Letter from Wm Householder to “Mother” (Margaret Souders Householder Peck), among letters formerly in the possession of Jesse J. Souders (1889-1957).  Jesse was the grandson of Charles Souders (1815-1895) of Thompson Twp., Fulton Co., PA.  William Householder was among those who migrated to Knox Co., IL in the 1850’s.

	Dear Mother1     in reply to your Letter I wood say that we are all well at present and all the rest of the friend as far as I know    hoping these few lines will find you all well     thare has bin a few cases of small pocks in our neighbor hood     Lambert folks had them but they did not spred any     Any Tarven (?) folks had them in Canton and they Lost one little boy but I belive thay have entirley  _____ out      the general health of the country is good     we are just in the hight of harvesting here now     the wheat crop is very good in our neighborhood with some exceptions of the chinch bugs     the Rye crop is heavy    I never seen any better grow out of the ground big in the stem and heavy in the head     the oats crop is the finest I ever see    the corn crop looks splendid    a good deal of it higher then a horses head     my boys is still plowing and you cant see any thing of them or thare teems     we have 95 acres of corn and the are going through it the 5 time     Solomon2 and John3 and William4  Householder have done about all of the plowing as I was not able to do mutch in corn plowing before harvest     hour folks is making cheese now and I wish you folks had one to trye it      the are splendid as the are made by all good democrats    Mr Harris is going to leave us next Tuesday morning     he start with his family to Ohio and mises Whyett she moves in his house

Cate5 she was down to Hurff (?) the other day for curnes (?)     Margaret she was well and likes the place first rate      Washington Shaffer he is back here agane and he can preach as good as ever and he is strong in the faith of true democracy

page 2

I will know give you the markets
	Wheat		1.40 to 1.60
	Rye		1.25
	Barley		1.20
	Oats		65 cts
	corn		1.10
	potatoes	1.40
	Flouer		8.00 per Barell
	Butter		20 cts
	Cheese		15
	Eggs		12
	lard		16
	Hams		20 cts
	Fish		10.00
	coffee		50
	tea		2.00
	Sugar		4 to 4 ½ (?) for 1.00
	Rice		16 ¼
	Molases	1.20 to 1.30
	tobacco	1.00
	calico		35 to 60
	muslin		50 to 75 and still going up    they mark them twice a day
Stalk of all kinds is very high
Give our best regards to all inquiring friends and tell them I wood like to see them all and meby I will if this Abbolitition ware dont Last for ever nomore but remain your son    Write soon
		Yours
					Wm Householder6

Margret Peck1
July 10th 1864
Yates City Illinois

1	Margaret (Souders) Householder Peck (1804-1867), widow of Simon Householder, and then of Henry Peck.  She was Jesse Souders’ great-aunt, Charles Souders’ sister
2	Solomon Peck, son of Margaret and Henry Peck.
3	John Householder, son of William and Catherine (Hull) Householder.
4	William Householder, possibly son of Daniel and Ruth Ann (Knable) Householder.
5	Catherine (Hull) Householder.
6	Wm Householder, son of Simon and Margaret Householder.