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1893 Handwritten Letter East Sumpter MA Frank Hurst Stoughton Temperance Liquor Farm Life
4 pages Approximately 5\" by 8\" with envelope
1893 New England Family Letter — Temperance, Faith & Farm Life | East Sumpter to East Stoughton, Massachusetts
A wonderfully candid and personal handwritten letter dated September 11, 1893, written from East Sumpter (likely East Sumner or Sumpter), Massachusetts, and addressed to Mr. Frank C. Hurst of East Stoughton, Massachusetts. The letter is written on a folded sheet (4 pages of content) and retains its original period envelope with a 2-cent red U.S. postage stamp and legible postmark.
The letter is rich in period content, touching on themes central to late 19th-century New England life:
- Temperance & moral resolve — The writer urges Frank to \"stand firm on the principle of right\" regarding the liquor business, noting that he is \"in the midst of temptation\" but has the family\'s prayers that he may endure \"as a good soldier of Christ\" — a direct reflection of the era\'s powerful temperance movement
- Religious counsel — Warm, earnest spiritual guidance from what appears to be a parent or elder family member
- Farm life details — The second page pivots to vivid domestic and agricultural news: 337 stacks of corn cut, 73 loads of hay and grain, a poor potato crop, calves turned out, and a new garden fence
- Family news — References to Nell, Ed, Leon, Mary Watkins, and trips to Marlow and Walpole; mention of a woman (possibly Sarah) who is \"failing\" in health
Condition: Good to very good for age. Light toning consistent with period paper. Envelope intact with stamp. Some marginal notations written perpendicular to main text (common period practice when filling all available space).
A genuine slice of Gilded Age New England life — faith, temperance, farming, and family all captured in one intimate correspondence.
- Date: September 11, 1893
- Origin: East Sumpter, MA
- Recipient: Mr. Frank C. Hurst, East Stoughton, MA
- Format: Folded letter sheet + original envelope with stamp
