A Little Bit of Lumber and a Lot of Law in Old Sewell

“Under Chapt 119 Acts 1882 property adrift must be posted and sold.”

Imagine sitting on a porch in 1887, watching the river go by. That’s the feeling you get when you look at this old letter from W. G. Hanagan to Mr. G. L. Guinn. It is written on off-white, lined paper that still carries the crisp horizontal folds from a century ago, with Hanagan’s dark ink flowing in that elegant, looped cursive that folks used to take such pride in. It is a real treasure to hold, feeling like a direct link to a cold January day in Sewell, Iowa.

The letter tells a story about some property adrift—specifically, 2,170 feet of lumber that Mr. Guinn found floating along. Now, Mr. Guinn might have thought he had found a windfall, but the law had other ideas. Mr. Hanagan writes to explain that under the Acts of 1882, you could not just keep what you found in the water. He had decided that Guinn owed the S. L. B. M. Company $10.85 for that wood, plus costs, and even offered him a chance to appeal the decision that coming Saturday in town.

Back then, logs floating down the river were the lifeblood of the local economy, and every piece of timber was marked with a brand to show who it belonged to. This letter isn’t just a bill; it is a snapshot of a time when the community was figuring out how to live together fairly as the world changed. It shows a justice system that was personal and direct, handled with a pen and a steady hand.

Today, this piece of paper reminds us that we have always been a people of rules and neighborliness. It is a small, heartfelt reminder that the things we find—and how we treat our neighbors when we find them—have always mattered. It is a bit of Sewell’s soul, preserved in ink and paper for us to remember.

Original Transcription

Sewell, Iowa
Jan 31. 1887

Mr G. L. Guinn
Dear Sir
Under Chapt 119 Acts 1882
property adrift must be posted and sold.
& not converted to the finders use. There was
2170 ft. by your statement in the Brand of the
S. L. B. M Co And I decided that you should
pay them for that number of feet. at $5.00 per 1000 ft
Making $10.85 & cost, Will be at Sewell Saturday
the 5 of Feb. 1887, & Will be glad to give you an appeal.
Verry Respectfully
W. G. Hanagan