Aunt Hattie's Tramp
Letters from Dakota Territory, 1881-1900

Hattie and John Dakota Links Photo Gallery Recipes Genealogy

"Dear Sister May...I have been sitting around all day taking care of the children and feeding tramps there was one here a little while ago, and said Mrs'es will you plase griv a fellow something to eat. of coarst I had to give him something I was so fraid of him I had a notion to run out to the field and let him help himself but then you know that would never do so I put on a brave face and gave him what he wanted. I thought if he said any thing that I dident like I would take the gun to him." In 1881, my great-great-aunt Hattie Briggs married John Buckland and they took up land in the newly opened Dakota Territory. Her letters to my great-grandmother, Lucy May Briggs, were recently discovered. They paint a fascinating portrait of life in the wild west ~ Dakota and Iowa ~ during the late 19th century. I'm currently transcribing Hattie's letters, along with others from May's stash.      My niece Christy Slate has created a genealogy chart of her family tree including the Briggses, and also the Morrisons (Lucy May married William Morrison in 1886). Below are some of the letters Lucy May saved, which I find illuminating not only for my own family's history, but also for their general historical interest. Lucy May

Hattie's Letters Save Three Cents Aunt Hattie's Tramp Blizzard Fishing After Beaux Clean Noses The Lost Corpse Prairie Flowers New Stove

Morrison Letters New House Measles Your Wife!!! Your Wife, Aggie's version Photo Gallery Hattie Briggs Buckland John Buckland Hattie and John Nellie Buckland (Hattie's daughter) Lucy May Briggs Morrison Lucy May and William Morrison Lucy May with son Alton Jean, Leon and Earl Morrison (Lucy May's other children) William's sisters: Helen Morrison Agnes Morrison Hattie and Lucy May's parents: Seymour Philander (S.P.) Briggs Julia Palmer Briggs Hattie and Lucy May's siblings: Frank Briggs Charles Briggs Mary Briggs Mooney Etta Briggs Wilson-Thrall Elmer Briggs Belle Fullerton Briggs Will Briggs

Other Letters Recipes Pork Cake Aunt Hat's Cookies Fruit Cake Ginger Snaps Gingerbread Dark Cake