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Conrad Pool
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Conrad Pool was born in 1795 in Frederick County, Maryland. He served as a private in the War of 1812 from 15 Sep 1812 to 21 Mar 1813 in Capt. Thomas Latta's Company (Russell's Battallion) of the Ohio Militia. He married Rachel Dewell 2 Sep 1817 in Jefferson County, Ohio. He purchased a 200 acre farm in Washington County, Ohio sometime afterward, then an additional 40 acres in 1843 near Marietta, Washington, Ohio. In 1858, he moved to Iowa, where he lived until his death in 1870.

Copy of letter Conrad Pool wrote after he reached Iowa

It was written to his son Isaac of Grandview, Washington County, Ohio. Isaac stayed in Ohio as did his sister, Sarah (Sally) Pool Minder.


April the 23, 1858

MR ISAAC POOL

I take my pen in my hand to inform you that we landed safe in Iowa and we was eight days on the steamboats and we are all well and Samuel and his family is all well and Peter Haught is all well at this time and Noah Slutts is at our house now and his family all well at this time and I will tell you, the Des Moines river is about six feet and it is rising yet. I will tell you you can get two or three good chances to work. You can get one dollar and half per day at a steam sawmill and the steamboats running up Des Moines river.

Now we are planting oats and the fall wheat is good here. It is about knee high and wheat is fifty cents per bushel and corn is twenty cents per bushel and oats is thirty cents per bushel and potatoes is 15 cents per bushel and bacon is seven cents a pound and "haint" bought no place yet, and we want you to send us an answer as soon as you get this.

No more at this time and remember your friends.

(Conrad's signature)