Melissa (Kennedy) Book

Melissa was the daughter of David and Ann (Howard) Kennedy and the sister of my ancestor, Mary Agnes (Kennedy) Powers.

Source: 1861 Census

Census Year: 1861

Item Number: 2865710

Province: Canada West (Ontario)

District Name: Lincoln

Sub-District Name: Grimsby

   Ann Canada, b. U.C., 52, Widowed

 Melissa Canada, b. U.C., 21, Single

 Eliza Canada, b. U.C.,  18, Single

  Edwin/Edward Canada, b. U.C., 11, Single

  Howard Canada, b. U.C., 9, Single

 Mary Howard, b. U.C., 66, Widowed

All members of the same family and all of the Wesleyan Methodist Religion

Frame House/One Story/Housing One Family

Canada Census, 1871

Nationality: English

Religion: C Of England

01, Grimsby f, Lincoln 21, Ontario

Household Gender Age Birthplace

George Book M 46 O

Melissa Book F 29 O

Georgianna Book F 17 O

John F Book M 11 O

William H Book M 7 O

Mary C Book F 6 O

Wm Clendenen M 65 O

United States Census, 1880

Pembina, Dakota Territory

Household Gender Age Birthplace

Self George Book M 55 Canada

Wife Malissa Book F 39 Canada

Daughter Mary Lundie Book F 15 Canada

Son Edgar Book M 7 Canada

Daughter Arabella Book F 9 Canada

Son George Book M 12 Canada

Son Robert Book M 5 Canada [b. Townsend, Norfolk, Ontario]

Source

Minnesota State Census, 1895

Spruce township, Roseau, Minnesota

HOUSEHOLD

George Book M 72y Canada

Milessa Book F 55y Canada

Edgar Book M 21y Canada

Robert Book M 19y Canada

Helen Book F 14y Dakota N

Melissa's FindAGrave memorial can be seen here.

Moving From Michigan To Peach Orchard, Arkansas

Charles & Jennie (Howland) Allen of Lapeer Co., Michigan, made the move to Peach Orchard, Clay County, Arkansas, after first moving to Esmond, Benson, North Dakota. Charles Allen's place of residence is listed here in his mother's probate papers.

The following letter was published in the Lapeer Clarion newspaper extolling the virtues of Peach Orchard, Arkansas.


Lapeer Clarion
9 April 1890

Peach Orchard, Arkansas

Friends in Lapeer have repeatedly written asking the advisability of locating in Arkansas. They are too numerous to answer individually, so will you kindly insert the following. I have been engaged for the past eighteen months in the lumbering business. This is the chief industry in this section. All varieties of hard wood are plentiful--oak, ash, gum, cyprus [sic - cypress], and occasionally black walnut. The cyprus is of exceptionally good quality and I have seen some ninety feet high without a limb and seven feet across the stump on the property of R. G. Hart. Great chances are offered here for the manufacture of cyprus shingles. Shipping facilities are good, the St. L. I. A. & S. and K. C. railways running through here. Eventually the hard wood will come from here, Missouri and parts of Tennessee. There are three saw mills here, all of them doing a good business, and a fourth one is now in process of erection. A good milling man can always get steady employment, the wages ranging from $1.25 to $2.00 a day. I think a living is easier made here than in the North. I do not wish it to be understood that to make a living a man need not work, but do say that is requires less labor to cultivate the natural product of the country than in northern parts. The principal crops are oats, corn wheat and cotton, all of which are raised with good success. Horses, cattle and hogs run wild the year around and require no herding. The only trouble in connection with raising stock is the branding. A great number of people have located here in the past six months and nearly all the government free land is taken, but good farming and timber land can be had for from $7 to $10 an acre. Altogether I can heartily recommend Arkansas to any one wishing to secure a good home.

Robert Pratt.

Update: Here's another blog related to Jennie (Howland) Allen