A Cold January Resolve: A Letter from Old Ronceverte

Either buy my interest, or let us auction the whole off to the highest bidder.

Pull up a chair and let me share a little piece of our shared past that I found tucked away in the archives. It is a humble thing, really—just a single sheet of yellowed, lined paper written on a chilly January day back in 1892. When you hold it, you can feel the history in the way the left edge is torn and ragged, though the ink remains as bold and clear as the day J.W. Davis set his pen to it in Ronceverte, West Virginia. His handwriting has that hurried, 19th-century cursive slant that makes you think he was a man with a lot on his mind and very little time to waste.

In this brief note, Mr. Davis is writing to Mr. Laban Gwinn with a very specific purpose. He had bought a piece of land from a fellow named McGuinness the previous August, but by mid-winter, he had clearly reached a turning point. There is no flowery language here, just a firm declaration of his intent to settle his affairs. He suggests they meet at the Fayette court in March to hash it out. His proposal is as direct as a West Virginia mountain trail: either Mr. Gwinn can buy out his share, or they can put the whole property up for auction and let the highest bidder take it.

It is fascinating to look at this letter and realize that even over a century ago, people were grappling with the same kinds of decisions we face today—investments, partnerships, and the simple desire to move on to the next chapter of life. This scrap of paper, surviving through the decades despite its torn edge, reminds us that history is not just made of big battles or famous speeches. It is made of neighbors writing to neighbors, making plans for the coming spring, and shaking hands over a deal at the local courthouse. It reminds us that our ancestors were practical folk, looking toward the future just like we do.

Original Transcription

Ronceverte W Va
Jany. 12″ 1892.

Mr. Laban Gwinn.
Dear Sir:
I am determined
to dispose of my interest in
the piece of land that I
bought of Mr. McGuinness.
Last August at the
Fayette court in March.
Either buy my interest,
or let us auction the
whole off to the highest
bidder. Truly yours
J.W. Davis.