History: Family: Wolfgang Family letters, 1870's: Shannondale, Clarion Co, PA

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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