A Winter’s Worry in West Virginia: A Note from Mr. Cooper’s Desk

I thought best to remind you of Same as I will need The Money on Same badly Soon as due

Pull up a chair and let me show you something special I found tucked away in the archives. It is a humble piece of paper dated February 6th, 1884, sent from the bustling Office of John Cooper in Hinton, West Virginia. Mr. Cooper was a dealer in general merchandise, the kind of fellow who likely knew everyone’s name and their business too. He was writing a quick, firm note to William Prince over in Quinnimont about a debt that was coming due. It is a simple business matter on the surface—a note for four hundred and nineteen dollars and change—but you can feel the weight of that sum in every stroke of his pen.

The paper itself is a real beauty, still in good shape after all these years. You can see the neat, flowing cursive written in dark ink across the blue lines of the stationery. It has those distinct fold lines that tell us it was once tucked into a pocket or an envelope, traveling by rail or horse through our mountain passes. On the back of the page, there is a hurried second message from Mr. Prince to Laban Gwinn, basically telling him he better get a move on and settle up before Mr. Cooper takes them to court. It’s a little slice of high-stakes drama from a cold February morning over a century ago.

Looking at this letter reminds us that history isn’t just about big battles or famous speeches; it’s about folks like us trying to make ends meet and keep their promises. In 1884, a handshake and a signed note were the backbone of our local economy. When we hold this letter, we’re touching a moment of real human anxiety and the very personal side of doing business in a growing West Virginia. It’s a reminder that even in the good old days, folks had to lean on each other—and sometimes nudge each other—to get things done.

Original Transcription

OFFICE OF
JOHN COOPER,
DEALER IN
GENERAL MERCHANDISE,
Hinton, W. Va. Feby 6th 1884.

Wm Prince Esqr
Quinnimont
W. Va

Dear Sir
Yours & Laban Gwinn’s note
Given to Wm Burke and
assigned by him to the Hinton
Mfg Co and by the them to
Me 419 84/100 $ will fall
due on the 11th of this Month
I thought best to remind you
of Same as I will need
The Money on Same badly
Soon as due

Very Respectfully
John Cooper

[Page 2]

Mr Gwinn I think you
had Better go & see Cooper
if you Have Not Made
any arrangements to Meet
the Note as he May Bring
Suit at Once