heavy rain and has the appearance of a wet day. The District Court has just closed after a session of two weeks during which time we have been crowded to the overflowing. I was proud to receive a letter from you and to learn that you was all well. You stated to me that you had not received a line from us in some 4 years. Since that time we have been blessed with a fair portion of health until this fall. We have had some sickness. Son William married August was a year ago and on the 23 of November his wife brought him a fine daughter. She took the childbed fever and like to have died, but she is better and I think will recover. Some 3 of the family had a light brush, but are all up. We have had more sickness this fall than we have had since we have had a family. The Doctor and Mary is living in town and is doing well and has 3 fine children. William will settle some 2 miles from me on land I gave to him. William will commence house keeping worth at least 5 thousand dollars. I gave him and Mary 2 hundred acres of land each for which they could realize $10 per acre. William got with his wife some 3 thousand dollars which will give them a fine start. His wife's name was Sally Malone. James & Tandy is almost grown. Beatris is well grown and beginning to think about boys and we are afraid she will leave us in a few years. Hansford and Charles is two fine boys and has gone to school some. Brother Josiah, I have been telling you about the children and how they are doing. I will not forget to tell you about the hard times we are having over in this part of the Kingdom. We have been living and staying in Texas for near 10 years and I can say that I have never seen harder times than this County is undergoing. We have had a severe drouth for 2 years. This last year it was almost a failure. There has barely been bread made in my section of the country. In other portions of the state, there has been tolerable crops made. Corn is worth $1.50 per bl., wheat $1.50 and scarce at that, but I think we will be able o weather the storm. At least we look forward with hope for we have a prospect for a bountyful crop the present year. We are having fine rain this fall and winter which insures a good crop in this country. Pork is worth from 8 to 10 cts. per pound, beef from 2 1/2 to 3 cts. The last article is plenty and I can kill fat beef out of the pasture anytime of the year. I had last year some 2 hundred and 20 acres of land in cultivation and did not have more than 3 hunmdred bushels of grain. I sowed last fall one hundred 30 acres in wheat and rye and you would be astonsished to see what fat stock I have. I have pastured 30 head of horses all winter. We have fine pasture from our wheat fields until the 10 of March, then take the stock off and make from 15 to 30 bushels to the acre. I am going largely into the horse stock of which I have some good mares. We are still keeping a Tavern, although sometimes I feel that I would like to be out of it, but I have no doubt but what we shall end our days at it for it would be a hard matter for us to pull up stakes from where we are. More than that we can't complain at our luck in Texas for we have been wonderfully blessed in good health and so far as accumulating this worlds goods, we have no right to complain and I feel this day to thank God the Great Giver of all good gifts, that in the midst of adversity and misfortune and when everything was dark and looming in the future, I never lost hope, and among strangers and starvation, far from connections and in a distant land we keep sacred the great principle truth of honesty which made us many friends and gave us a standing in our adopted home that I hope we shall never be ashamed of in this world nor in the world to come. My town is improving slowly. We have 6 large stores, a drug store, silversmith, good schools and 2 churches and upon the whole as good a society as can be found anywhere. You will scarcely ever see a drunk man in our town, but I fear it is on the increase. I live on the great thoroughfare from north to the west. The mail stage arrives at my door 8 times a week and departs. I have a good stand from customers. The District Court is just over. It lasted 2 weeks. We had from 40 to one hundred every meal. Board per day for man and horse $2.00. I took in during the 2 weeks 6 hundred and fifty dollars. 10 years ago I settled in this place. At that time there was not more than 10 families in the County. We voted last August 6 hundred and ten votes. There was not a family west of me to Sante Fe, the country full of Indians and some buffalo. Not the settlements extend west of me one undred and fifty miles over the most romantic country. My County and section is prairie, mostly level, but rolling enough for comfort. As you go west or up the rivers, the country becmes more broken and peaks running on up to eminent height. he finest water abounds and health as it ever gets, but to me a long way to market. At present only fit for stock. The Central Railroad from Houston, 309 milies, is running. It is serving within 4 miles of my town. We feel assured that in a few years that we should have a outlet and when that is done it will be but a few days travel back to old Morgan. Nancy is beginning to speak of coming over to see you all and you need no be surprised to seeus come walking up someday not far distant. We could make the trip now in some 14 days and when the railroad is down, in about half the time. Dear Brother, I have been telling you some of the good things of Texas. I don't want you to think it is the Garden of Eden for we have many evil covenants here to contend with. For instance, we have to haul building timber from 75 to a hundred miles. I have plank fencing I hauled 85 miles. Timber is scarce and not a good article at that. But to take everything into consideration, I am well pleased with the country, but some don't like it at all. Nancy and myself would like to see you all and especially in this country, I want you to write often and I will do the same. I want you to give my love to Uncle Wiley Speaks & family. tell them to write to me. Excuse my bad spelling and scattering way of writing. Your Brother & Sister, E. W. Rogers Nancy R. [Emory W. Rogers was born Lawrence Co. Ala. 2 July 1813; married Nancy Clinton Minter Sept. 19, 1833; emigrated from Tuscalousa, Ala. 1838 to Robertson Co. Texas; 8 children. In 1846 moved his family to Smith's Station on Milford Creek. Family later moved to Waxahachie His homestead was site of both 1st and 2nd Rogers Hotels. [Source: Memorial and Biographical History of Ellis County, 1892, Lewis Publishing Co. Chicago]   Copyright © 2000-2016, Ellis County TXGenWeb. All Rights Reserved. This page was last modified: Thursday, 01-Jul-2021 13:29:41 MDT