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This letter from William Tasker's personal collection was written from Letter H in 1847, very early in Caribou town history.

The letter was written by Harvey Ormsby in his own hand. Ormsby was a mysterious character. Found in the 1840 census in Denmark, Maine, Ormsby came to Aroostook around 1842. The Hardison family history mentions that he was in the company of John Pike and stopped at the new home of Ivory Hardison in Letter H while Hardison was finishing up his house. Hardison hired the two men to help him finish the building.
 
Local historians mention that he settled in the new township a year or two later. He is listed as Henry Ormsby in the 1850 census in Letter H and he has a wife, Angeline. The census record indicates that he was born around 1804 in New York and his wife was twelve years his junior. He was present in 1847 when Letter H was organized and was elected to the School Committee. This is where the mystery begins. Some time after the 1850 census, Ormsby disappeared. Some said they saw him traveling on the road, but he was never seen again. His wife later presumed him dead and remarried. Where Ormsby went, nobody knows.

The letter transcribed below seems to show someone who holds himself as a man of higher standards than his neighbors (whom he throws under the bus in the letter to the land agent). The letter was mailed in Presque Isle and was addressed to the Honarable Levi Bradley, Land Agent, Bangor, Maine. The Bangor was crossed out and Augusta was written instead.

Letter H Aroostook River June 21 1847

Dear Sir, Last Spring I wrote you a letter and enclosed in the letter a certificate of Me (?) from Hall and Hardison in relation to a certain bridge. I also asked for some information in regard to obtaining a deed for two lots of my land. As I have received no answer, I have some fears that my letter was not received at the Land office, though I saw my letter safely mailed myself. The information sought is important to me, but it is more especially important to me, to know whether the certificate was received. As I am aware that you have many questions to answer and much tedious and perplexing business in the Land office, nothing but my extreme anxiety for the desired information, could induce me to trouble you at this time. The certificate in my former letter in regard to declaring on lot 73, stated 93 acres well cleared and laid down to grass, the other quarter of an acre contained a few cedar trees valuable for fencing which I did not wish to destroy so I let them stand, and what other cedar trees I found in clearing the piece, I piled up on the same quarter of an acre, to be used hereafter for fencing. I supposed as I was over cleared on the adjoining lot two or three times the amount, that I would answer just as well, but if it is necessary that the other quarter should be cleared in order to get my deed, I can very soon destroy what fencing timber I have upon it. The piece I cleared last year on lot 73, was extremely expensive to clear, yet I laid  it down to grass without getting any crop, (although it is good crop land) because the time allotted for laying down to grass in my land certificate exprired the first of last winter so that I had delayed seeding down until this spring so as to get a crop, I should have been behind my duty in seeding to grass. And now I am clearing on Lot 77, and as the time allotted for laying down to grass expires next fall, I shall again have to lose my crop by seeding the land next fall unless I can be allowed to wait until spring before I put on the grass seed. If there is any provision in law that will help my case in that respect, I hope you will let me know. My neighbors are not particular in these matters. I do not know of one that has come fully up to the conditions of their certificates as to time. Though I grant that their failure is no legal excuse for me, yet when others are allowed those priviledges. I think the difference between putting on grass seed the next fall or next spring, should not in justice deprive me from year to year of raising a crop of grain on my land. It was unfortunate for me that all my certificates were dated in the fall or winter, as is the case. I shall feel very uneasy until I hear from you and know whether you received my letter of last spring containing the certificate of Hall & Hardison.

Very Respectfully yours
Harvey Ormsby

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