A Fine Job Herding Sheep

My great-great-grandfather, Adolphus Vianatus Conaway, wrote this letter to his sister Phytama "Tamey" Conaway, after leaving his home in Knox Co., Ohio, at the age of 21. The letter is on two sheets of paper; both sides of each sheet are filled with writing. 

Note: Spelling has been corrected in the transcription below. 

The letter was addressed to:

Miss Tamey Conaway

Circleville, Ohio

In care of Reve. Mr. Calhoun

Envelope, torn open at the right edge

Ashgrove, Iroquois Co., Ill.

September 29, [18]62

Dear Sister,

I take my pen in hand to drop a line to let you know that I am well and have been ever since we started. I never felt better in my life. I have gained about fifteen pounds since I left Ohio. We reached here about the sixth of September. I got a letter from father yesterday. He said they was all well and says he is coming out to see me as soon as he gets his corn husked. I like this part of Illinois very well. They have such good water here and good land too. It is only a half mile to timber from my boarding place. I am boarding with Mr. McCray. We are going to move the sheep up to an area this week about fifteen miles from here. I have wrote to you twice since I have started I wrote to New Guilford. And to Utica. Oh Tama I was awful homesick but I have got over it. The frost killed the corn here in August. And we have had the hard frost since we got here. I have not got my clothes yet. I wrote about a week after before we got here and twice since we got here. Mr. Long got a letter from Mr. Connard. He said he had not heard from any of us since we started. And I have wrote four or five times since we started. I don't know what is the reason he does not get my letters. I do not know where to write to you but I will write to Circleville to Mr. Calhoun. You may write to Ashgrove post And I will have the letter forwarded on to wherever we go to. I have written about fifteen letters since I got here and have only got two. And you do not know how glad I was to hear from the old Buckeye state. Now Fanny I want you to write as soon as you get this letter. I would like to hear from you. I want you to tell me how Grandpop Horn’s folks are. I have wrote twice to grandpop, you three times and have got no answer. I wrote to Wash Houck and to Uncle Addam and to Mr. Connards folks and have not got any answer. I have a fine time herding sheep as it is easy work. I have a very good dog to help me. I will be glad if you sent them socks. I will pay for them. Do write soon. This is wrote in a hurry and so much noise. 

A. Conaway

First page of the letter

Walter Edward Sprott of Shrewsbury, England

About 30 years ago, my mother sent me several boxes of historical photo albums and loose photos and I became the official family archivist. We are fortunate to have photos from several lines - Henderson, Conaway, Sprott, and Baldwin. By far the largest portion of these photos belonged to my great-great-grandfather, Walter Edward Sprott, who was born in Shrewsbury, England, in 1855 to James Sprott, a solicitor, and his wife, Esther.

Walter Edward Sprott about 1876

Walter was the second of four sons and one daughter. He was a cricket-loving footballer, who attended Repton School and the Royal Agricultural College in Cirencester, making life-long friendships. In 1878, at the age of 23, he sailed for America, where he bought a ranch in Kansas and raised horses. After 16 years, he sold out, brought his wife and children to Porterville, California and became an orange grower and an organizer of the Tulare County Fruit Growers Exchange.

Walter's photo albums give a glimpse into his roots in England. The earliest album is 6 x 9 inches and is for storing carte de visites (CDVs), the palm-sized studio photos that became popular in the mid-1860s. This album has photos of Walter's parents, his siblings as children and teens, his cousins, and his friends.

Walter's aunt; brother George and sister Frances;
and cousin Walter Hatch

A second, much larger album is also filled with CDVs, mainly of Walter's college-age friends. Many pictures have a handwritten label, usually with the person's first and middle initials and last name.

In addition to the two early albums, my great-great-grandfather had a lovely collection of larger family photos, including this beautiful picture taken at Clive House (2 College Hill, Shrewsbury), where the family lived from about 1872 to 1881.

Standing: George Herbert(?), Walter Edward, James Henry(?), William Hugh(?)
Seated: James, Fred, Esther Frances, Esther
Taken about 1875

Then there's my great-great-grandfather's scrapbook. The first page shows a picture of his cricket team, taken shortly before he came to America.

1878
"One of my last cricket matches just before I sailed for America"
Walter is seated in the back row, fourth from the left.

I'll write more about the Sprott family in future posts.