1831 - Letter from John Hankins to Susan Hankins

 I am very lucky to have several letters written by members of the Hankins family dating back to the 1830s. This first letter was written by John Hankins to his wife Susan (Thomas) Hankins in June 1831. John had traveled to Detroit, Michigan, and was writing home to let his wife know he had arrived safely.  

I'm not sure where John and Susan were living at the time. In 1830, they were living at Ten Mile River, Lumberland, Sullivan County, New York. This letter is addressed to Susan at Coshecton. He didn't buy the land at what would become Hankins until December 1834.  

I don't know why John traveled to Michigan in 1831, who he traveled with, or how long he stayed there. John Hankins and Susan Thomas married on 4 March 1830 in Damascus, Wayne County, Pennsylvania at her parents home. Their first child, Lucas Wurtz Hankins, was born 31 October 1831 at Ten Mile River. 




Mrs Susan Hankins
Coshecton Sullivan County
New York. This With Care and Speede






Detroit  June 15th 1831
Dear Wife  I know take My penn to inform you
that I Am in A Good State of Health and Hope
these few lines May find You the Same. We All
Arrived At Detroit this Evening in Good Health and Expect
to proceede in the Country tomorrow Morning from this 
Place to Okeland County We Can Say Nothing of the
Country at present As We Have Had no Chance of
Seeing it. No More at present But Remain Your Affectionate 
Husband  John Hankins 



John Hankins to Susan Hankins, letter, 15 June 1831; Hankins Family Papers, privately held by Patty Hankins, Bethesda, Maryland. 

Location: Detroit, MI, USA

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