During a routine home renovation, a US homeowner made an extraordinary discovery that would connect him to a poignant piece of family history spanning a century and an ocean.
The Dust Settles on a Century-Old Secret
Curtis Smith, 47, and his wife Lisa purchased a two-bedroom property in Casper, Wyoming, in 2002. The house was originally constructed in 1917. It wasn't until 2011, nine years later, that they began renovating the bathroom and an adjacent hallway. The project involved demolishing a closet with walls made of traditional plaster and lath.
"After the dust settled from knocking out the plaster, we began the clean-up process," Smith recalled. It was then he spotted a distinctive blue piece of paper nestled amongst the rubble, leaning against the wall. He speculated it may have been intentionally placed as a time capsule or accidentally dropped during the original construction.
A Poignant Message from Ireland
The fragile document was a letter, postmarked September 1917 from Bantry, Ireland. It was addressed to a Mr. Con Shea at the very same Casper address where Smith now lived. The letter expressed gratitude from the writer for a present Shea had sent to his family back in Ireland, alongside news and updates from home.
"Dear Con, A few lines in answer to your very nice letter which I received a few days ago," the letter began. It continued, "I must thank you very much for the present you sent me... it was awfully nice of you to think to send it to me." The writer also mentioned family concerns and a desire for more photographs of Shea's baby.
The Search and a Tragic History
Thrilled by the find, Smith began researching the names online. He quickly found a Wikipedia page for Cornelius Patrick Shea, an Irish immigrant who had become a successful sheep herder in Wyoming. His research uncovered a tragic end for Shea and his wife, Mary. Shea was shot and killed following an argument with a fellow woolgrower in 1928. Mary died from a lingering illness just four months later, leaving their children orphaned.
Smith posted images of the letter on Flickr, hoping to learn more. For three years, the story seemed to have reached its conclusion. Then, in 2014, a relative of Con Shea made contact.
Reuniting an Heirloom with its Family
Laura O'Brien left a comment on the Flickr post, identifying herself as a relative and asking if she could obtain a copy or the original. After confirming the details Smith had found, he made a decision. "I did in fact send the letter to be with its family in December of 2014," Smith shared. "It just felt to me like that is where it belonged."
Although he never heard back from the family after sending the precious artefact, Smith feels a connection to the home's former resident. He occasionally visits the Shea family plot in town to pay his respects at the final resting place of Con and Mary Shea, forever linked to them by a slip of blue paper hidden for nearly 100 years.
