1869 Antique Letter Bethany College West Virginia Railroad Survey Steubenville For Sale

1869 Antique Letter Bethany College West Virginia Railroad Survey Steubenville

4 pages Approximately 8\" by 5\"

Product DescriptionUp for sale is a fascinating, highly detailed 3-page handwritten letter dated June 20, 1869, written from Greensburg (likely Pennsylvania). The letter is addressed to a friend nicknamed \"Ike\" and is packed with rich post-Civil War era social history, collegiate gossip, and local industrial history.

The letter features extensive commentary regarding Bethany College (West Virginia) and its recent commencement, mentions of Ann Arbor/University of Michigan, and a rare reference to surveying a railroad route between Steubenville, Ohio and Wellsburg, West Virginia.

• Bethany College Commencement: The writer describes graduation at the historic West Virginia institution: \"Another commencement has passed at Bethany, that good old Mother has sent out about twenty more of her sons to the cold world.\"

• Collegiate & Local Names: Mentions Willie Pendleton (likely related to William K. Pendleton, then-president of Bethany College), J.L. Nelson, J.B. Crenshaw, and a friend named \"Jupe.\"

• Michigan & Ann Arbor: Discusses a friend spending time in Ann Arbor and wonders if he has \"become a good Templar influenced by the moral atmosphere of Michigan.\"

• Railroad & Industrial History: Contains a fantastic regional update: \"Willie Pendleton... has been helping survey a R.R. [Railroad] route from Steubenville to Wellsburg and is now engaged in painting.\"

• Social Gossip & Humor: Includes amusing commentary on friends chasing ladies in Lexington, Missouri, and religious conversions.

• Date: June 20, 1869

• Pages:4 full pages of text written on a folded sheet of period cream paper.

• Condition: Very Good antique condition. The ink remains dark, crisp, and highly legible. Standard mailing folds with minor edge wear consistent with age. No major tears or stains blocking the text.

Perfect for collectors of West Virginia, Ohio, or Michigan history, 19th-century collegiate memorabilia, or early American railroad postal history!