Have you used any AI (Artificial Intelligence) tools? If you are a regular reader of this blog or follow Randy Seaver’s Genea-Musings blog, then you are aware that some of us are having fun ‘playing’ with AI to learn how it can help with our genealogy research.
As a retired educator, I see the challenges teachers will face when students use these tools. While my knowledge of how to use these tools is limited, I am finding them very helpful. After a recent conversation with Seneca’s chamber and tourism promoter where she said she uses AI to help write press releases, I decided to ask ChatGPT for help writing a letter.
This letter is being sent to the Pauly Jail Building Company requesting that the historic jail and sheriff’s residence in Nemaha County, Kansas be added to their list of Historic Jail Projects on their Legacy page.
Below is the original text of my letter:
I am writing to ask that the historic Jail and Sheriffs residence in Nemaha County, Kansas be added to your list of Historic Jail Projects on the Legacy page of your website.
The jail has two different sets of Pauly cells. The cells on the main floor are original to the 1879 building. In 1907, the jail was remodeled. The remodeling included the addition of a second set of cells on the second floor. Both sets of cells have brass plates identifying Pauly patents. In 2004, the jail and attached sheriff’s residence was added to the National Register of Historic Places.
In 1973, the county built a new jail and discontinued use of the sheriff’s residence and jail. The building is now part of the Nemaha County Historical Society. As part of our efforts to preserve this historic structure, we have shared some of the original documents on our website (http://nemahacountyhistoricalsociety.com/residence-jail). Many of these documents help document our Pauly jail cells.
- 1879 P. J. Pauly Bid
- 1789 P. J. Pauly Contract
- 1879 P. J. Pauly Bond
- 1879 Jail Specifications
- 1879 Specifications for Residence and Jail – signed by P J Pauly
Enclosed are copies of these web pages to support our request to be added to your legacy page.
Thank you for considering our request.
My request to ChatGPT was simple.
“Can you improve the following letter?” (followed by the text from my letter)
While very similar, ChatGPT’s response did improve the quality of the writing in the letter.
I am writing to request that the historic Jail and Sheriff’s Residence in Nemaha County, Kansas, be added to the list of Historic Jail Projects on the Legacy page of your website.
The Nemaha County Jail features two distinct sets of Pauly cells. The cells on the main floor are original to the building, constructed in 1879. In 1907, a remodeling project added a second set of cells on the second floor. Both sets of cells bear brass plates identifying Pauly patents. In 2004, the jail and attached sheriff’s residence were added to the National Register of Historic Places.
After a new jail was built in 1973, the county discontinued the use of the original sheriff’s residence and jail. The building now serves as part of the Nemaha County Historical Society. As part of our preservation efforts, we have shared original documents on our website (http://nemahacountyhistoricalsociety.com/residence-jail), many of which document our Pauly jail cells, including:
- 1879 P. J. Pauly Bid
- 1879 P. J. Pauly Contract
- 1879 P. J. Pauly Bond
- 1879 Jail Specifications
- 1879 Specifications for Residence and Jail – signed by P. J. Pauly
Enclosed are copies of these web pages to support our request for inclusion on your legacy page.
Thank you for considering our request. We believe that featuring the Nemaha County Jail and Sheriff’s Residence on your website will help in our ongoing efforts to preserve this important historical structure.
So, I am using the ChatGPT version of the letter to send to the Pauly Jail Building Company.