A Ticket to the Fair and a Sisterly Favor

“now Ella do have her Come and I will Just do any thing for you and Cynthia in the future.”

Pull up a chair, friends, because I’ve found something truly special in the archives today. It’s a letter from October 8th, 1893, written by a woman named Belle to her sister, Ella. When you hold it, you can feel the history; the paper is yellowed and brittle with those soft fold lines that tell you it was tucked away and cherished for a long time. It is written on her husband Jim’s business stationery, which is quite a sight itself, decorated with lists of timber like Poplar, Hickory, and Walnut in the margins. You can almost see Belle sitting at a desk in Deepwater, West Virginia, crossing out the ‘Kenova’ address in a hurry to get her thoughts down.

Belle is just bursting with excitement because there is another excursion headed to Chicago for the great World’s Fair! She and Jim are dying to go, but like any busy family, they have got a bit of a logistics puzzle to solve first. Belle is practically pleading with her sister to convince their mother to come stay at their house in Deepwater to keep things running. She even offers a bit of a sweet bribe, promising to buy her mother a brand-new dress once she returns from the city. It is a wonderful, human glimpse into the bargaining and teamwork that happened within families long before we could just send a quick text message.

Beyond the house-sitting, Belle is trying to get her wardrobe and accessories in order for the big trip. She asks for a cape pattern to be sent over and even asks to borrow a watch—a reminder that back then, keeping time was a bit of a luxury you might need to borrow from a sibling for a special occasion. This was the year of the ‘White City’ in Chicago, a time when the world was showing off new inventions like the Ferris Wheel and glowing electric lights. To folks in small towns like Deepwater, a trip like this was the adventure of a lifetime.

What I love most about this letter is how little has changed when it comes to family. Even with the fancy 19th-century letterhead and the talk of steam-train excursions, it is really just about a woman who wants to see something beautiful and is leaning on her sisters to help make it happen. It reminds us that our ancestors were not just names on a census record; they were people with big dreams, favorite sewing patterns, and a deep love for their kin. It is a little slice of West Virginia heart preserved in ink.

Original Transcription

James B. Pugh,
Authorized Buyer and Inspector for
Bacon and Young,
71 Broadway, New York City.
[Left Margin: Poplar, Basswood, Sycamore, Beech, Hickory, Hazel, Elm and Cottonwood.]
[Right Margin: Walnut, Ash, White & Red Oak, Birch, Maple, Cherry and Chestnut.]

Deepwater
Kenova, West Va., Oct 8th 1893

Dear Sister
We have Just learned that there
will be an other Excursion to Chicago on
the 16th Jim and I intend to go if
possible. it depend on Mother keeping house
for us I think I can get ready all
right am only going to make one dress
you and Cynthia must let Mother
Come I will get her a nice dress for
it when I get back tell Pap we want
him to go with us. he had better come
down and go from here. tell Mother
I would like for her to come about
Friday morning if She Can. now
Ella do have her Come and I will
Just do any thing for you and Cynthia
in the future. Could you Send me
your Cape pattern by Mother if She Come
Friday morning if She Cant come
before Saturday Cant you Send it by
mail I want to make a Cape tell Pap he

[Page 2]
must go if possible I am in a
hurry Jim is going to Mt Carbon to
mail this let me hear from you by return
mail for I Cant go unless Mother will come
to keep house. Ever your Sister
Belle

Oh I forgot to tell you to loan me
your Watch by Mother if you need yours
tell Cynthia to let me have hers I will
take good care of it