06/20/1848 - Erie Canal Politics Mex/Amer War

June 20, 1848

Dear Reader,

I had some business in Utica last week. Rode horseback as father had need for the carriage to go to Frankfort. The plank road to the west has been well maintained but was it was much too busy with wagon traffic. My horse was skittish and lathered after an hour so I moved off to the old tow path along the (Erie) canal. From there, the journey was quieter and very pleasant. 

I was astonished by the volume of boat traffic carrying grain to Albany. The farms to the west have more fertile soil for wheat than we do at home. They are able to undercut our prices and hurting the incomes of my family and our neighbors.

I can tell you now that father and I are were out to visit banks to get the loans to make the necessary changes in our circumstances. We were seeking monies to buy more dairy cows. We plan to move away from wheat growing into more milk and cheese production.

When I finished my banking (successful!) I went over to Whitestown. Spoke with several German old timers and went by the county courthouse to check the six federal census reports from Whitesboro. 

So I can tell Kevin that I couldn't find any of his Seckners in the region now or in the past sixty years. They may show up in the future, but perhaps with some more information on who his great grandfather and grandfather were and where they were in the past 50 years, we might have many stories to share.

Most of the talk in the cities is focused on the presidential election in a few months. President Polk is really going to retire and not seek reelection. The old man did as promised. Just four months ago he signed the treaty with Mexico that brought us Texas and the areas they called California and New Mexico. 

My family will continue to throw our support behind the Democrat party. I'll be helping the local efforts later in the fall after the hay is in. 

More on the later.

Your Exhausted Correspondent,

Chauncey Sherman Seckner