A Winter Word from Sewell Depot

“Please so arrange as to let me have the amount due Wm Cook for timber at that time.”

Pull up a chair, friends, because I’ve found a real treasure tucked away in the archives. It’s a humble little letter, dated January 22, 1883, sent from Sewell Depot, West Virginia. A gentleman named H. J. Tucker sat down on a cold winter’s day to pen a quick note to Mr. Laban Gwinn, letting him know he’d be passing by early the next month. It’s a simple message, really—just a heads-up that he’d be stopping in to settle a debt for timber—but it’s like holding a small piece of our history right in your hands.

Looking at the paper today, you can almost feel the chill of that 1883 winter. The letter is written in dark, iron gall ink that’s still remarkably clear, with that beautiful slanted cursive that folks used to take such pride in. You can see the crisp fold lines where Mr. Gwinn would have tucked it into his pocket, and there’s even a little embossed stamp in the corner that adds a touch of nineteenth-century class. It’s held up well over the years, reminding us of a time when a piece of paper was the only way to send a voice across the mountains.

In those days, the timber industry was the heartbeat of our region, and these kinds of transactions were the lifeblood of the community. Mr. Tucker wasn’t just sending an invoice; he was making a promise to show up in person between the first and tenth of February. There were no emails or quick phone calls back then—just the trust that a neighbor would have the funds ready for William Cook when the time came. It’s a glimpse into a world where business was done face-to-face and a handshake, or a handwritten note, meant everything.

When we look back at these old scraps of paper, they remind us that our ancestors were busy building the world we live in today, one timber deal at a time. It’s a sweet reminder that even in the middle of a West Virginia winter, folks were looking out for one another and keeping their word. It makes you stop and think about the connections we make today and how we might leave our own mark on the future, just like Mr. Tucker did with his pen and ink.

Original Transcription

Sewell Depot, W. Virginia
Jany 22 1883.

Mr. Laban Gwinn
Dear Sir:
I will be by your place
about the 1st of February or between the 1st and
the 10th of Feby. Please so arrange as to let
me have the amount due Wm Cook for timber
at that time.
Very truly yours
H. J. Tucker