Sally & WRG, When Sally wrote this about Henry Payson Whitney I was so excited. Then I realized that it had to have been a different Henry Payson Whitney, which boggles the mind. Why? Because HP Whitney and his wife Margaret Hall Bohanon had 8 children, the first 3 daughters all died as very young girls, the only son died at the age of 19, and the other 4 daughters were children when the family came from Alexander, Maine to Minnesota in 1872. Henry Payson and Joseph Mason Whitney were the only surviving children of John Whitney Jr and Abigail Foster, the others having died in childhood. Joseph was childless and lived a reclusive life, here in Minnesota, after the death of his wife. HP Whitney and his wife returned to Maine for a period of time in 1889, but this was after my great grandparents were married. It appears to care for a sister of Margaret's. The "cousins" that he mentioned had to be Bohanon children as there were no Whitney cousins. I was confused and the letter was written when he was here in Minnesota and Margaret and their children were still in Maine. The first names were written, 'Isa' Emma, Mary and Charlie. He mentions an "Uncle William" . But these were Bohanons. I have record of that. SO... this means that there was ANOTHER Henry Payson Whitney in the Portland, ME area. Anybody know anything about that? I would love to find a connection. BTW - Payson came from the maiden name of HP's grandmother Mary Payson, wife of John Whitney, Jr. Jo Hogle