Louisa Goodspeed's Letter

In my last post I mentioned that Louisa Goodspeed wrote a letter to her son Herschell telling him of the death of his brother Theron Goodspeed at Spotsylvania. Louisa's great-grandson Harry had the original letter laminated, and then gave it to me many years ago. The letter is a family treasure, so I am transcribing it here, with Louisa's spelling, in its entirety:

Heman and Louisa Goodspeed

When Heman Goodspeed and his future wife Louisa Albright were very young children, both their families moved from the towns of their birth to more challenging frontier locations.

Samuel and Sylvia Goodspeed

First Cousins

Samuel and Sylvia Goodspeed were the first in our direct line to leave the original home of the Goodspeeds in Barnstable, Massachusetts. Goodspeeds had been living in Barnstable since 1639. It was not until the end of the 18th century that Samuel and Sylvia moved to Vermont.

Herschell & Sarah Goodspeed, part three

Mysterious Visits

In July 1888, Herschell and Sarah Goodspeed received a visit from Milo W. Whittaker. The Ypsilanti Commercial reported that he had a splendid time, but said nothing else about him. Then in June 1889, the Goodspeeds were visited by their nephew Fred Whittaker, who was employed at the East Aurora Advertiser, a New York newspaper. Other than the limited information provided by the Goodspeed Genealogy, this was the first hint that Sarah W. Goodspeed had family in New York.

Herschell and Sarah Goodspeed, part two

Please click here to see part one of Herschell & Sarah Goodspeed.

In 1870, the family of Herschell and Sarah Goodspeed had grown to include sons Harrie, age 9 and Theron, age 6. Harrie, Theron and John, now age 10, were all in school. Delbert, now 13, was working as a grocer’s clerk. Herschell was 40, still a carpenter, with real estate worth $4000 and personal property worth $600. His wife Sarah was 39, keeping house.[1] Herschell Goodspeed continued to build in Ypsilanti. In 1872 he built a four-room brick schoolhouse, known as the Fourth Ward School. It cost $3,566.60.[2] In 1878, he built the Third Ward School,[3] in 1881 the new building for the State Normal School,[4] and in 1882, the Congregational Church.[5]

Herschell Goodspeed and Sarah Noble Whitaker

Herschell Goodspeed
from the Goodspeed Genealogy

Herschell Goodspeed was born on July 17, 1828 in Lockport, Niagara Co., New York. His father, Heman Goodspeed, was a farmer, but had in his youth worked on the Erie Canal. Herschell was the third of eleven children, and spent his formative years working on his father’s farm. In 1846, his elder brother Ansel, who was then age 20, left home to find work. Three years later, his next oldest brother, Marshall, age 24, left for Iowa. The following year, 1850, the census was taken and Herschell was shown as age 21, working on his parents’ farm in Newfane, New York. His brother Ansel had returned and was also working on the farm. Their father Heman was 56 and their mother Louisa was 41 (Louisa was only 15 when she married). The youngest child in the family was Theron, age 7.[1]