1880s Handwritten Letter East Lempster NH Hurd Family Maple Syrup Sugar Season For Sale

An outstanding multi-page handwritten letter from East Lempster, New Hampshire, dating to the 1880s (April 19, year partially legible). The letter is addressed to Frank (Charles Frank Hurd, per the envelope) at East Stoughton, Massachusetts, and is written by a family member — almost certainly his mother or sister — from the home farm.

The letter is rich with rural New England life detail, centering on the maple sugaring season in progress. The writer describes the sap running, boiling operations, quantities gathered (6 bbls from the east lot, 2 more on the hill), late nights tending the fires, and the challenge of getting syrup into cans and bottles. She discusses selling the syrup, advising Frank on pricing and instructing him to send it back if it won't sell so she can "sugar it off."

Additional content covers: a neighbor named Bea Thoupe and her husband going to Goshen; Minnie visiting the Shaffords and receiving a letter from her brother; a Will who came to Marlowe and needed a ride home; father's advice to Frank about his employer ("you are human and wished to be treated as such — if you can't suit the old fellow, I should not stay with him"); references to city school, Marion, and a minister question; and a charming mention of the sound of sap dropping in the sugar bush.

The lot includes:

• Four pages of letter (written on both sides of folded sheets, with cross-writing visible)
• Original mailing envelope with a 2-cent red stamp (U.S. Scott-era), East Lempster NH postmark
• Newspaper clipping from the East Lempster column of a local paper, describing a 5th wedding anniversary surprise party for Henry Huntley and a birthday reception for Miss Cora Baker at the Huntley home — both events placing this squarely in the same community and social circle

Condition: Very good for age. Light toning, expected fold lines. Writing is clear and legible throughout.

A wonderful primary source document for New England social history, maple sugaring, rural Victorian life, and New Hampshire genealogy — especially Hurd and Huntley family researchers.