This Site displays several letters written from my grandfather "Colon White" to my grandmother "Miss Vasta Rogers"
Grandpa was from Ravenden Springs, Arkansas and he cut timber with his brother, Raymond in Ravenden Springs and around Marmaduke. The area they cut most of the timber was located east of Marmaduke down Peck's Speedway at a community called Mounds.
Grandpa and Uncle Raymond would travel from Ravenden Springs to Marmaduke on horseback. It took them two days to make the trip. Grandpa would tell me they would spend the night in either Delaplane or Beech Grove, then get up and make the rest of the trip the next day.
Times were tough. Grandpa just got back from France while serving in World War I for about 1 year. He didn't tell many stories about the war, but you know that most war veterns leave the stories behind.
Grandpa would leave his love in Ravenden Springs but by looking at the letters, he did not want to go to many church meetings or dances alone. Nor did he plan on Grandma spending her time alone. The letters speak about certain girls he would meet and he would ask about the boys she saw while he was gone.
Even though he worked hard, he would always put humor in the letters. He would tell her how hard the work was and how the crops were coming along. He tells about cows getting in gardens and working "fruit jobs". It took me a couple of times to read this to understand he really meant picking and helping put up a fruit crop.
I hope you have as much fun reading these letters as I have. I want to thank everyone who dug through their treasures to send me copies.
Sit back, read the stories and enjoy the trip.
Dennis