History: Family: Wolfgang Family letters, 1870's: Shannondale, Clarion Co, PA Contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Doris Rizza djrizz@westol.com USGENWEB ARCHIVES OTICE: Printing this file within by non-commercial individuals and libraries is encouraged, as long as all notices and submitter information is included. Any other use, including copying files to other sites requires permission from the submitters PRIOR to uploading to any other sites. We encourage links to the state and county table of contents. Six letters sent to Jacob Wolfgang, dated in the 1870's, who at the time lived in Kansas but originally came from Clarion County, PA. One letter was sent by his sister, Catharine Wolfgang Lucas, two from Henry Hime, one from a brother, Michael Wolfgang, one from an unknown brother, and one from a nephew. The copies of these letters were given to me by Dorothy Reed from Oregon, who is a GGGrandaughter of Jacob Wolfgang. I tried to copy them word for word the way I received them. They give wonderful insight into the everyday lives of our ancestors. LETTER #1 This letter was written to Jacob Wolfgang in Marshall Co. Kansas, from his sister Catharine Wolfgang Lucas, wife of John Lucas, daughter of John Deiter Wolfgang Sr. of Clarion Co. PA Shannondale Dec 2 1870 Dear brother i now take my pen in hand to let you know that we received your letter and was glad to hear from you and it reached us in good health. you stated in your letter that you wanted to know what kind of weather we have out here we have lots of mud and we have had some snow already you stated in your letter that we could get eighty Acres of land for eighteen dolars and we would like to come out (letter torn off) we don't feel our selves able to come. I thought kind of hard of your two oldest girls that they went to see all the rest of their friends and didn't come to see me at all but i was glad that you came to see me before you left and that you wrote me a letter to let me hear from you once more i will also let you know that Jacob Grubers woman is dead and burried she died of diptheria (torn off) that i have told you all the news that i can think of for this time so i will close by hoping to hear from you before long answer this letter as soon as you get it and let us know how you are getting along so no more at present but remains your affectionate sister until death Catharine Lucas LETTER #2: Envelope addressed to Mr. Jacob Wolfgang, Frankfort PO Marshall Co. Kansas. Dated Jan 30, 1871 Shannondale January 27 1871 My Dear Brother i now seat my self to answer your kind and welcome letter which i received from you and i was glad to hear from you and i let you know that we are all well at present time and i hope that these few lines may find you in the same state of good health and i let you know that we have lotts of snow here now and we had some cold and rough weather here this winter all ready and i want you to let me know whether you have any coal there are not and let me know how the water is out there and i let you know that i halve sold out where i live and i want to move over to little sandy till the first of April and i let you know how much i got for my too places i got nineteen hounder dollars for my too lotts and i bout one hounder and twenty acres for eighteen houndred dollars thet place i bought lays one mile on this side on Mckinstreys in Jefferson County pa i guess i have to bring my letter to a close for this time i haint very much to write for this time your must excuse my poor scribbing and if you cant read it bring it to me and i read it for you and so no more for this time By saying goodby to my Dear Brother from Michael Wolfgang Direct to shannondale Claron County pa write soon and dont de lay LETTER #3: (To Jacob Wolfgang) Dear friend it is with Pleasure that I now take to nform you that we are all well at the present time and I hope thies fiew lines will find you enjoying the same Great blessing we have had a very dry season this Summer very little rain we've had this summer But today it began to rain Which is very favorable hay is very scarce and oats & corn is not very plenty but wheat was a pretty good crop the folk around here all considerable well Some are getting married and some Die Delila got married in this month and Catharine died in August I suppose you have heard that your Brother Michael Died this Summer and yet we have pretty good times here the paddies are working on the Rail Road just as fast as they can We expect to have a Rail Road along the Redbank till a year ater this they are wirking very fast on it we heard there was a great fire in the west that has destroyed a great deal of property and I wish you would let me know wheather it injured you any and I would like to know how you are getting along where you are wheather you like it better there