Letter From Jeremiah Bonsall to his Father regarding his travels in Pennsylvania

Wilkes-Barre, PA, June 17, 1849. General wear. Letter folds. . A single-fold letter sheet detailing their departure from Philadelphia on the Steamer Trenton, before switching to a stage coach and traveling along the Delaware River. They continued traveling north at at this point, using various stage coaches over several days, and passed through Tacony, Easton, Bethlehem, Allentown, Stroudsburg, Harrison, and Pittston, until reaching the town of Wilkes-Barre. The letter ends with Jeremiah's future plans for travel, where he and his brother would next head south and see White Haven, PA, and Maunch Chunk Lake before heading back to Philadelphia. Single fold sheet of paper. Folded stampless post. Measures 9 1/2" x 7 1/2" .Below are some excerpts from the letter:"We left Phila [sic] in the Steamer Trenton accompanied by a good band of music as far as Tacony... took stage for Easton, 52 miles passing along the Delaware or near it all the way. The scenery is beautiful, much resembling that of the Hudson excepting the want of improvement observable on its banks.... rode to Bethlehem passing a very rich picturesque country with a vast quantity of grain both cut & uncut in all directions. At B. we visited the graveyard, sisters house & church. From the steeple of which we obtained a good view of the country... we left for Stroudsburg, 4 miles distant in a carriage furnished by our landlord... this morning on walking through the place we came across Jesse Williams who is spending some time here... passed over the worst roads (almost if not quite) any of us had ever seen. Houses some miles apart & back on each side none at all for 8 to 12 miles for a distance of 25 miles the woods was almost unbroken."

A letter from Jeremiah to his father, Edward Horne Bonsall (1794-1879), a prominent Philadelphian business man and Quaker, detailing his journey across Pennsylvania. Jeremiah was traveling with his older brother, Spencer Bonsall (1816-1888), from Philadelphia to Wilkes-Barre, PA in June of 1849. It is unclear what the purpose of the trip was, as it could have been for either business or pleasure. Edward, Jeremiah's father, was the founder and president of the Germantown Railroad, otherwise known as the Germantown and Norristown Railroad, which was the first railroad to be built in Philadelphia in 1832. He also had an extensive real estate and conveyance business. Jeremiah was at the time of this correspondence working as a conveyancer for his father, while his brother, Spencer, worked as a land surveyor. As such he most likely was traveling for business, and indeed there are mentions of meeting a landlord and "walking through the place".