(OREGON) Charmingly illustrated letter from the pioneer Appl

Sale 2546 - Lot 178

Unsold

Estimate: $ 300 - $ 400

(OREGON.) Charmingly illustrated letter from the pioneer Applegate family. Unsigned manuscript letter to "Dear Ivan." 3 pages, 9 3/4 x 7 3/4 inches, on one folding sheet with elaborate watercolor on final blank; folds, missing 1/4 inch from bottom of final leaf (presumably including signature), minor soiling to first page. Yoncalla, Umpqua County, OR, 17 March 1862

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Additional Details

The letter is unsigned, but is addressed to "Ivan" and mentions "Uncle Jesse." In a small frontier community, that narrows down the field a bit. Jesse Applegate (1811-1888) was the leader of the first large group of settlers to emigrate to this part of Oregon in 1843 along what became known as the Applegate Trail, accompanied by two brothers and numerous nieces and nephews. This letter was very likely written to Jesse's nephew Ivan Decatur Applegate (1840-1918), who moved away to Ashland, OR in 1862. The author was likely one of Ivan's many siblings. The letter is filled with local detail. After a harsh winter, "Charley Putnam was here last night. He has lost 300 head of cattle. He meditates going to the mines. Pappa has lost one miserable yearling and about 60 old sheep, and not less than 1000 lambs." Local romances and dances are described at length, including a "ball at Cowan's," and the drunken escapades of a local boy who had been "sacked" by his sweetheart. The charms of one Miss Sarah Johnson are extolled, "16 years of age, about four feet high with cheeks like roses, plump as a pigeon." Perhaps she was the inspiration for the lovely patriotic sketch on the rear leaf, depicting a young woman with a scroll reading "Union and Liberty," surrounded by flags, with a battle scene raging in the background.