than you did here and I would like to know to wheather you got the other letter that I wrote to you or not we would like to know if you are all living yet or not wheather your Boy is Big enough to chop wood yet for to warm himself this winter I would like if you would write to me at least every three month I will answer you every one if you just write them for I am very fond to hear from friends so fare Away and let me know whether you have sowed a fall crop and how your corn and potatoes turned out and tell me wheather you have got your Squirrel yet we have got a Gray Pet squirrel and it is very tame cattle is very cheap here now A man can purchase cows from ten to fifteen Dollars and perhaps less yet in a months hay is thirty five Dollars a ton and Straw is 25 cts a Bundle oats 80 cts Rye $1.25 cts a bushel potatos $.100 Doll and not to bee had then they are a very scarce article this fall So I'll close for this time and Remain you friend until death Yours Truly Henry Hime Write Soon & C For Jacob Wolfgang LETTER #4: NOTE: Written on envelope--Pacher, Pa Jacob Wolfgang Frankfort, Marshall Co. Kansas Shannondale May 18 1872 Dear Brother Jacob Dear sir I inform you that we are all well and hope that thes few lines may find you all well and further I let you know that my son lewis is dead and left one child and a very young widow mourning after him Solomon is maried to mala Sours and Amos is maried the four boys is maried now and about the weather it was very dry last Sumer and that has made hard times here the feed is very scarce this spring the hay is worth 35 dol a ton and straw is worth 25 dol a ton and oats is .85 cents a bushel and very scarce at that the rye is 10 per bushel and flour is worth 12 Dol per bbl the weather is very Dry her nown There is all aperence for another Dry sumer if we get another Dry simer like we had last sumer thare will be hard times in Pennsylvania i never seen such a Dry times in my life this time of the year and such poor prospect forr any rain now Jacob I want you to tell me all the pertacklars about the water I am anxious to know wether you got water in you wel or not there is a rail road coming up the crick there are working on it now they wont to......(rest of letter lost) LETTER 5: Shannondale May the 30 A.D. 1872 Dear Friend I seat my self this morning to drop you a few lines to let you know that we are all well at present and I hope thies few lines will find you in the same state of health I let you know that I Received your letter and was glad to hear from you we had a pleasant shower of rain this morning for we need plenty of rain for to make the little bit of wheat Grow that is left of the hard winters friezing the Grain in very poor Here this Spring I would like to know how th spring is out with you anbd how the winter Grain is Going to turn out for flourer is pretty high here now I let you know that Lewis wolfgang died this months he was buried on Asention day tomorow is his vandue hehad th tifoid fever and the rest of the friends are well as far as I know at present I have not much to write to you this time I will try and do Better the nex time so no more at present But I Remain Yours Truly Henry Hime To Jacob Wolfgang Write soon LETTER #6 (Letter addressed to Jacob Wolfgang Frankfort Kansas) December 14th A.D. 1874 Dier oungle and aunt i will take my pen in hand...(faded)... that i am well at presen time and i hope that when these fiew lines will reach yew they will find yew in the same state of helth--now i will let yey know that it is weary cold here but we have no snow here yet--now i will let yew know a little a bowt he prises corn 30 and 40 cents per bushel wheat 125 cnts per bushel rye 110 cents per bushel potatoes 75 cents per bushel coffee 25 and 30 cents ber lb and the rest just a bowt as it was--i want yew to write soon and not de lay so long as yew dew when father rites he sent yew to letters sens yew roat and he hant...(faded)...it and now i want yew to write as soon as yew git this letter-- now i will let yew know that father and mother and all the rest of the family is well at presand time--now i want yew to tel mary to com and see moths baby and fetch it a dres for the ( ? ) now turn to the other side (of page) pork 7 and 8 cents per lb beaf 6 and 7 cents per lb butter 25 and 30 cents per lb eggs 20 cents per dowsin the times is weary dwl hear--now i will let yew know that we have Grange meating at Belleview same as yew have out there-- we youst to talk with our moth but now we dow out talking with pen and ink but i think yew had better com' and we would tak as we yous to and i want yew to let me know how hwnts is giting a long now i think i must bring my letter to a close for this time so write soon D.H.Wolfgang to Jacb Wolfgang now i will sent my best respecks to yew all Direct to Packers PA Jefferson Co. PA