Letter from Elisha Ely to Nathan L. Miller

Elisha Ely wrote Nathan L. Miller of Bloomfield, Connecticut, that Just about 6 miles north of your lands the Holland settlement has commenced, there are now from 2100 to 2400 already there, + I have but little doubt that they will settle in south of their present location, + that will soon bring your lands into market. The lands that they have settled upon are cheifiy [sic] purchased from the United States at $1.25 per acres, myself + another own 240 acres on Section 4, Town. 3 N. R. 15 West, which we hold at two dollars an acre + which we expect to sell them at that price in the course of next season. This is helpful information about the size of the Holland Colony within the first year of the Dutch settlement by Rev. Albertus C. Van Raalte.https://digitalcommons.hope.edu/vrp_1840s/1163/thumbnail.jp

Letter from Elisha Ely to Nathan L. Miller

Elisha Ely wrote Nathan L. Miller, Esq., Bloomfield, Connecticut, giving a description of lands owned by Miller. Ely will pay the taxes for Miller when they are due. In a postscript, Ely wrote: Is it rather difficult to say anything satisfactory relative to the sale of the lands. I did suppose that there would be a fair probability of their being sold to the Hollanders, but they are inclining East instead of South as there is more Government land in that direction. Ely said that the Colony now numbers about 3200 people.https://digitalcommons.hope.edu/vrp_1840s/1181/thumbnail.jp