Week 7–Letters and Diaries

About 30 years ago when Tom Hambright was working as a curator for the Key West Art and Historical Society. He found some old letters Ferguson letters written in 1849 and 1850. In 2012 Mary Haffenreffer transcribed most of these letters. She published them along with her research about Ferguson family in the Florida Keys Sea Heritage Journal, Fall 2012 and Winter 2013. She sent me a copy of an earlier letter from Fanny Howes Ferguson to her second son Thomas Jefferson Ferguson. Thomas was living in Key West Florida in the 1840s. Fanny’s letter mentions 10 her children, informs Thomas of his upcoming sister Elvina’s wedding and mentions his cousin Cornelia Howes Higgins, daughter of Malchus Reed Howes. Fanny was planning the wedding of her oldest daughter, Elvina, to James P. Sanders and thinking about how much she wants Thomas and all her other sons to be there. Thomas is living in Key West, Florida a long way from Danbury, Connecticut where Fanny lives. In this letter, she gives news about Thomas’s other siblings- George, Daniel, Isaac Reed, Albert, Fred, William, Fernando and his two sisters Elvina and Fannie A.  She mentions her husband but not by name. She writes:

Danbury Oct 29^th 1840

My Dear and long absent son,

In the silent hours when labors and care is laid Aside and the rain pouring down in torrents I take up my pen to inform you of this situation of our family which perhaps never will interest no one but you. We have only 2 sisters left with us. George took Fernando last march to live with him till he is a man. George with his wife and 3 children and Fernando made us a long visit last summer, Daniel his wife and one child visit us frequently, they live in Norwalk. Fred & Elbert has not visited us this year, William lives in Miltown [apprenticed] to Mr. Crosly learning the shoemaker trade, he come to see us, and I regret to think that I can’t have it to say that Thomas visits us too, but you are separated far from us in a country where you are surrounded I fear with Indians, I frequently see accounts of their [?] in Florida, and it makes me shudder for fear I shall find your name among the sufferers, but you grant that I never may, I do feel to hope that you will someday come to visit us, last summer we looked forward with bright hope, and begun to anticipate the day when we should embrace you but going to the post office I found a letter there, which told us we must suspend that hope for one year, which caused tears to flow but was glad that we could hear particulars from under your own hand, of your business and situation, and that you intended to come Another year, it would be very pleasant to us, and no doubt it would to come if you could be here on the 19^th of next month which is Thanksgiving not only thanksgiving but wedding day, tis expected that Elvina will be married on that day to James P sanders, I expect our relatives all will be present and you are respectfully invited to attend(Elvina would like some of your Figs to treat her company with) Reed and Lydia A Lewis are chosen to stand up with them, you are perhaps would like to hear something about James, suffice it to say we are all pleased with him. We live where we did last year and your Father works at the hatting business, and is doing well, his health is good, and he is quite a reformed man, in the land of civil habits, I wish you to write as soon as you receive this and let us hear how you got along this summer. I hope you will not stay there and expose your life [?] and you all to the massacre of Indians, do come where you can lie down to sleep and not be in danger, this leaves us all well, our friends and relatives likewise. Cornelia Amanda Higgins with her little son 16 months old has visited us this summer, also her step mother from mobile, they met in New York and was to your brother George’s together, the evening is far spent and I must  draw to a close but not till I tell you that Alan Percy is married to Deborah Ann Heveland little you gave my love to Betsey, your housekeeper, and tell her I want she should look well to you and except for yourself the best wishes and prayers of your mother.                                                                                                                                    Fanny Ferguson

Fanny and Nathaniel

Fanny and Nathaniel married in Fanny’s hometown of Southeast, Putnam, New York on March 16, 1811.

They called their first son George Washington Ferguson; the second they named Thomas Jefferson Ferguson. For the third son they used a typical Scottish naming pattern. They named this one for Fanny’s father, Daniel Howes. Their third son was called Daniel Howes Ferguson. When the gold fever struck- four of Fanny’s sons wanted to go. Thomas, Daniel and Albert journeyed to California to find gold. Only two returned, Albert died in San Francisco.

Less than a year after Fanny wrote the letter, Nathaniel died at their home in Danbury. He died on November 9, 1846 in Norwalk at the age of 70. Only her youngest daughter, also called Fanny, was still at home. Fanny A. was 8 when Nathaniel Ferguson died.

Road Block

Fanny and her daughter, Fanny A, lived in Norwalk, Fairfield, Connecticut in 1850. This is where I found the surname, Meeker for Fanny.

Several years later, I found a marriage announcement in the Republican Farmer, a Connecticut newspaper.

On October 15, 1843, in Connecticut, USA, Mrs. Fanny Ferguson married Joseph S. Meeker.  Above is an 1843 news clipping from the Republican Farmer referring to Fanny and Joseph’s marriage in Norwalk. Joseph died November 2, 1846 in Norwalk, Connecticut.

She was still using the last name of Meeker in 1870. She lived with her sister, Esther Ryder and her brother-in-law in Danbury. Fairfield County, Connecticut. Here is a snippet of the 1870 census for Danbury.

A final Trip

Fanny died April 30, 1879 while visiting her daughter Fanny A. Stewart in Davenport, Iowa.