Welcome to my genealogy page, where I have transcribed lots of letters written by dead people

• Letters from Stephen Vaughn Shipman (b. 1825, d. 1905). SVS was an architect in Madison, WI, and in Chicago, IL. He stated the Civil War as a Captain in the Cavalry, and ended as a colonel (See his war record here). SVS had a daughter, Rose, who married a James Kennedy Anderson. Their daughter Achsah married E. W. Lindstrom, who is my grandfather. SVS was for a time the corresponding secretary for the Wisconsin State Historical Society, and he was a lifelong friend of Lyman C. Draper, the first President of the SHS. Mr. Draper was obviously a packrat -- he kept every letter sent to him, so there are some 70 letters from SVS in the archives of the SHS. They are transcribed below.

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  • The first letter written by SVS in 1860.
  • A letter from the field in 1862. SVS is also searching for information for Lyman C. Draper on early settlers of the western frontier -- that's why he is always talking to old people. Draper was researching a book (never written) on Daniel Boone, among others.
  • A letter written in 1865. Note that an old gunshot wound is troubling him -- it did for the rest of his life.
  • A letter written later in 1865.
  • A letter written in 1866. He is back in Madison.
  • A letter written in 1867. Note the mention of the Post Office and County Hospital, which SVS designed.
  • A letter written in early 1870. This was written about 1 month after his wife died.
  • A letter written in 1871 to his daughter Annie, right after the big fires up north.
  • A letter written in 1871. He has moved to Chicago and apparently is tying up lose ends in Madison.
  • A letter written in late 1871. Still seems really busy!
  • A letter written in early 1872.
  • A letter written in October 1872.
  • A letter written in 1873, containing a couple famous Madison names.
  • A letter written in 1873. Don't ask him for money!!
  • A letter written in 1874
  • A letter written in early 1875, discussing plans for a Gallery SVS designed for the SHS.
  • A letter written in July 1875.
  • A letter written in July 1875.
  • A letter written in July 1875.
  • A letter written in August 1875.
  • A letter written in October 1875.
  • A letter written in November 1875.
  • A letter written in February 1876.
  • A letter written in February 1876.
  • A letter written in February 1876. His Son Charlie is sick. Problems with a renter in Madison, too.
  • A letter written in February 1876. Seeking a new renter.
  • A letter written in February 1876.
  • A letter written in February 1876. His new renter has come calling.
  • A letter written in March 1876.
  • A letter written in April 1876.
  • A letter written in November 1876.
  • A letter written later in November 1876.
  • A letter written in February 1877.
  • A letter written later in February 1877.
  • A letter written in March 1877.
  • A letter written later in March 1877.
  • A letter written in April 1877.
  • A letter written in May 1877.
  • A letter written in August 1877.
  • A letter written in September 1877. He mentions his son Charlie and his daughter Rose in this one.
  • A letter written in March 1878.
  • A letter written in May 1878 to Col. Wm. F. Vilas, the postmaster of Madison.
  • A letter written in August 1878.
  • A letter written in September 1878.
  • A letter written later in September 1878.
  • A letter written in January 1879.
  • A letter written in April 1879.
  • A letter written in November 1879.
  • A letter written on Thanksgiving day, November 1879.
  • A letter written in March 1880.
  • A letter written in October 1880.
  • A letter written in December 1880.
  • A letter written in August 1881.
  • A letter written in October 1881.
  • A letter written in November 1881.
  • A letter written in December 1881.
  • A letter written later in December 1881.
  • A letter written in February 1883, asking about the painting.
  • A letter written in April 1883.
  • A letter written in July 1883.
  • A letter written in October 1883.
  • A letter written in January 1884.
  • A letter written in May 1884. The painting exchange has been arranged.
  • A letter written in November 1884.
  • A letter written in February 1885.
  • A letter written in 1885. Another failed attempt to borrow money from SVS! And the painting is still ready to be shipped!
  • A letter written in October 1885.
  • A letter written in December 1886.
  • A letter written in early 1888.
  • A letter written later in 1888. The painting gets mentioned again.
  • A letter written in 1890.
  • A letter written in 1891. Lyman Draper died later in 1891; this is the last letter from SVS to him.

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• A letter from H. B. Shipman of Marietta OH to a Dr. Shipman. This is on SVS's stationery, so it's logical to assume that the 'Dr Shipman' is Charlie Shipman, SVS's son who is mentioned above. I'm not sure how he so quickly became a doctor by 1878 when he just transferred to U. Chicago in 1877, but....
• Letters from E. W. Lindstrom (b. 1891, died 1948, he's my Dad's Dad). When this letter was written, he was living in Paris and traveling through Europe to universities where he would hear proposals and give grants from the Rockefeller Foundation. As you might imagine, he was well-received wherever he went! Read the letter here.
• I also have at home about 100-200 letters from my Great-Aunt Jessica to my grandmother, Achsah Cornelia Anderson Lindstrom. Jessica worked in WWI in Paris, and she wrote frequently describing what was going on. But I haven't found time to transcribe all of them, for some odd reason.

Last updated 23 January 2004 by Scott.