Letters before 1850

History

The earliest letters did not have envelopes or stamps. They were folded and addressed on an exposted portion of the paper.

The Images

All letters have at least their first page or a portion of the first page scanned, and comments about their contents are included below.

A Letter Written on Aug 10, 1838: envelope Postmarked Aug 11, [1838] in South Hadley.; page 1 Full contents of letter, though only part of the first page is scanned.
A Letter Written on Sep 14, 1838: envelope Postmarked Sep 15, [1838].; page 1 Full contents of letter, though only part of the first page is scanned.
A Letter Written on Nov 20, 1839: envelope The letter is folded and addressed on an exposed portion of the paper. Dated Nov 21 [1839] in Deerfield, Mass.; page 1 Full contents of letter, though only part of the first page is scanned.
A Letter Written on Jan 8, 1840: envelope The letter is folded and addressed on an exposed portion of the paper. Postmarked Jan 9 [1840] in South Hadley.; page 1 Full contents of letter, though only part of the first page is scanned.
A Letter Written on May 6, 1840: envelope The letter is folded and addressed on an exposed portion of the paper. Postmarked May 7 [1840] in Providence. Addressed to Miss Juliet M. Blanding in South Hadley.; page 1 Full contents of letter, though only part of the first page is scanned.
A Letter Written on Jan 29, 1841: envelope The letter is folded and addressed on an exposed portion of the paper. Postmarked Feb 1 [1841] in South Hadley.; page 1 Full contents of letter, though only part of the first page is scanned.
A Letter Written on Jun 14, 1841: envelope The letter is folded and addressed on an exposed portion of the paper. Dated Jun 15 [1841] in South Deerfield.; page 1 Full contents of letter, though only part of the first page is scanned.
A Letter Written on Sep 7, 1841: envelope The letter is folded and addressed on an exposed portion of the paper. Addressed to Miss Mary E. Taylor of Derry NH. Postmarked in Ovid NY.; page 1 Full contents of letter, though only part of the first page is scanned.
A Letter Written on Apr 23, 1842: envelope Postmarked Apr 24 [1842] in Newburyport, Mass.; page 1 Full contents of letter, though only part of the first page is scanned.
A Letter Written on Mar 14, 1842: envelope Postmarked Mar 15 [1842] in Newburyport, Mass.; page 1 Full contents of letter, though only part of the first page is scanned.
A Letter Written on May 3, 1842: envelope The letter is folded and addressed on an exposed portion of the paper. "Miss Sarah A. Bonney, South Hadley Female Sem." Wow, didn't even need the state to find its way to her!; page 1 Full contents of letter, though only part of the first page is scanned.
A Letter Written on Mar 18, 1843: envelope The letter is folded and addressed to Miss Lois B. Rice So Hadley Seminary, Mass., on an exposed portion of the paper. Postmarked Mar 28, [1843] in Deerfield Mass.; page 1 Full contents of letter, though only part of the first page is scanned.
A Letter Written on Jul 16, 1843: envelope The letter is folded and addressed to Miss Harriet E. Walker in Keene NH. Postmarked Jul 17 [1843] in Palmyra NY.; page 1 Full contents of letter, though only part of the first page is scanned.
A Letter Written on Oct 5, 1843: envelope The letter is folded and addressed on an exposed portion of the paper. "Miss Martha A. C. Leach, Mt Holyoke Seminary, South Hadley, Mass. From H. A. Buck."; page 1 Full contents of letter, though only part of the first page is scanned.
A Letter Written on Dec 14, 1843: envelope The letter is folded and addressed to Miss Harriet E. Walker at the Seminary. Postmarked Dec 16 [1843] in Palmyra NY.; page 1 Full contents of letter, though only part of the first page is scanned.
A Letter Written on Mar 22, 1844: front The letter is folded and addressed on an exposed portion of the paper. Addressed to Miss L. R. Baldwin at the Seminary. Postmarked in Springfield Mass.; page 1 Full contents of letter, though only part of the first page is scanned.
A Letter Written on Apr 17, 1844: front The letter is folded and addressed on an exposed portion of the paper. Postmarked May 2 [1844] in South Hadley.; page 1 Full contents of letter, though only part of the first page is scanned.
A Letter Written on July 9, 1844: front Portion of the letter containing the address: to "Miss Harriet E. Walker at Miss Lyon's, South Hadley, Mass." It is postmarked Jul 9 in Boston. The text of the letter; supplement The owner of the letter before me did some research about the Dover Street fire that Sue mentions in this letter. The Massachusetts Historical Society discovered that the Dover Street fire took place on June 25, 1844. The Boston Almanac for 1845 stated that on that date "A great fire at the South end, which originated in Groton st. It commenced in the engine room of a steam planing mill, which spread with fearful rapidity, and burned up in its track about 30 buildings, including a valuable public school house. Dover st. was the scene of great destruction of property." With this information, the letter written to Harriet can now be dated July 9, 1844.
A Letter Written On Aug. 30, 1844: envelope The letter is folded and addressed on an exposed portion of the paper. Addressed to Miss Caroline Henshaw. Sent from Hadley, Mass on Sept 10 [1844].; page 1 Full contents of letter, though only part of the first page is scanned.
