History A Handshake and a Lined Page from 1885 M Gwinn, December 28, 2025January 17, 2026 “Be sure to meet me as I can not be there after Tuesday,” Pull up a chair, friends, and take a look at this little piece of West Virginia history from the spring of 1885. It is a simple letter written by J.C. Peters to Laban Gwinn, penned on April… Continue Reading
History A Ledger, a Letter, and a Lesson in Lumber M Gwinn, December 27, 2025February 1, 2026 We dont want Lumber as the cooperage Co will not take lumber for their part. Pull up a chair, friends, because I’ve just unearthed a little slice of our shared past that’s as crisp as an October morning in the mountains. This week, I’ve been leafing through a letter dated… Continue Reading
History The Merchant’s Ledger and the Strength of a Handshake M Gwinn, December 27, 2025February 7, 2026 “beside the advantage a man gets, of having the reputation of being prompt which always enables him to buy goods closer than Slow parties” Gather ’round, neighbors, and let me tell you about a little treasure I found from our town’s past. It’s a letter written way back on April… Continue Reading
History A Bit of Old-Fashioned Worry: The $419 Question M Gwinn, December 27, 2025December 27, 2025 “I am needing the money very much and Cant hold the note Much longer” Well hello there, neighbors! You wouldn’t believe the little treasure I came across in the archives today. It’s a simple, single sheet of lined paper from 1884, but it tells a story as old as the… Continue Reading
History A Winter’s Worry in West Virginia: A Note from Mr. Cooper’s Desk M Gwinn, December 27, 2025January 15, 2026 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… Continue Reading
History A Valentine’s Note from the Hotel Perkins M Gwinn, December 27, 2025February 5, 2026 “I wish very much you would send to me the balance on your note.” Well, hello there, neighbors! Come on in and pull up a chair. Today, I’ve got something special to show you from our local history chest. It’s a little slip of paper dated February 14th, 1894—Valentine’s Day—but… Continue Reading
History A Handshake from Hinton: A 137-Year-Old Promise M Gwinn, December 27, 2025December 27, 2025 “Have it properly signed up and notify me and I will bring you down the money and take up the deed -“ Gather ’round, neighbors! I’ve stumbled upon a real treasure from our local past—a handwritten note from a cold January day back in 1887. In this little piece of… Continue Reading
History A Gentle Reminder from Hinton’s General Store M Gwinn, December 27, 2025January 20, 2026 “I am needing the money Very much, please accommodate me with it right away and much oblige” Well now, pull up a chair and let me share a little piece of our history with you. I was looking through the archives and found this lovely letter from May 8, 1884,… Continue Reading
History A Friendly Nudge from the General Store M Gwinn, December 27, 2025February 12, 2026 “I will not be in a condition to make any further extension on it” Pull up a chair and sit a spell while I share a little treasure I found from way back in 1884. It is a single sheet of cream-colored paper from the desk of John Cooper, who… Continue Reading
History A Winter Note from Mr. Cooper’s General Store M Gwinn, December 27, 2025 “I will need the money badly thought best to notify you in time” Pull up a chair and let me share a little treasure from the archives that feels like a warm handshake from the past. It’s a letter from February of 1884, written on the handsome letterhead of Mr…. Continue Reading