Quarto bifolium (ca. 25,5x20,5 cm or 10 x 7 ¾ in). 3 pp. Brown ink on creamy wove paper; addressed, docketed and with a postal stamp on verso of the second leaf. Foldmarks and creases, occasional staining, second leaf with a repaired tear on a fold and a hole after opening slightly affecting the text, but overall a very good letter.

An interesting early original autograph letter, written days before the incorporation of the Territory of Iowa (July 4, 1838 – December 28, 1846) in the newly founded town of Bloomington on the west bank of the Mississippi River. The town was incorporated as Bloomington in 1839 and renamed Muscatine in the 1840s to avoid mail delivery confusion. The author was “Samuel Breese, one of the original proprietors of Muscatine. Every lawyer, law student and real estate agent doing business in our County Recorder’s Office has labored under the impression for no inconsiderable period of his life that what Breese & Higginbotham didn’t own of this town wasn’t worth mentioning, the partner <…> being the late Mr. Niles Higginbotham. Besides appropriating so much of the territory around here, the firm kept a grocery down under the bluff below the freight house, back in 1835 or 36” (Local Department// Muscatine Daily Journal. 16 June 1883, p. 2).

Writing to his friend and possibly a brother-in-law, “Mr. Joseph Roby, Brockport, Orleans County, New York,” Breese talks about Bloomington’s climate and advantageous location on the Mississippi River bend, prices for real estate and recent sales of land plots, results of the latest census, recent intelligence “of the division of the Tarritory” (the Territory of Wisconsin, 1836-1848), mentiones his business partner “Niles” (Higginbotham) and contemplates about which town will become the seat of territorial government. Overall a historically significant original letter adding to the history of the early years of the city of Muscatine and the Territory of Iowa.

Excerpts from the letter:
“I am all alone here in this out of the way place and any intelligence from the East is I can assure you is highly acceptable. <…> We <…> have gone to work planting corn and have come to the conclusion that we must earn our living by the sweat of the brow. There has been a great deal of corn & other crops put in this season and it looks well or rather that part […?] vegetation looks well. Seed has been bad and there has ben a long spell of dry weather which has been of great injury to all crops. This country now appears to the greatest possible advantage and is truly delightful. The weather this spring has been pretty much the same here as with you though I believe we had no late frosts. I must coppy [sic!] from memorandum from the back of my account books:

River fit for navigation March 20. March 24 willow trees show signs of vegetation. March 25 first steamboat. <…> Ap. 27. Wild plum trees in blom. <…> Apl. 29 strawberries in blossom. June 18 strawberries in all their glory. June 25 cucumbers, potatoes, melons in blom., string beans fit to eat, beets 1 to 1 ½ inch diameter, corn 2 feet high, wheat headed out some time, strawberries dead ripe, will be gone in a few days. To this time we have had 108 steam boats from St. Louis, but business is called dull on the river and freight & passage very low <…>

After Dr. Smith left here he wrote back to me and I copy part of his letter which may interest you: ‘The western shore of the Miss. above Bloomington now appeared a better advantage <…> the width of the bottom land is there and the shape of the bluffs is seen the whole distance. Gordon’s farm is very fine but not to be compared in my opinion to several locations above here. [Monhonn?] has one of the best. I cannot so much admire [Nurdget’s] place, he has sold one half for $400 and like as much for the remainder as he offered to take for the whole last fall. [Richie’s?] place a mile below [Nurget’s?] and a mile below […?] and one of the best on the river has been bought by [Viele?] who owns other claims behind it for $800. This is one that Mr. Roby admired and I believe at that price is a great bargain. Mr. Campbell asks $3000 for his claim. Clark has one adjoining Buffalo which he offers for $1000. <…> Beautiful & rich place which 20 acres <…> I <…> believe the time is not far distant when these lands will bring them 50 dollars per acre and the valley from Pine to Davenport cannot be compared in beauty of location and advantage by any other in the country’ <…>.

Niles has not returned and I presume having not much business to attend to and a horse to ride will be able to attend to your Rock River business; under this supposition I have concluded that I ought not pursue to any thing about it or not until I hear from him. <…>

We have just received the intelligence of the division of the Tarritory which [acts?] great satisfaction to all here. I cannot but hope but that some way or the other it will be a particular advantage to us here. This is certainly the most proper place for the seat of government provided it is anywhere on the river and for some years it ought to be on the river but the Burlington people are strong in number and influence and possibly can retain it. We have lately had a census […?] by which it appears we on the west side of the Mississippi outnumbered those on the east side by some thousand. The particulars I am not able to give you not having see them myself. Muscatin Co. has 1244 but has increased greatly since from Emigration which has been great not only to this section but to the whole Tary. Last season about […?] only five or six families now there are 60 or 70 and it is […] other neighborhoods. <…>”