In April 1843, Edward Eastman wrote a one-page letter to his uncle – Moses Eastman – the postmaster back in Salisbury, New Hampshire. At the time, Iowa City was only four years old, and traveling in or out of the new capital city meant going by foot or by horseback. If you had a lot of extra cash, stagecoach was your improved option – leaving from Chauncey Swan’s Swan Hotel – located near the Capitol Building and right on the National Road.
In his short letter, Eastman talks about:
The Prairie Itch – a nasty skin condition that most newcomers to Iowa are catching. It’s caused by several types of mites, and it’s characterized by very intense itching. Yowsers!
The Long, Hard Iowa Winter of 1842-43 – the one that refuses to quit…
The Great Comet of 1843, and how the newspaper people in town are predicting it to be a sign of bad things to come…
And finally, the Traveling Details for those back home in Salisbury who are seriously considering taking the Oregon Trail westward into the great unknown.
Come, check out the entire letter and this trip back to Iowa City in 1843!
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