Topics include the effects of Mary's father W. Power's (unnamed) action, advice to Craig to wait on enlisting, a request that Ella spend the winter with them, and the health of family members.
Topics include family illnesses, compaints about Brother Shepard's disinclination to help their mother, the death of Andrew's and Ruth's daughter, locals' plans to go to California for gold, farming activities, and local farm product prices.
Topics include the birth of his son Lemuel, the health of his wife Matilda, Shepard's family's health and activities, the weather and farming activities in Indiana.
Topics include their illnesses over the summer, the rich and inexpensive farm land in Indiana, the prices of stock and grains, and the travelling and work activities of family members.
Topics include the deaths of their mother and of Carseldana, the fortunes of brother Moses Shepard Colton, the marriage of Verona, and the birth of their son Carlos.
Topics include their plans to move to Illinois, the age of their one remaining son, the state of their farm and of Moses Shepard Colton's farm, the prices of crops and stock, and family members' health.
Topics include the health and activities of his household, the birth of Verona's girl, Evaline, the marriage of Lyman to Nancy Whistler, the state of his farm and that of Moses Shepard's and the death of their daughter 2 years previous.
Topics include Lemuel's plans to visit with Mary (Harvey?), his stable but poor health, and the cool summer and reduced crop yields of 1883 in Indiana.
Topics include Lemuel, Jr.'s recent illness, the effects of the wet summer, the prices of produce, crops, and stock, and the health and activities of various family members.
Topics include the death of his father Moses in 1868, the death of his sister Verona in 1872, his abuse as a boy at the hands of Enos Fletcher, his children and wife and their health, and the devestation in Kansas from the grasshoppers and the resulting famine and poverty affecting his family.
