Five ALS written by Davis to his brother, Allen from Howard County, Indiana (March 3, 1852), where he and his wife Sally and their children stopped during their journey from Ohio; and from Toledo, Tama County, Iowa (February 13 and May 4, 1855, July 2, 1857, and March 20, 1858), where they settled. The letters contain descriptions of Davis's land purchases in Iowa; the cost of living; farming and making wood shingles from timber on his land; the building of railroads and other developments in Tama County; attending Quaker services; and American Indians living nearby. A letter dated March 23, 1862, written by John [Twain?] in Salt Creek, Iowa, to "Dear Brother and Sister" [Allen and Nancy Davis], contains news of the winter weather, livestock and produce prices, and the contributions of Iowans to the Union in the war.
