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This collection contains letters that Joshua Cowell wrote to his wife Mary in Meridian, New York, while working in Colorado and Wyoming, as well as additional correspondence to Joshua and Mary Cowell.

This collection contains 6 letters related to Joshua and Mary Cowell of Meridian, New York. William Cowell, Joshua's brother, wrote a letter to the Cowell family with family news from his home in Denver, Colorado, on February 26, 1867. The next 4 letters, from Joshua to Mary Cowell, pertain to Joshua's work in Cheyenne, Wyoming, and Denver, Colorado, from September 6, [1867]-March 28, 1869. He discussed the rough nature of Cheyenne's residents, casualties after a recent gunfight, and differences between Cheyenne and Denver, particularly regarding the availability of lodgings and board. He also reported on a failed meeting between whites and Native Americans and described his life and finances in Denver. The final item is an undated letter to the Cowell family from Martha Wilson in Denver, Colorado, with news of local acquaintances and of the town's recent growth, exemplified by the founding of a newspaper and plans to construct a hotel.