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  • | Letter

    Letter from Samuel B. Reed to Wife and Family, September 18, 1864

    In this letter from September 18, 1864, Samuel Reed writes to his wife and family describing his inability to write sooner and his overall good health.

  • | Letter

    Letter from Samuel B. Reed to Wife and Family, September 19, 1867

    In this letter from September 19, 1867, Samuel Reed writes to his wife and family describing Colonel Silas Seymour's attempt to delay construction of the railroad, in order to "injure someone's reputation." Reed states that he has written to the directors in New York City in support of General Grenville Dodge, who is Col. Seymour's target.

  • | Letter

    Letter from Samuel B. Reed to Wife and Family, September 22, 1867

    In this letter from September 22, 1867, Samuel Reed writes to his wife and family describing his desire to resign his position and return home to Chicago. He is sick of the "wild life" and "untold dangers seen and unseen."

  • | Letter

    Letter from Samuel B. Reed to Wife and Family, September 23, 1866

    In this letter from September 23, 1866, Samuel Reed writes to his wife and family describing an upcoming visit by Thomas C. Durant, Vice-President of the Union Pacific Railroad. Reed also notes that he plans to go west soon and will be gone for most of the week, which he hopes will be his last trip for the season.

  • | Letter

    Letter from Samuel Lincoln to George P. Cather, September 28, 1901

    On September 28, 1901, Samuel Lincoln writes to George P. Cather proposing a buyout of a quarter section of Lincoln's land in Thomas County, Kansas. After assuring Cather that he is not another "land shark", Lincoln also offers to buy Cather's adjoining land if Cather is not interested in buying his. Lincoln feels that he cannot successfully sell or rent such a small parcel of land and that it would be more valuable combined with another holding. The 160 acres of land that originally drew settlers to railroad land as a great opportunity now appeared too small a portion to be of any value on its own.

  • | Letter

    Letter from Sarah Sim to Electa, October 12, 1856

    In this letter from October 12, 1856, Sarah Sim writes to her sister, Electa, and details her family's small home and the favorable land they have purchased. Though she describes the roads in southeast Nebraska as "first rate", she notes her disappointment in not yet receiving any mail or the remainder of her family's possessions. She remarks that the country is "filling up very fast" and that most of their neighbors are "eastern people".

  • | Letter

    Letter from Sarah Sim to Mother and Harriet, July 11, 1858

    In this July 11, 1858 letter from Sarah Sim to her mother and sister, Sarah describes the summer heat, her children's participation in school and church, and the behavior and appearance of her new daughter. She also mentions the continuing settlement of their part of Nebraska, the lack of a railroad, and the relatively small number of her neighbors leaving for Pikes Peak. Part of this letter is damaged.

  • | Letter

    Letter from Sarah Sim to Mother, July 15, 1858

    In this July 15, 1858 letter to her mother, Sarah Sim writes of the new Sabbath School library (containing 100 volumes), her triumphs and failures in gardening, and the developments in Otoe, Nebraska, which include a school, regular preaching, and a printing press. She inquires after the activities of various female relatives who are teaching, attending school, and, in one case, enjoying a somewhat unconventional lifestyle selling sewing machines in Cincinnati.

  • | Letter

    Letter from Sarah Sim to Mother, March 25, 1867

    In this March 25, 1867 letter, Sarah Sim tells her mother of Nebraska's recent attainment of statehood and of the expansion of the railroad across Nebraska. She reports that there is over 300 miles of railroad in Nebraska west of Omaha, and predicts easy access to any part of the country within a year.

  • | Letter

    Letter from Sarah Sim to Our Folks at Home, January 1, 1860

    This January 1, 1860 letter from Sarah Sim to her parents describes her loneliness, the cold winter weather, and the current lack of a school for area children. She closes the letter with news of a railroad being built that will pass within three or four miles of their home, and she expresses hope that it will enable her to more easily return home for a visit.

  • | Letter

    Letter from Sarah Sim to Sister, October 29, 1863

    IIn her October 29, 1863 letter to her sister, Sarah Sim describes the deaths of her daughters, Helen and Mary, from diphtheria. She also mentions the recent birth of another son, and her struggles to maintain her own health while watching three sons under the age of three. With her childcare burdens, she fears that she will not be able to return to the East for a winter visit.

  • | Letter

    Letter from Sarah Sim to Wealthy Hathaway, November 16, 1856

    In this November 16, 1856 letter to her sister, Wealthy Hathaway, Sarah Sim gives the details of her new home, the land, and the health of her family. She mentions that though the land is filling quickly, there is still no church or school in her area, and that Indians lived on their land as recently as the past winter. She ends by expressing her thankfulness for several newspapers sent to her and the receipt of the rest of her long-delayed possessions.

  • | Letter

    Letter from station/road masters to Adna Anderson, October 16, 1864

    Labor bosses ask Adna Anderson to pressure the Quarter Master to approve the sale of winter clothing to contrabands.

  • Letter from Thomas M. Isett & William C. Brewster to Samuel B. Reed, October 26, 1860

    In this letter from October 26, 1860, Thomas M. Isett and William C. Brewster write to Samuel Reed requesting that he travel to see to the possible sale of their land near Oskaloosa, Iowa to the Mahaska County Railroad Company. They note that "it is very important to have the station ground laid out to suit our land with a view of other Rail Roads," and believe Reed is the man to go as he knows "more about these things than we do."

  • | Letter

    Letter from Thomas M. Isett and William C. Brewster to Samuel B. Reed, August 20, 1860

    In this letter from August 20, 1860, Thomas M. Isett and William C. Brewster write to Samuel Reed seeking his opinion of a business proposition made to them by the Keokuk and Des Moines Valley Railroad.

  • | Letter

    Letter from W. P. Smith to J. W. Garrett, August 8, 1862

    The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad's Master of Transportation, W. P. Smith, writes to the firm's president of the "rough" removal of a nurse from a B and O train.

  • | Letter

    Letter from W. W. McCafferty to F. P. Lord, November 19, 1863

    McCafferty notes damage done to Engine Rapidan by contrabands.

  • | Letter

    Letter from W. W. McCafferty to J. H. Devereaux, January 29, 1864

    An inquiry about re-hiring a blacksmith for the military railroad.

  • | Letter

    Letter from Wealthy A. Hathaway to Husband, April 17, 1880

    In this April 17, 1880 letter, Wealthy Hathaway writes to her husband about her Aunt Sarah's final days and the settling of her affairs. She proposes several scenarios for different relatives visiting and staying with the Sim family, and leaves the date of her return up to her husband.

  • | Letter

    Letter from Willard Grant to George P. Cather, undated

    In this letter, Willard Grant asks George P. Cather numerous questions about life in Nebraska, including the method for constructing a good sod house, the possibility of raising fruit, the availability of water and timber, and the opportunities for additional work as a mason.