This is a "Saving" place for pre-1900 documents or pre-1950 photos of Bucklin history. Don't you want to preserve for others a few treasured documents or photos?

We have a  documentary depository for photos taken before 1950, including photographs of:

We also have a document depository to preserve items that exist in written form, including:

Submit your photos or documents in electronic format.  How to do it. 

At the Society we accept Bucklin family documents dated before 1900, and save them in electronic format.  We include some of them with special historical value on this site, so that historians can find them. We do not post all the documents, or even attempt at this time to list them all in our website.  But when an inquiry is made we try to locate relevant documents to respond to an inquiry.  Please send us your Bucklin family documents that are dated before 1900. As we have time or volunteers, we will store them in electronic format, and catalog them.

The above example is a speech written by the Civil War Bucklin who won the Medal of Honor.  What he had to say would probably be lost except for a submission of an electronic scan of his speech to the Joseph Bucklin Society.

For another example, we made an electronic scan of a much faded letter, written entirely in verse, as a poem, written in 1854, that describes the hardships and deaths on the frontier.   Potions of this old letter are unreadable where it had been folded or water-stained through the years.  Past generations used "Scotch tape" to repair and caused more deterioration.  (Never use tape on an  historical document!!!!).  We were able to preserve it "as is" for future generations by making an electronic copy. 

This is a human interest portion of history, recorded in a letter in verse sent by one sister pioneering in Minnesota to her sister "back East." It is a remarkable glimpse into the life of a Minnesota pioneer woman who arrived in Minnesota on a covered wagon from Indiana, where she had left her sister.  [Ed. Note: We have inserted, in brackets, guesses at the words that are unreadable. ]

After you have read the following letter, written in verse,  think what you may want to contribute to our photo depository or document depository.

May 3rd [Ed. Note: Based on the events described, we estimate the year of writing to be 1854.]

I have sat down Lavina to write you a letter My Ink is quite poor and my pen is no better But if you are [anxious] to hear of the news My pen and bad writing perhaps you'le excuse

We are all well and nothing remains But to think of our [losses] or count our small gains Now since I've commenced my letter in verse I'le finish it through for better or worse

The spring so long absent is coming again Enriching the earth with its showers of rain The green grass so tender for cattle to eat Like a rich velvet carpet lay at your feet

And the broad rolling prairie that a few weeks ago Was hidden from sight neat a mantle of snow Presents to your vision and ocean of green That Surpasses in beauty a Michigan scene

I think there will nothing our prairie [can surpass] [Such] beautiful flowers just peeping through grass Oh think not that beauty is [ ? ] in the [West ] When each cliff and tree in a green robe is [dressed]

Majestic rocks [span] the broad river And seem leaving earth to reach the blue skies Such crags and cliffs all thrown up so rude Where the bird of our country alone dare intrude

The plumb and the crabapple too are in bloom Each filling the air with a pleasant perfume And the strawberry vine with its blossom so white Promises fruit if it meets with no blight

The prospect of apples is bad I confess But I think there'le be more before there is less Though apples are missing we have other good fruit And a plenty of pumpkins and squashes to boot

The prospect of grain is very good here I think that the farmers will be well paid this year But that your garden has beat mine is all understood for since mine is a failure yours has proved good

George started in April to look for a claim [Alby ] not being ready he had to remain He found one that suited his taste very well And thought the rest would like it but he could not tell

[Alby] has been since to look at the same And if nothing prevents he will take him a claim There is not prairie and timber too But plenty of meadow and for stock it will do

The land it is rich and light is the breaking And a number of farms already are making A few weeks ago George went back again And took father with him to stay on the claim

Father has taken a claim and a house he will make In a beautiful place on the bank of a lake I think he'le be happy with the lake at his door for he can hunt by the moonlight or ply the rough ore

60 miles from here it is not very far On the north fork of the Crow is the place where they are [Norman's] not been to look at it yet But say if he likes it a place he will get

Next Wednesday I think [ ? ] and [Norman] will go To bring father back and then he will know And if he should like it why then that is all We'le make preparations for moving this fall

Now Lovina and Jake will you come and go too? And not stay in Michigan to live your life through Yet if you come here you will not escape For sickness and death will you over take

But come to this country it may prolong your days So leave behind Michigan and come rite away Ways is the word the Hoosier would say But if you do not like ways you can have it your way

I'le finish my scribling now before long for I am almost as you see at the end of my song Now Lovina kiss Charly and Alice for me I was just going to say Jake but he may go free

But I'le send my love to you and the friends where you are And Jacob of course will [count] in for a share

Now I would like to hear from the prairie folks all And more than that like to give them a call

If you do not like verses you can tell me the same And I'le write you in prose when I write again And do not get mad cause my paper is torn for since Ive no other the luck must be borne

But when I write again I will have a descent sheet And perhaps I'le surprise you I will do it up so neat I think I test your patience some but a little longer wait And I'le finish up my letter because its getting late

[ Keziah's] well at present her children are like wise And she' s always with a needle or [ ? ] or making pies She says she would like to see you and I [know ] that it is true for she very often tells me she would like to be with you

If I tell you I am lazy you will not say well done for you'le know that is a habit not easy overcome Now Ive written you a letter twil take an hour to trace thru And if you'le write me one as lengthy I'le be much obliged to you

Rebecca