Submitted by Maxine Purdy
In May, 1852, Major Purdy went to St. Louis by stagecoach. Starting in the afternoon, he took supper at Marshall, Ill. The next morning they got to Greenup where they took breakfast. This was where the grading of the National Road stopped and rocks were placed along the road on the other side of Sugar Creek Bridge. Because the bridge belonged to the government, these rocks were never broken up and used to improve the road.
It took Major Purdy some 48 hours to go to St. Louis on that trip. The American bottomlands were simply terrific, and they were 25 miles wide.
At each stage stop, the drive dismounted from his high seat, walked around to the rear to open the boot. The local postmaster met each stage in the early days, receiving the mail pouches, taking from them what belonged to his office, replacing the rest, and adding whatever mail he might have for towns in the direction of the journey.
Many of these early postmasters carried their post office in their hat. They passed out letters and newspapers to their patrons as they might happen to meet them on the street, etc. Long list of uncalled for letters appeared with great regularity in the local newspapers.
Pg 300 Terre Haute Biographies
To Indianapolis by stage coach when it took 73 hours to go 72 miles. Along with Col. Edmunds, Tom Bourne and William J. Ball They were summoned before the federal Grand jury in March, 1851.
They took the stagecoach in Terre Haute at seven o'clock in the evening, and when they sun rose the next morning, they found temselves at the foot of Blake's Hill, hardly three miles from the city.
Continuing on they ate breakfast at Col. Hoskins' at Cloverland. During the day they got as far as Manhattan, near Greencastle, where they received their second relay of horses. The next night they came to Indianapolis. When they came before the grand jury, they were fined for being late. The judge sent for the driver who had the way bill and learning that it was not their fault in being late, he remitted the fines. The trip home took 63 hours.