I've "rescued" an old family letter written by John LONGSTAFF in 1858 from Beaver Dam. The letter was sent to his brother and sister and reads as follows: Beaver Dam, May 25th 1858 Dear Brother & Sister I hope you are all enjoying good health as we are at present. I hope you have not got as much wet weather as we have, it has rained I believe every day or night for the last 3 or 4 weeks with the exception of two days and nights and it is raining very hard today. I have got 3 gardens to make besides my own. I was spading in our garden the other day and dug up a part of a buck’s horn petrified and a shin bone as hard as stone. Well every thing is very cheap at present but very little money to buy with. Butter 12 œ lb., Eggs 6 Œ, Potatoes from 0 to 25 cts., Flour $1.75 to $2.00 for 100, Cornmeal $1.00, Pork 10 cts. Lb., City Lots from $25. Carpenters is working for 75 cts. to 1.00. Store pay at that. I forget weather I answered your last letter or not, if not I hope you will excuse me. Mary is making Mush for supper. I am out every night yet we have not heard from Brooklin for some time. Julia says I must tell her Aunt Julia that she can stick her nose in her Mother’s Butter and that she has got her hair bobed off. Write soon if you pleas. Mary joins me in love to you all. John LONGSTAFF P.S. Sunday eve 6 Œ o’clock more rain every day all well at present Butter 10 lb. 30th May 1858 Based on limited research I believe that the letter may have been written by John LONGSTAFF b. 8 August 1814 of Canandaigua, NY the son of Robert LONGSTAFF and Jane SUDDICK who on the 26th of June 1844 married Mary WILLSON b. 20 Dec 1821 at Allamuchy, NJ the daughter of Joshua WILLSON and Charety DRAKE. The couple had 7 children including William Wood, Louisa Adelaide, Emma Elizabeth, Julia, Margaret J., Cornelia M., and Mary Willson LONGSTAFF all born in Allamuchy, NJ between 1845 and 1853. It appears that John died in 1885 and his wife Mary in 1898 at Macedon, NY. I believe the family was living in Macedon, NY when the 1880 census was completed including John listed as b. England, his wife Mary listed as b. in NJ, their son William then age 35 listed as b. in NY, and a 16 year old daughter Martha b. NY who may have been an 8th child born to the couple. I'm hoping to find someone from this family so that this wonderful old piece of family history can be returned to its rightful place with family. If you are a member of this family or know someone who might be, please contact me. Thanks, Shelley