Chase County Kansas Historical
Sketches
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Warren, John M Family A Letter From John M Warren of Cottonwood Falls, Chase County, Kansas dated August 29, 1880
Thursday, March 4, 2004
This following is a transcription by Candy Hayes Fischer of a letter, which is in the possession of Carol Schulam in Northport NY. Carol is the daughter of Jean Conklin and Michael Schulam Jr, the granddaughter of Leander Conklin and Florence Van Nostrand, and the great granddaughter of Benjamin Van Nostrand and Sarah C Warren. The letter was found in the attic of her home in a small suitcase among other old papers and photos.
This letter is three pages written front and back. Two pages are taped together by the edges and folded like a booklet. Each single sheet measures 5 inches by 8 inches.
In the following transcription, the original text is in italics and the comments are written in regular type.
Page 1
Cottonwood Falls Aug 29/1880
To Sarah C Van Nostrand
Northport Suffolk Co.
New York
Dear Sister: Since I wrote to you the other day I have collected the ages that I have of our relatives and send them to you now. I lack some of them and if you can get them for me please send them to me. I lost the book containing the ages last winter but found it again and have made a new book. It contains over 500 births of my relatives and acquaintances. The ages of our family are given according to fathers Record at Chris�s except James. I think the record makes him a year younger than I have it down.
The following words are written in blue ink over all of the above text, which is in black ink.
Dear Sister: I think I wrote to you in my last letter that I had hired out in the same school in which I taught last Spring for 8 months more at $35 a month. I will commence September 13th. During vacation I have been working on hay a few days and got my hands blistered but I feel better in health for it. I have been cutting corn lately. Chancey and I cut together and each take a half. We cut the shocks 14 hills square but do not bind them at all. We get 10 cents a shock. It has been very dry up to last week when it became wet weather. We got soaking wet on Friday while cutting corn. Corn will yield about 60 bushels shelled corn per acre. Uncle Lee�s family are well and send their love to you. Alvertus thinks some of going to Kansas City to work. He has a good offer there. His cousin Frank Simmons from Garnett Anderson Co. Kans. is here on a weeks visit. He is not as fat as he used to be. It is the first I have seen him in over 6 years. There are a great many New York people in Kansas and many here from Ulster Co. (Page 6)
Page 2
Father
William Warren Feb. 11, 1816
Wash�s family
Washington Warren January 3 1837
Julie � July 5 1840
George � August 8 1865
Hattie � November 4 1867
Eddie � July 17 1870
Christopher�s family
Christopher Warren May 8 1838
Sarah �
Louisa � December 31 1835
Richard � January 31 1869
Clara � April 10 1878
Brother
Henry J Warren January 1 1842
Mary�s family
Cornelius Cudney May 26 1846
Mary A � February 25 1845
Benjamin � November 5 1868
Ora � February 11 1870
Christopher " February 29 1871
Florence � March 14 1876
Page 3
Brother
Zenas Warren September 7 1847
Emma�s family
Wm. Wesley Carmen February 1 1846
Emma � June 29 1850
Martha � Jan. 7 1860
Lewis � August 29 1870
Joseph � July 26 1872
Adda � February 6 1874
Albert A � June 5 1877
Brother
John M Warren August 8 1855
Sarah�s family
Benjamin Van Nostrand July 4 1853
Sarah C � April 27 1857
Rosina � January 24 1879
Aunt Sylvia�s family
John C Dumond August 10 1798
Sylvia � January 8 1812
Joseph � October 9 1843
Jesse � August 17 1846
Lewis Huson November 9 1837
James G Huson February 20 1835
Page 4
Uncles
Zenas Warren November 20 1818
Philander � April 2 1821
Aunt Polly�s family
Samuel Hall April 16 1811
Mary (Polly) March 28 1823
George � August 2 1851
Uncle David�s family
Lana E � August 31 1828
Willis L � December 15 1867
Uncle Austin�s family
Austin J Warren August 12 1828
Sarah M � July 18 1851
Mary E Barton September 20 1855
Lewis E Warren August 31 1860
Abram � September 6 1874
Continued on Page 5.
Page 5
Aunt Elizabeth�s family
Levi T Simmons October 2 1829
Elizabeth � February 13 1830
Alvertus H April 19 1854
Lorinda � April 29 1857
Chancey R October 18 1864
Walter D � April 12 1867
Family marriages
Washington Warren November 8 1857
to
Juliet Oakley
Wm Wesley Carmen April 28 1867
to
Emma J Warren
Benjamin Van Nostrand
February 25 1878
to
Sarah C Warren
Other marriages
John C Dumond July 5 1840
to
Sylvia Huson
Levi T Simmons August 1 1851
to
Elizabeth Warren
David M Warren
December 9 1852
to
Lana E Rowe
Ara Barton
December 31 1874
to
Mary Emma Warren
Page 6
If you can get the ones I lack and send them to me I will take care that they are not lost again and be very much obliged to you too.
They are these:
Ida J Warren � Wash�s daughter.
Zenas� wife and children.
James� wife and children.
Christopher�s wife and boy Frank.
The marriages of Christopher, James, Mary and Zenas.
Send the dates of the births of anyone I am acquainted with that you can get for me. There are many of our cousins ages that I can not get and I suppose you can not get either. If there are any other ages that you think I have I will send them if I can upon application. �
From Bro. John.
The following words are written in black, blue and red ink over all of the above text, which is in black ink.
It is Sunday noon and Aunt Libbie is down stairs preparing for dinner. I am upstairs sitting by a table near an open window writing to you. Through the window I can see an orchard close by broad fields beyond and timber-fringed creek (Buck Creek) and bluffs in the distance. I can see about 4 miles. The sky overhead is very blue with broken clouds slowly sailing by. A slight breeze is stirring the leaves in the orchard and Nature is doing her best to make us happy today. Last night Uncle Lee shot a raccoon that was stealing chickens about midnight and we will have it for dinner today. I guess I must change the color of my ink or you will not be able to read the black ink. You must be sure and tell Zenas to write to me for I have not heard but very little about him and nothing about his family in over a year. Send me James� address and I will write to him. O how I wish you was all out West for it is the best place to get along anyway. Always plenty of work at fair wages. I will try red ink to see if it will not be better. Give my love to Ben and Rosina. What is Wilbur Wood doing? Tell him to come West. But never come out of money like I did. My love to you. My address will be the same all Winter. Describe your house and farm. We don�t call anything less than 40 acres a farm out here and most men have from 300 to 1000 acres and some have much more. Goodbye from your loving Brother, John M Warren, P.O. Box 144, Cottonwood Falls, Chase Co. Kans.
If you have questions about this letter, please contact Candy Hayes Fischer at cowsister@aol.com.