This letter was written by Philo Buckingham (1825-1853), the son of Alvah Buckingham (1771-1867) and Ann Hale (1795-1867). He wrote the letter from Milwaukee after a two week trip around the settled portions of eastern Wisconsin with his older brother, Benjamin Hale Buckingham (1820-1864).
Apparently Philo did not relocate to Wisconsin but returned to farming in Ohio; he is enumerated as the head of a household in Wayne, Muskingum county, Ohio in the 1850 U.S. Census. Buckingham family history tells us that Phil’s health was poor which may account for the early filing of his Will in Putnam, Ohio, in October 1849 naming his father Alvah as the beneficiary of his estate. Philo’s father purchased the Pendleton elevator in Toledo in 1851 where he attempted to put his sons (Philo and Benjamin) in charge but Philo’s health continued to decline and he died in 1853 at the age of 28.
Philo’s father joined with Solomon Sturges in 1855 to form the firm Sturges, Buckingham & Co. This firm built the first grain elevator in Chicago and signed the contract with the Illinois Central Railway to handle all of their grain warehousing for ten years. During the Civil War, their two elevators had a capacity of 700,000 bushels each, making them Chicago’s leading grain warehousing firm. Philo’s brother Benjamin also joined in the family business though he died in 1864, leaving a significant fortune to his daughter Rosalie (“Rose”) Amelia Buckingham (1860-1918). Rose married Harry Gordon Selfridge.
Philo wrote the letter to his cousin (their mothers were sisters), Shelton Sturges (1828-1888), the second son of Solomon Sturges and Lucy Hale. From 1850 to 1861 he lived on the farm at Duncan’s Falls on the Muskingum river, nine miles below Zanesville — a farm given to him at the time of his marriage to Frances Rowena Nye of Marietta. When the Civil War broke out in 1861, Shelton served as Captain of Co. B, 24th Ohio. He was later promoted to Major of the regiment but resigned his commission in November 1862. He relocated to Chicago in 1863 where he went into banking and the mercantile business. The last twenty years of his life were spent in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin.
TRANSCRIPTION
Addressed to Mr. Shelton Sturges, Duncan’s Falls, Muskingum County, Ohio
Postmarked Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
July 4th 1848
My Dear Cousin,
Here Benj. & I are, spending the Memorable 4th in this city & Dutch & Yankees. We have been cruising about the State for two weeks & have not as yet done the first thing as far as relates to business — merely taking reckonings so far as the soil, the lay of the land, & the proportion of open & timber land. This state far exceeds any one I have yet been in. In fact, nothing can come any nearer to perfection that certain locations which can be pointed out. It is selling up very fast & with the right kind of people. It would surprise you to see wheat fields & in fact farms as nice as ours which two years ago were bought for $1.25 per acre nor is this all. Such can yet be bought. In fact, this is the spot to make the Dimes, & then is is so healthy & cool. I have worn my thick clothes almost entirely since I left home with comfort.
We went up to Green Bay week before last, It is situated at the mouth of Fox River — a beautiful river about twice the breadth of the Muskingum & so deep that the largest Lake vessels can go up it for 5 miles. It is one of the oldest towns in the country. Indians are thick as Whites & dress many of them in their original costume & no matter how warm the day, they will have on the blanket. Though the flies & mosquitoes are awful thick, they never touch “injun.” Since seeing so many of them, I have very little sympathy for them.
From Green Bay we followed up the river & Lake Winnebago to Fon du Lac. This town is of rapid growth being but a two year old & is quite a town. From there we went west to Lake Aupuchawa [Waushara?] on whose banks we found the city site of F. B. Howes. It is certainly a fine location for a business town but I think that more capitol will be needed to make it a go than F. B. H. can spare. We spent three days riding about his section in company with Robert Morrow (our clerk). He is Stage Proprietor I assisted a great deal in one way or another. There is nothing like an acquaintance here, is there? It’s like a section corner to a farmer or the compass to the sailor. Frank [Howes] has certainly chosen the best of a goodly land for his residence.
We came from there down here a week ago expecting to find your Father & John here but not finding them here, we went on to Chicago (Frank with us). While there we received a telegraphic dispatch from Father. I learned from the boat Empire that they left it at Sheboygan. We came back here & now look for them tomorrow sure.
Chicago is built on a very large level prairie & at the mouth of Chicago river. The location is singular on one side out of sight of land from Lake Michigan on the other — a boundless prairie. They are many excellent buildings & it contains 20,000 inhabitants. This place [Milwaukee] 10,000. We hardly know what to do & cannot tell until we see your Father & John. I hope you have got your barn up safe & that everything works to your hand right. E. Sturges came this morn & we all leave for Fon du Lac in the morn hoping to meet your Father & John there.
I hope things will go on right under Mr. Taylor. write me & tell me all about things.
Yours truly, — Philo Buckingham
Spared & Shared 11 
The county that Shelton Sturges lived in is MUSKINGUM County, Ohio, not Muskingham County as written in the letter. This is a common misspelling.
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