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For nearly all of the people buried at Westnedge Park, the search for archival traces of their lives is the proverbial search for the needle in a haystack.
When John B. Stimpson died, his estate went through probate, but unlike many of the others, it contained no inventory of household goods. For this reason, he did not appear to be a great candidate for student research. Then, two months after completing an initial round of edits on this website, an 1848 letter appeared on eBay. It was from John B. Stimpson in Kalamazoo to John Shillaber, Esq. of Dixon, Illinois. Not knowing the final destination of this letter, and for the sake of documentation, we are including a transcript of the letter here. This chance discovery is, by chance, one of the few known handwritten sources by someone buried in Westnedge park.
Kalamazoo, Oct 23, 1848
Dear Sir
James Nottingham of Wisconsin wrote me a letter the 21st of Sept in which yours of the 11th was inclosed. I see you wish him to write me & would like to see me, as I supose if by chance we should meet or if convenient, Nottingham came here satterday 14th stade with us over sunday & left here mond evening on the western train of cars for home. he thinks you would like to have me come to your place. I should like very much to go if I was able but it being difficult for me without borrowing money for my expenses, as my surcumstances are low. I have been thinking of it sense he was here. if you could afford to pay my expenses & put it against my time which could not be less than two weeks, if so I could borrow if I could have a prospect of having it to replace on my return. & sir if we should make a bargin that we might think proffitable to both of us I would be very willing to refund to you but if not I should want you to loos the expense & I would loos my time. I am ashamed to ask this of a stranger but I am poor. I was born in Redding Middlesex Co. Mass & lived there untill I was 15 years of age from there my father moved to the western part of N. York & I have been in Michigan sense thirty four. [Page 2] I can bring a letter of recommendation & sir if there is any man in this place that you are acquainted please mention his name & if he is not acquainted with me, I will satisfy him if he may be much acquainted in Kalamazoo if this should meet your approbation, please write me as soon as convenient on a count of it being so late in the fall, if navigation should close, it would make double time & expenses.
Yours Truly
John B. Stimpson
John Shillaber Esq.
of Dixon Ill.
[P.S] I can get as good mechanics as there is in this town to witness to how much of a mechanic I am, as to my skill of farming there is not anyone here as I have all ways worked at carpenter work pretty much sense living in Michigan.
Stimpson's letter, in form and content, reflects the type of person buried at Westnedge Park. He was an early settler in Michigan. He knew farming from his roots in Massachusetts and western New York, but worked as a mechanic in Kalamazoo. His education was limited and writing was coarse and phonetic. Born in 1814, he died on December 22, 1848, less than two months after writing this letter. He was about 34.
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