Handwritten Letter Lot Westgate of Fall River MA Lizzie Borden John Browns Grave

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Handwritten Letter Lot Westgate of Fall River MA Lizzie Borden John Browns Grave:
$114.49

WELCOMETO SALLY’S DIARIES:

Upfor sale today are 35 handwritten letters (some of which are 8pages long) and all of them have to do with the Westgate family ofFall River Massachusetts. They date in the 1860’s and then skip tothe 1880’s. Most of the letters are written by George L. Westgatewho was born about 1855 and the son of Abner and Ruth Westgate. Thereis some very historical information surrounding the Westgate family.Abner was a prominent pioneer family of Fall River and owned acabinet shop and warehouse in Fall City. Sadly the big fire of 1843destroyed his business but he soon rebuilt. One of the mostinteresting pieces I found was that the Andrew Jackson Borden thefather of the famous Lizzie Borden (an American woman who gainedinfamy after being tried and acquitted for the 1892 axe murders ofher father and stepmother in Fall River, Massachusetts) actuallyworked as an apprentice for Abner in his cabinet shop. I found an1852 almanac on the web that also lists the shop under the name“Westgate & Borden.”

Georgeattended the Union Wesleyn Theological Seminary in MiddletownConnecticut during the 1860’s. He ends up being a preacher and thena professor of history at “Old” Wesleyn. He married SarahElizabeth Gardner in 1867 and they had three children: Lewis, Maryand Helen. Sadly George died in 1885, a year after the last letter inthis lot. His oldest son Lewis was only 16 years old. There are 7letters from the 1860’s while he’s attending school and then theyskip to the 1880’s and most of those letters are written to hiswife Sarah while he is traveling. He loves to travel but I think alot of it is for his health. Sarah does go with him on occasion andthere are a few very long letters to her son Lewis while she is gone.She doesn’t seem to like traveling as she talks of being veryhomesick. Plus, it’s about this time in her life that her husbandshealth is failing, remember he passes away in 1885. In one of the1883 letters to her son she writes, “If I could see anyimprovement in your father I wouldn’t mind how monotonous the daysare, but I get so impatient.”

Andon a side note, their son Lewis actually became a famous AmericanGeologist. They are great detailed letters concerning the family andtheir travel adventures as you will see in the following examples…..

“MiddletownCt. Jan. 30, 1863

MyDear Parents, Your last letter was duly received with its welcomeitems of home news. If I could tell of as many things which wouldinterest you, I could soon fill my sheet….Tomorrow I intend to goto Berlin, a village about ten miles out in company with my chum, topreach my first sermon. I will not venture to tell you before handwhat it will be, but when I write next I will give you as faithful anaccount as I can of what it was. I have made very little preparation.My college duties have pressed upon me so that I could not. I do notlike to begin so carelessly, but I feel that I must get at least somuch practice as to know how to bear myself before a congregation. Iwish, above all things, to consider this my first effort, new withthe character of a trial which must cling to it, to bemade in the fear and to the glory of God, as I want my wholelife in the ministry to be single labor for the Master.My text will probably be Phil., 4:8 subject, Christian meditation. Inlove, Your son, George.”

“Middletown,Dec. 25th, 1863

DearParents, The letter from father containing the certificate of age,was duly received. The deputy provost marshal promises to remove myname from the list. The enrollment was very carelessly done and anumber who, like me, were under age or who were enrolled elsewhere,found themselves liable to military duty here and were obliged to beexpeditions in securing certificates which would avail to make themsafe…..I am called upon to pay out quite a large sum of money atthe commencement of the term to settle my college bills and meetother demands. We have been obliged to purchase a new stove, too, forthe room. Hence I am in need of money. If you will send me a check atyour convenience, I will be grateful. The sooner, the more it willassist me. Faithfully Yours, George L. Westgate.”

(Thereare several others from the 1860’s but I need to go on. Now theletters skip to the 1880’s I believe as there are a few that haveno date and those are the ones from George to his wife Sarah while heis traveling. I know some of them are 1882 because he talks aboutcelebrating their 15th wedding anniversary. Many of theletters after this next group do have the year.)

“WashingtonDC April 9th,(Sometime in the 1880’s)

DearSarah, One reason I have not written you again before this is that Ihave no good place to write and nothing to write with…...I havespent most of my time about the Capital attending congress and thesupreme court. I have got about enough of it now, but perhaps can useup two days more profitably, now that I am here. I should be verymuch interested in listening to the proceedings of congress, were itnot for the very foul air and the miserable crowd that haunts thegalleries. However, I have learned considerable…..With much love,George.”

