A Warm Message Through the Winter Snow

“I think we are all right now.”

Pull up a chair and let me share a little piece of our local history with you. It is a humble letter dated back to December 9, 1886, sent from right here in Fayetteville. The paper itself is a beautiful cream color, aged to a soft yellow over the last century, with deep creases where it was once folded carefully into an envelope. Mr. L. D. Isbell’s cursive handwriting is a bit hurried, as if he couldn’t wait to get the news out to his friend Laban Gwinn.

In the letter, Isbell is writing to let Laban know that a very important document—the Jacob Skyles patent—had finally arrived from Richmond. In those days, land meant everything, and having that certified copy in hand was a huge relief. However, the West Virginia winter had other ideas. Isbell mentions the snow was already on the ground, likely keeping them from doing any surveying. It’s a wonderful reminder of a time when people had to work in harmony with the weather, knowing that some things simply had to wait for the spring thaw.

Looking at this letter today, it’s more than just business; it’s a story of persistence and neighborly check-ins. It tells us about the patience required of our ancestors and the quiet confidence they found in a job well done. Even through the cold and the delays, Isbell was sure that they had finally reached the end of their troubles. It’s a small, heartfelt window into a world where a few words on a page meant the world was set right.

Original Transcription

Fayetteville W Va
Dec 9th 1886

Laban Gwinn Esqr
Dear Sir,
I here enclose
you a certified Copy of the Jacob
Skyles patent. It reached me from
Richmond last night. I dont suppose
you can do any surveying until the Snow
goes off. I think we are all right
now.
Very truly Yrs
L. D. Isbell