1883 Letter from Rural Ohio Man Suffering Illness and Seeking Neighbourly Support
10179On offer is a manuscript letter written in 1883 by a rural American man named John Wells. Wells was born in 1818 and lived in the village of Ada, Ohio with his wife, until his passing in 1892 at the age of 73.
Wells writes this letter to a Mrs. Boley. In it, he asks her to pay an outstanding sum of $2.00 to the local postmaster. He makes the request stating that he had been ill all winter and not able to leave his home. In its brevity, it points to the difficulties that people faced in their lives in early rural America and the extent to which they needed to rely on family and friends to help manage difficult times.
Measuring 8.0 inches by 5.0 inches, it is a single, one-sided sheet. The letter is in good condition with 2 deep fold marks and a slight amount of discolouration along the edges. The handwriting is quite legible.
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