Letters from unknown to Ann E. Tefft. The first letter shares news of the death of a neighbor, and describes a severe hail storm, a fabric shopping trip, and churning butter. The second letter describes buying lobster, news of friends and family, and the activities of a bee colony.
Letters from Mary Tefft and Sarah Underwood to Ann E. Tefft, expressing loneliness and sharing news of friends and family, including a story of gun fired into a home by an unknown shooter.
Letter from Sarah Underwood to Ann E. Tefft, August 29, 1858 describing a rat's attack on a chicken, garden vegetables, and the difficulty of finding female friends and the ratio of women to men in Iowa.
Letter from Sarah Underwood to Ann E. Teff describing the hot weather, having a neighbor help with housework, her collection of daguerreotypes; missing the ocean, and what plants grow in Iowa.
Letter from Sarah Underwood to Ann E. Tefft, November 2, 1856, describing her homesickness, houses and churches in her neighborhood, the location of the house they are building, damage to their trunks shipped from Rhode Island, "Indians" she saw in Chicago, and news of neighbors.
Letters from Sarah Underwood to Johnny and Ann E. Tefft, September 7, 1856 describing the contents of a box of fruit, tobacco, and bread sent to her brother, a remembrance gift for her sister, and her preparations to move to Iowa.
Letter from Sarah Underwood to Ann E. Tefft, August 1858 describing her finances, the workers hired to help with the harvest, how she misses lobsters and saltwater fish, and asking after the seeds she sent.
Letter from Sarah Underwood to her sisters Ann E. Tefft and Mae Tefft June 8, 1857 discussing her neighbors and describing potential suitors for her sisters. Sarah also requests fabric samples from her sisters' clothing.
Undated letter from Sarah Underwood to Ann E. Tefft, commenting on the sleigh riding she has been doing, and the pens, paper, and candy she is exchanging with her family through the mail.
Letters from Sarah Underwood to Ann E. Tefft and John Tefft describing the appeal of Iowa to others from the east coast, and sharing news of family and friends.
Letter from Sarah Underwood to her sister Ann E. Tefft, September 27, 1857 describing her reluctance to get to know her neighbors, her lack of familiarity with the English and Pennsylvania Dutch, news about a friend with a new baby, local plants, and requesting more letters from her family.
Letter from Sarah Underwood to her sister Ann E. Tefft, May 24 in which she compares steamboat and carriage travel, describes the plum trees in her yard, recounts catching a lark, and requests samples of fabric from her sisters' clothing.
Letters from Sarah Underwood to Ann E. Tefft and John Tefft, describing a flannel sack she is sewing for the baby, asking after news of friends and acquaintances, and describing the process of open cattle grazing after the harvest ends. She also describes the wolves in the area, and how she misses attending religious meetings in Rhode Island. The letters are accompanied by an explanatory note from an unknown author.
Letter from Sarah Underwood to Ann E. Tefft and Mae Tefft, June 7, 1858 describing flower picking on the prairie, raising prairie chickens, the rainy weather's effect on the unmaintained roads and the need to replant the corn.
Letter from Sarah Underwood to Ann E. Tefft reporting on the family's illnesses and injuries, hog butchering, and requesting news of friends in Rhode Island.
Letters regarding Lillian Underwood's marriage to John Northup. The letter from Lillian's Aunt Esther, March 21, 1885, expresses good wishes for her upcoming marriage. The letter from Julia E. Wells to Mary Lillian Underwood Northup, April 19, 1885 offers congratulations on Lillian's marriage.
Letter from Sarah Underwood to Ann E. Tefft, November 23, 1856, describing a visit to Davenport, progress in setting up her home, the death of a friend, news of her neighbors, nuts that grow in the area, and the election of James Buchanan.