A Winter Meeting at the General Store

“I Will be down on Monday Morning to look at your Walnut Timber”

Now, isn’t it something to hold a little piece of 1876 right in your hands? This letter, sent from the mountain air of Paw Paw, West Virginia, takes us back to a cold December morning when a man named Samuel was looking to do a fair day’s business. The paper itself has seen better days, with some water stains and foxing creeping in along the edges like a winter frost, but the ink is still dark and the handwriting is that beautiful, looping script you just don’t see much of anymore.

Samuel was writing to his neighbor, Mr. Furner, to set up a simple meeting. There were no phones or quick messages back then; you just sent a note and hoped to meet up at the local landmark—in this case, Mr. Rice’s store. They were planning to head out together to inspect some walnut and pine timber. It is a humble request, but it paints such a vivid picture of life in the mountains, where a person’s livelihood was tied directly to the land and the very trees standing on it.

When we look at a treasure like this, it reminds us that history is built on these small, everyday moments. It is not all big speeches and grand events; it is about two neighbors meeting at a storefront to walk through the woods and talk about the harvest. It is a connection to our past that feels as warm and sturdy as a piece of old-growth pine, reminding us of the importance of community, a handshake, and a hard day’s work.

Original Transcription

Paw Paw WV
Dec 8 1876
Mr L Ziler
Dr Sir
I Will be down on Monday
Morning to look at your Walnut Timber
So please be up at Mr Riser
Store So that We can go and
look at it & all so I want
to look at the Pine Timber you
have
Resptfly Yours
Saml Hinebaugh