A Letter Written on Nov 20, 1844: envelope The letter is folded and addressed on an exposed portion of the paper. No envelope or postage was necessary? Postmarked Nov 21 in South Hadley. Addressed to Emma J. Edson in Andover, NH. The name Edna Dean Proctor is pencilled up the side.; page 1 Full contents of letter, though only part of the first page is scanned.
A Letter Written on Dec 6, 1844: envelope The letter is folded and addressed on an exposed portion of the paper. Dated Dec 10 on the outside. Addressed to Miss Mary Clark, Mt. Holyoke Seminary South Hadly [sic] Mass.; page 1 Full contents of letter, though only part of the first page is scanned.
A Letter Written on Aug 9, 1845: envelope The letter is folded and addressed on an exposed portion of the paper. Dated Aug 9 on the outside. Mailed from Hatfield, Mass.; page 1 Full contents of letter, though only part of the first page is scanned.
A Letter Written on Oct 16, 1845: envelope The letter is folded and addressed on an exposed portion of the paper. Addressed to Mrs Martha A. Curtis of Ann Arbor. Postmarked Oct 17 [1845] in PittsfordVT.; page 1 Full contents of letter, though only part of the first page is scanned.
A Letter Written on Nov 18, 1845: envelope The letter is folded and addressed on an exposed portion of the paper. Postmarked Nov 20, [1845] in South Hadley.; page 1 Full contents of letter, though only part of the first page is scanned.
A Letter Written On Apr 14, 1846: envelope The letter is folded and addressed on an exposed portion of the paper. Addressed to Samuel Williston Esq in East Hampton, Mass. Postmarked Apr 16[?] in Pompey NY.; page 1 Full contents of letter, though only part of the first page is scanned.
A Letter Written on Jul 18, 1846: envelope The letter is folded and addressed on an exposed portion of the paper. Postmarked Jul 20, [1846] in Hadley.; page 1 Full contents of letter, though only part of the first page is scanned.
A Letter Written on Feb 19, 1847: envelope The letter is folded and addressed on an exposed portion of the paper. Postmarked Feb 21 in South Hadley. Addressed to Rev. Hazlett Arvine in Woonsocket CT.; page 1 Full contents of letter, though only part of the first page is scanned.
A Letter Written on June 14, 1847: envelope The letter is folded and addressed on an exposed portion of the paper. Addressed to Miss Charlotte Hoyt, Salina, New York.; page 1 Full contents of letter, though only part of the first page is scanned.
A Letter Written on Jan 1, 1848: envelope The letter is folded and addressed on an exposed portion of the paper. Postmarked Jan 5 [1848] in New Haven CT. Addressed to Miss Esther Gorham at the Seminary.; page 1 Full contents of letter, though only part of the first page is scanned.
A Letter Written Apr 28, 1848: envelope The letter is folded and addressed on an exposed portion of the paper. Addressed to Miss Julia Fanning at the Seminary. Postmarked Apr 28 in Rushville NY.; page 1 Full contents of letter, though only part of the first page is scanned.
A Letter Written on June 21, 1848: envelope The letter is folded and addressed on an exposed portion of the paper. Postmarked Jun 25 [1848] in South Hadley.; page 1 Full contents of letter, though only part of the first page is scanned.
A Letter Written on Feb 6, 1849: envelope The letter is folded and addressed on an exposed portion of the paper. Postmarked Feb 7 in South Hadley. Addressed to Miss Caroline E. Wilson, Seminary, East Hampton, Mass.; page 1 Full contents of letter, though only part of the first page is scanned.
A Letter Written on Mar 8, 1849: envelope The letter is folded and addressed on an exposed portion of the paper. Postmarked Mar 8 in Hanover NH. Addressed to Miss Emily O. Richardson in South Hadley.; page 1 Full contents of letter, though only part of the first page is scanned.
A Letter Written Apr 17, 1849: envelope The letter is folded and addressed on an exposed portion of the paper. Addressed to Miss Caroline M. Williams at the Seminary. Postmarked Apr 17 in Charleston SC.; page 1 Full contents of letter, though only part of the first page is scanned.
A Letter Written Apr 23, 1849: envelope The letter is folded and addressed on an exposed portion of the paper. Addressed to Miss Julia Fanning at the Seminary. Postmarked Apr 23 in Rushville NY.; page 1 Full contents of letter, though only part of the first page is scanned.
A Letter Written on Apr 28, 1849: envelope Addressed to Miss Margaret Atkinson, Falls Port, Wayne Co, PA. Postmarked May 1, [1849] in South Hadley. The back has some pencilled notations about Margaret Atkinson, written by her great great nephew, Joseph Atkinson von Hake.; page 1 Full contents of letter, though only part of the first page is scanned.
A Letter Written on May 26, 1849: envelope Addressed to Miss Harriette Haskell, Castleton Seminary, VT. Postmarked May 26, [1849] in Greenwich NY.; page 1 Full contents of letter, though only part of the first page is scanned.
A Letter Written on Jul 27, 1849: envelope Postmarked Jul 27, [1849] in South Hadley.; page 1 Full contents of letter, though only part of the first page is scanned.
A Letter Written on Nov 30, 1849: page 1 No cover page exists. Full contents of letter, though only part of the first page is scanned.