A Neighborly Request at Sewell Depot

“I am hard up for money & must have it”

Pull up a chair, friends, and let me share a little piece of history that feels as real as the morning coffee. I’ve been looking at a short, urgent note sent by a man named William Tyree to his neighbor Laban Gwinn back in the spring of 1885. Writing from Sewell Depot, William was in a hurry to get his affairs in order. He asked Laban to meet him at the County Court on the 7th of April to settle some tax matters. It wasn’t just a social call; William was closing his accounts and was in desperate need of funds to make ends meet.

The letter itself is a beautiful, tangible connection to the past. It’s written on the crisp letterhead of the Longdale Iron Company, a reminder of the coal and coke industry that once roared through Fayette County. The ink is still dark, but the handwriting is a bit rushed—the kind of hasty cursive that tells you the writer had a lot on his plate. You can see the distinct fold lines where the paper was once tucked away, a silent witness to the urgency of that long-ago March day.

Back in 1885, life in the West Virginia hills was built on hard work and the strength of a person’s word. When William mentions he is “hard up for money,” he’s expressing a struggle many of us can relate to, even today. The County Court wasn’t just a building; it was the place where folks met to settle the business of living. This small request for a meeting shows the deep importance of community and the shared responsibility of keeping one’s house in order.

Looking at this letter today, we’re reminded that history isn’t just about big battles or famous names; it’s about the everyday worries and connections of ordinary people. William’s plea for a meeting is a humble reminder that we all go through seasons of hardship and that reaching out to others is how we get through them. It’s a timeless story of responsibility and the human need to settle our debts and find our way forward.

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