Polk County August the 17th 1853

Dear Brother & sisters

I with plasure write you a few lines to let you know that we are all
as well as usal at prsant I hope these lines will reach you safe injoying
the same blfsing Margarets health was very poor when we arrived
here I think it was cused by fateage She is gaining at this time. We have
had no sicknefs since we left home except the children had the measels
& I had the mountan fever it all went very light, in fact I have used lefs
medasin since i left than is usial for me to use in the same length of time.
We have had no sicknefs that was serious since we left old Warren we
have abundent cause to feel thankful for our good health and prsperaus
jurney. We started with 47 persons in all and got here with 48 We had
72 head of horses & mules and got here with 69 We started with 16
wagons and got here with 15 Edward Grounds had one to brake down,
one mare stole & one drownded in Deshoots river your father had one
drownded at the same time.

Your father & mother stood the trip ver well considering the work thatf
thay had to do on the road, young folks use to wait on the old women, but
times has changed. We arrived at the first farm in Oregon 5th August
Your mares got qite poor before we got here thay are not so poor as
mares generaly get that croses the plains so thay say here. Our muls
stood the trip very well mine is all in good order except the 3 year old
that I got from you & the horse that I got from Van Horn The mule that
had the swiney got well the Norcrofs mare is better I worked here some
on the last end of the trip the Greg mare stood the trip the best of any I
had. my two large wagons stodd the trip well I have sold the one that
Henry made for $150 the one that I got from Dedman was a poor
concern  I broke one axel tree at Kainsvlle & the other in the Cascade
Mountains. Thay wasant half iron & made out of brash roten shugartree.

I took some notes of our trip intending to give you some particulars of
our trip but I lost them before i reached here so I shall have content
myself by saying that the road waz better than I expected the greater
portion of the road is az good as could be desied though thare is some
deep mud and sand some high rocky hills & some rough level road but
all this constituted a small portion of the road with good wagons &
teams and a carful driver thare is nokind of danger till you get to the
cascade thare it takes care & patience a good rsolution full belly &
strong back

the grafs was generaly good it was scrce on sweet water & snake river,
in the black hills and on Bare river in the Blue Mountains I never saw
anything to eqal it inside of a field or out. The fare part of our trip it was
very wet and cool it raind every day at one time for three weeks. we had
a great eal of time firing and building bridges. I supose you will come to
the conclusion tht we have saw a hard time of it but this is not the case the
men folks saw a very easy time of it and it wold not bin hard on women in
good health I saw a much easier time of it than if I had bin at home. Its
rported and generaly believed in Illinois that a company cant come through
to Oregon with out falling out & seperating our company can unite in
saying that that is false people can do right on the plains as well as
anywhare else we all stayed together the whole trip and partie as good
friend as we was when we started.

Your Father Hutchinson Ed is at Elizahes, Ira & myself is at Carter T
George has bought him a claim and moved on to it it has a cabin on it
and gardin fire wood and stock water it first rate land and 31/2 miles
from rail timber he give 600 dollars-our relations and acquaintences are
all well & doing well -- all that I have saw except Mason A Lucas and
Franky Murphy apears to be satisfied and thay say thay are better satisfied
than thay was,  it a common thing as fare as I have inquired for them that had
good luck in geting here and in geting a good claim to be well satisfied
those that had hard luck and had to take hobsons choice for a claim are
generaly dissatisfied the latter is the smallest number --our company likes
as well as thay expected as fare as thay have saw-- I have not saw anough
of the contry to geve you a description of it suffise it to say at presant
that thare is good land good timber & good water the land is better than
I expected stock water is not as plenty as I expected everything looks
flourishing her corn and some of that looks pirty well Apples trees beats
anything I have saw Some bareing at three year old. When I look at the
contry and get a claim I write again. If the Monmouth Democrat has
stoped send me the Atlas. Send it Independence Polk County OT I have
not had any leters from any of you yet write often I would like to see yo
all but will hafto bid you are well at presant

Isaac & Margret Smith