A Bit of Land and a Muddy Road: A Note from 1885

“I will go out and See Samuel When the Roads Dry up a little”

Pull up a chair, friends, because I’ve found something special in the archives today. It’s a humble two-page letter, penned back in the winter of 1885 at Sewell Depot. The paper itself has turned a lovely shade of golden-yellow over the last century, and you can still see the crisp creases where it was folded tight, likely tucked into a vest pocket or a sturdy leather satchel. W.G. Flanagan’s handwriting is that beautiful, looping cursive that reminds us of a time when every word was carefully placed on the page with a dip of dark ink.

In this letter, Flanagan is writing to his friend Laban Gwinn to settle some business. It starts with a simple thank you for seven dollars, but the real meat of the message is a bit of a mathematical puzzle. It seems Flanagan went back over his figures—something he says he ‘always’ does—and realized his first calculation of the land was a bit off. Instead of 505 acres, he found that Laban actually owned about 521. He’s quick to reassure Laban that this change doesn’t mess with his boundaries or his title; it just means Laban owns about 16 more acres than he was being charged for. Imagine finding out you owned a whole extra slice of the mountain just because someone did the math a second time!

What I love most about these old letters isn’t just the business, but the small, human details that peek through the margins. Flanagan mentions he wants to visit a neighbor named Samuel, but he’s waiting for the roads to ‘dry up a little.’ We’ve all been there, stuck behind a muddy stretch of path waiting for the sun to do its work. He also shares a bit of town gossip, noting that the new officers in town look quite a bit like Republicans—a little observation that reminds us that folks back then were just as interested in local politics as we are today.

Holding a letter like this makes the past feel so much closer. It reminds us that history is built on these small, honest interactions: a corrected mistake, a payment sent with thanks, and the simple hope for better weather. It’s a reminder that while the tools we use to measure our world have changed, the value of a neighborly spirit and a job well done remain exactly the same.

Original Transcription

Sewell Depot
Jan 16 . 1885
Laban Gwinn Esqr
Dear Sir
Yours with $ 7.00 Rec
-eived 13 Inst With Thanks.
On examineing the paper or
rather the original Platt & Calculat
-tions, that when I first Calculated
the contents I made it 505 A 10 poles by
but the Second time going over the
figures (Which I always do) I made
521 A & 30 poles And on calculating
Yours & Saml Seperte Yours
was 265 A & 8 poles & Sam 256 A & 81 P
In given the total No of Acres
I must have taken the wrong No
if I reported it to you 505 A (over)

[Page 2]
This though will not effict
Your Boundry or title. You will
only by charged with about 16 A
less than You really own.
I will go out and
See Samuel When the
Roads Dry up a little,
I was at Town
the other day and there
Appeared to be a new Set
of Officers mooving about
& tho Very much like
Republicans
Very Respectfully
Yours
W G Flanagan