The papers of the Albertson family consist of eleven letters, spanning twenty years (1856-1876). Charles Albertson is the primary correspondent, writing to his parents, siblings, and cousins. In December 1865, he was helping to set up telegraph lines in Boone, Iowa. His next letter, dated April 29, 1866, found him working in Algona, Iowa, and building a house. By September 1866, he had moved to Bannack City, Montana. From there he wrote of antelope herds, buffalo hunts, Indian raids, and his improving financial status.