Manuscripts Collection
Charles Marples was born in England in 1829. He married Hannah Jane Isley of Ray County, Missouri, in 1856. The couple farmed in Marples Township (later known as Minnesota Lake Township), in Faribault County. They later lived in Blue Springs, Nebraska, where Charles Marples died. Hannah Jane married to Nicholas Norris after Charles' death.
Photocopies and transcripts of letters (1857-1864, 1868) sent to Charles Marples and his wife Jane, then living in Faribault County, by her parents, Peter and Mary Isley, of Ray County, Missouri; letters (1865) from Charles while stationed at Fort Snelling; and an obituary (1931) of Jane Marples.
The Isley letters discuss farming, crop and livestock prices, the weather, difficult economic conditions, Peter Isley's health, and various family matters. Letters (1865) from Charles were written to his wife and children while he was stationed at Fort Snelling (Minn.) as a member of the 3rd Minnesota Infantry at the close of the Civil War, during which time he was apparently engaged in recruiting for the army. These letters contain Marples' instructions to his wife about the management of their farm, and also give some news about the war. There is a copy of a document signed by an officer of the 2nd Regiment of the Veteran Reserve Corps granting Marples a furlough (1865). There is information about Marples' military career, and an obituary (1931) of Jane Marples, who was later known as Hannah Jane Norris.
This collection is indexed under the following headings in the catalog of the Minnesota Historical Society. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons or places should
Accession number: 15,431
Processed by: David B. Peterson, June 1999
Catalog ID number: 0900321131