A Handshake Across Time: Keeping the Road in Bissell

“I failed to Come over to See you But Hope you will take the Road”

Gather ’round, neighbors, and let me tell you about a little piece of our history I found tucked away. It’s a humble scrap of paper dated July 25, 1898, written by a fellow named W. E. Harvey to Mr. Laben Gunn. In this short, friendly note, Mr. Harvey is asking his neighbor to take charge of the road maintenance in Bissell for another year, offering the same price they settled on previously. It’s a simple business matter, but written with such a neighborly touch that you can almost hear the crickets chirping on a hot July afternoon.

Looking at this note today, you can see the passage of time etched right into it. The paper is yellowed and fragile, with a torn, uneven edge on the left side that tells us it has been through a lot over the last century. Yet, despite being written on a mere fragment of lined paper, Harvey’s casual handwriting in black ink remains perfectly clear. You can see the irregular capitalization and the haste in his pen, making the whole thing feel incredibly personal, like he just set the pen down a moment ago.

Back in 1898, the roads weren’t the paved highways we know now; they were the lifelines of our little community, requiring constant care and a steady hand. Mr. Harvey mentions he ‘failed to come over’ to see Mr. Gunn in person, which was likely the preferred way to do business back then. This little apology gives us a glimpse into a world where a face-to-face visit meant something, and a letter was the next best thing to a firm handshake. It reminds us that even when life got busy, keeping the community moving was a shared burden and a point of pride.

When we hold a document like this, we’re reminded that history isn’t just about big battles or famous leaders; it’s built on the quiet, everyday work of folks like Mr. Harvey and Mr. Gunn. It is about the trust between neighbors and the commitment to look after the paths that connect us all. Even though the paper is torn and the ink is old, that spirit of helping one another stay on the right track is a tradition that is still worth keeping alive today.

Original Transcription

   1 50
     50
     20
   C 17
   2 37

se
April the 29 1897
W H Bragg to
L Gwinn to 34
head of sheep $51.00
Credit by $ 2 37
Sameday