“BeedeHouse. July 23, (Sometime in the 1880’s)

MyDear Sarah, Your letter of Thursday morning reached me last evening.I suppose it will be two or three days before I get another as youwill have sent some here which will have to be forwarded. Accordingto arrangement, I leave here tomorrow morning. We expect to takedinner at the Mountain View House, which is our destination. If itsuits me there and I can make satisfactory terms, I shall remain aweek. Perhaps longer. I shall try to get board for $8 a week. I knowI can get it at $9 at Grand View House, five miles farther on. Atleast a young man named Hopkins, who goes with us tomorrow, has hadit offered him at that rate. Neither the Mountain View nor the GrandView is much further from Elizabethtown than this. They are west,this southwest…..With much love for you all, George.”

“Bethlehem,N.H. August 9th,(Sometime in the 1880’s)

MyDear Sarah, I did not enjoy the evening at Lowell as well as I didthe morning…..I am sure I left the house in as good order as Ifound it. I closed every door as soon as I passed trough it, got nota drop of water into the sink, emptied none into the ship jar wipedout bowl and pitcher, etc. etc. I expected myself to do just as youwished and think I succeeded. The board bill for the whole time wewere at the restaurant, including my stay yesterday and this morningwas $11.66. I also paid for the ice we have taken. I think I am notone cent in debt to a single person in Lowell…..I left at 9:20 thismorning and after a delightful car ride alongside the Merrimack, LakeWinnipesaukee and thought the more mountainous region north, reachedhere about 5:30. The Mt. Washington House, which Gov. Howardrecommended, is not a pretentious place. It is full. My room is in acottage near by, though I eat at the hotel. I have the first floorfront room, which, being the family parlor or sitting room, is quitehomelike. My bed is a cot. There is a whatnot in the corner withseveral books on it…...Good Night, George.”

“MountainView House Cascadeville, Essex, Co. N.Y. July 28, 1882,

DearSarah, Yours of Tuesday reached me last evening…..This morning soonafter breakfast I started out to walk, not knowing quite where Ishould go. My only company was the dog belonging to the house named“Sounder.” He was disposed to go and I readily assented. I walkedtowards John Brown’s grave and went on, 3 ½ miles, until I came toit.…...The grave and house, which are close together, were moreinteresting than I expected. The gravestone, which is a very commonslab with the names of John Brown’s father and three sons on it,besides his own, is kept covered and locked to prevent it from beingfurther chipped by relic-hunters. Quite a piece is already gone fromboth corners. Back of the grave is a huge bolder in its naturalposition, from three to six feet above ground, and with an uneven toptwenty feet square in which, by his direction, are cut deeply in therock the words, “John Brown, 1859.” This was what he chose forhis monument. It struck me as a grand idea. In coming back…….Witha great deal of love, George.”

“Bethlehem,N. H. August 12th, 1883,

MyDear Lewi, If you send your letter on Wednesday, I shall have towrite a little earlier than I have been accustomed…..We had to getup for an early breakfast to get ready and start for Crawford’sNotch. Mr. and Mrs. Uazen, Mrs. Southward, Alice, the one who goes toMr. Smith’s school, went at the same time. We got to Crawford’sHotel about ten o’clock and after resting a little, began toprepare to walk up Mt. Willard. The ladies had planned doing that butdecided to ride up and down. So I was the only one except thegentlemen who took the climb. Mr. Uazen, Dr. Bissel from Hartford,your father and myself were the climbers, while two three seatedteams carried those who rode. It was a delightful place to walk inshaded by trees the whole way until we came to the top where was anopen space where we sat looking off at the peaks one above another.Below in the notch was the old Willey House where some fifty yearsago, seven persons were killed by a land slide and rushed from thehouse and were buried under it, while the little red house wasunharmed…..Your affectionate mother. S. E. Westgate.”

Ineed to get these letters listed so can’t quote anymore. One ofthem from Sarah to her son talks about a steamboat trip up LakeGeorge and is long and descriptive. The ones after this I haven’teven read. As you can see someone (certainly not me) has taken thestamps off some of the envelopes. Some of the letters are in greatshape, some only fair.