Well, life’s been a bit busy for me and I haven’t been able to post as much as I’ve wanted to. My elderly mother took a turn for the worst and I’ve been driving back and forth to Oregon (from here in Washington) to help her out. But, I’m finally back to posting and although this is a bit of a shorter one, it’s so charming, especially the way it was done, that I just had to share it here.
As you can see, it’s a vintage wooden spool that once contained sewing thread. On the top is written, “K.C. 1905 Charles Leroy Wilhite.” I believe the K. C. means Kansas City.
Thirty-one year old Charles, has carefully, and lovingly written a letter to his younger sister, Clara, on little mustard colored paper and then wound it around the empty wooden spool. When all laid out, the paper, which is just 1” wide, extends to almost 109 inches long!
At the time it was written, Clara is just 24 years old. Charles and Clara had 4 other siblings: Effie Mable, Fred Marshall, Jesse Minor and Guy Franklin. I found Charles’s obituary and it looks like he became a Veterinarian. Clara, married Charles L. Parks sometime in the early 1900’s and they had three children.
Clara’s brother Charles, the author of the “spool letter”, passed away in 1948 and Clara herself passed away in 1977.
Hope you enjoy this as much as I do. Not just the content of the letter, which even talks about where the thread “traveled”, but the pictures of how it it is all put together. To take the time and create this precious gift, makes me believe just how much Charles loved his sister. Thankfully Clara kept it all these years and because of that we also get to enjoy it……
“November 13th, 1908
Clara Wilhite, Greenfield Illinois,
My Dear Little Sister, This is a spool that I took to school with me. I used the last of the thread off of it yesterday putting a patch on my pants so will send the spool to you as it has your name on it, with some of your chums. The thread that was on it is scattered all over the U.S. Clive Daly from Mobile Alabama used some of it. Charles Jerome from Michigan, Odon Rozell from Kansas, C. Krogh from Minnesota and others too numerous to mention.
It is snowing today. The ground is all white now and it is not thawing now either. People are not near done shucking corn here yet and this will make it a very mean job. My brother-in-law (to be) has about four days shucking yet. I was going to go out and help him today if it had not snowed and I had not been busy.
Are you going to have turkey Christmas? I do not believe there is any out here. We will probably have duck or old hen.
Had another good offer on my farm in Dakota this week but I am not going to sell it yet. I was looking through my trunk a few days ago and found your tuition card that you bought in K. C. (Kansas City) and never used. I tried to sell it but could not. It is still good if you want to use it or can sell it. I will send it to you. Why don’t you go to K.C. and take the course you started? You surely would not get home sick now.
A great many people are dying out here now from heart trouble and pleurisy-pneumonia. I have had a fierce cold all winter or fall rather. Today makes me think of winter. What did you do Halloween? I did not do anything. Have to be good since I became a D.V.S.C.
Does Mord and Cora still go together or are they married? Who does Frank Parks go with now? How is daddy? Does he have the free place open and go to Athens as often as he used to? How many cows do the boys milk now?
I have a large sign up now in front of the store so if you come to Manilla you’ll have no trouble in locating my office.
Must close for now. Be good and write to me some time. Yours with heaps of love, Charles.”
Check out our podcast website, Diary Discoveries:
