When this you all oh think
of me, though in eternal
bliss I may be. David J. Allen
Sunday, Jan 21st 1883
Norwood NC
When I can
reach my ?? door
This is the back side of the envelope in which Lizzie’s letter came. The handwriting is similar to DJ’s. I need to look at the envelope again as my scanning leaves much to be desired.
On November 28, 1883, David Jones Allen married Rosa Ann Caudle, daughter of John Calvin and Judith Parker Caudle. Perhaps the statement from DN Bennett was regarding purchasing materials to build a house. I would be very likely to believe that if it weren’t for his mother, Nancy, living with him. Maybe he made some improvements to their existing home.
With their marriage came children, the first (Albert B, October 1884) being born within the year. In 1886, their second child Sopherina is born.
By 1887, DJ is a Justice of the Peace for Stanly County, NC.
By 1883, DN Bennett has a ledger and a stamp for his store. His location is Polkton, which is just across the county line from Center (Norwood). The trip would be about 30 miles, which is some distance in 1882.
I can’t read the handwriting well enough to figure out what DJ had purchased. However, $42 for anything back then was an expensive item!
This post is part of a series of transcriptions of letters, papers, receipts, and other ephemera that are held in the Smith Family Collection. All originals are held in this collection, unless otherwise stated.
Rec’d of D J Allen Five + 30/100 Dollars in full
of acct for 1882 to date
Dec’n 9th 1882
H C Turner
On the 1880 census, there is a Henry C Turner who is a merchant in Center, Stanly County. I wonder exactly what he sold.
When this you see think of me
Lizzie McSwain “Lillia” McSwain
David J Allen Esq
Norwood Stanly County Ark
Augus 19th as I did not send my
letter off I will write a little more.
Sisters little girl has been very ill
is some better to day Ma’s Rheuma
tism is some better also she
is at sisters now ma begins
to look tolerable old her hair is
gray, I canot think of any
thing to write I know this
letter will not interest you so I
will quiet
M. E McSwain
description go to this web-site
sweet is the dream devinely sweet
when absent souls in fancy meet
Think of me when far away
your afectionate cousin Lizzie McSwain
This is the back side of the yesterday’s post. I believe M. E. Lizzie McSwain is Martha Elizabeth who was born in Arkansas in 1862. She would be the first of M and Lucy’s children to be born there, the elder children being born in North Carolina. I believe Lizzie later married Charles Kendall, also of North Carolina, and lived out her years in Jefferson County, Arkansas. Whether she ever visited NC, I am not sure.
This post is part of a series of transcriptions of letters, papers, receipts, and other ephemera that are held in the Smith Family Collection. All originals are held in this collection, unless otherwise stated.
Locust Cottage Ark August 14th 1882
Mr David J Allen
My dear cousin David you will
pleas pardon me for not writing sooner, and
I will promis to do better in the future. I
was glad to hear from you. I thought perhaps
you was married, and did not care to write
to your cousin any more. well this leavs us
all as well as cousins. ma has not been in
good health for some time she is afflicted
with Rheumatism she is able to set up most
of the time, but cannot do much.
well crops are good, better than they have been
for two or three months years there will be
plenty of corn + cotton made this year
wheat and oats were fine.
I am going to school now. Brother Gabe is
Teaching the school, he has 25 pupils a
bad set two, it keeps him busy to keep
us strait. I wish you could be here some
Friday to hear us speak and spell (and help us play
Play Ball) I think you could afford to come
+ see us one time. I would be so glad to see
you I have heard so much about you
Well I am studying Grammar History
Geography + Philosophy. I am to precent +
Precentage in Arithmetic. I will have to stop
As I want to send this off to the office
Write soon to your cousin
Lizzie McSwain
I’ll post the rest of this letter as well as the envelop tomorrow. As the envelope is postmarked Toledo, Ark, I started looking around that area to help me figure out just what the word was before Cottage. I’m still not convinced it says Locust, but there is a Locust Cottage just north of Toledo, Ark on an 1883 map.
I haven’t found much on the McSwain family of Arkansas and how they got there. I believe Lizzie may be Martha Elizabeth McSwain who married a Charles E. Kendall and lived her life in Jefferson County, Arkansas. If I’ve found the right person, she’s the daughter of M. & Lucy McSwain. I haven’t researched the McSwain line at all and hope to find some of the McSwain family information in these Allen Papers as I continue moving through them.
This post is part of a series of transcriptions of letters, papers, receipts, and other ephemera that are held in the Smith Family Collection. All originals are held in this collection, unless otherwise stated.
Registry Treceipt
Post Office at Norwood, NC
Registered Letter No 48 Rec’d Mar 15, 1882
of D.J. Allen
addressed to Southern Methodist Pub House
Nashville TN
P.W. Melton PM
This post is part of a series of transcriptions of letters, papers, receipts, and other ephemera that are held in the Smith Family Collection. All originals are held in this collection, unless otherwise stated.
Feb 25th 1882
This is a Specimen of my Writing after Writing
Ten days at Swaringens School House Stanly Co
Norwood N.C. D.J. Allen
So, perhaps after his first class at Zoar church, DJ participated in a second class? He was still a rather young man, having just turned 23. Why such interest in good penmanship? This is the first signature, perhaps only, I have for young Jones, as he is listed on the 1880 census.
I can find nothing on Swaringen’s School House in Norwood. I don’t have a Stanly County History Book in my possession, so I’ll check that the next time I’m at the library.
This post is part of a series of transcriptions of letters, papers, receipts, and other ephemera that are held in the Smith Family Collection. All originals are held in this collection, unless otherwise stated.
Rec’d of D.J. Allen fifty seven 95/100 dollars
amt ?? to date Dec 8th 1881
J. A. Tyson
Here we have J. A. Tyson again. The John Tyson I find living in Center, Stanly County, NC in 1880 is indexed as John H, but I think the H could actually be an A. John Tyson was a physician in Center.
This post is part of a series of transcriptions of letters, papers, receipts, and other ephemera that are held in the Smith Family Collection. All originals are held in this collection, unless otherwise stated.
Register of Members (Macedonia)
Names transcribed to the best of my ability. Corrections are welcome!