Series 2 - Michael Callahan letters

6pp

Kerby A. Miller created the transcripts from materials in the Michael Callahan and Family Papers, Minnesota Historical Society.

This series contains a typed transcript of the Michael Callahan letter, written by Callahan from St. Paul, Minnesota to his brother in New York in 1852. Also included is a donor's summary of the letter provided by the Minnesota Historical Society, and an transcribed excerpt of a letter written by Callahan's daughter regarding her father's 1852 letter.
Michael Callahan of County Cork had arrived at the Port of New York with a group of fellow immigrants, from Ireland about the year 1843. He, with some of these immigrants, among whom were his two brothers, Dennis and Cornelius, proceeded up the Hudson River to the Erle Canal and westward to Syracuse. There they worked in the salt mines. In 1819, Michael and his young wife, Mary Shea, left Syracuse to go farther west. His health had not been good and he hoped that the climate of Minnesota would restore it. His brothers had planned to leave Syracuse to come west, so Michael wrote to Dennis, describing this country and suggesting routed of travel. This letter was found in 1920, between the logs of the old house on the farm belonging to the descendants of Dennis just outside of the city of Syracuse, and was given to a daughter of Michael's who happened to be visiting.