The Cowboy was Albert E. Dunn, and the young woman was Loretto L. McCann, a School Teacher from North Dakota. She was visiting her brother, Joe McCann, who was also a rider for the CK and living on his claim on Prairie Elk with his wife Alma.  Loretto stayed in Montana a month, during which time Al visited Joe’s home frequently.

            When Loretto returned to North Dakota, Al took her to the train in Oswego by either horse-drawn buggy or on horseback, crossing the river in a row boat. At the parting, the Cowboy asked the School Teacher if he could write to her, and she answered, “If you want to, I guess it would be all right.” Did he want to?!!

            The letters never stopped. Whenever they were apart, for any reason for the next 32 years, he wrote to her. Through six child births in various towns, surgery in Rochester, Minnesota, her Mother’s funeral in North Dakota, his class reunion in Rhode Island, his County Commissioners’ meetings in Circle, etc., he wrote to her, starting each letter with terms of endearment: “My darling little girl,” “My dearest girl,” “Dearest girl in all the world,” “My own Darling girl,” “My Darling Baby girl,” “My own Darling Sunshine,” “My Darling Wife,” “My beautiful girl with the Sapphire eyes.”

            After she returned to North Dakota, he wrote, “I’ll never forget how you looked boarding the train. It’s going to be a long lonesome winter.” He had fallen in love with her the minute he saw her and his love never faded over all their years together. He won her love through beautiful, persistent, love letters. Al’s longing for a wife and family, and the reason for the “big house”, was beginning to come true.