Featured 1893 Letter - Thought you might find it interesting

I believe this was my ex-husband's side of the family. It was in with other old papers we got from his great-aunt's house. They were going to be thrown out. I think the missing signature is Thomas F. Cavanaugh. His great-grandparents were merchants in Taunton. I would love to have the full story. What was he buying in the auction? Land? merchandise to resell? A real mystery.

 

May 1, 1893 was a Monday so the auction was on May 3. The Petersburg, VA newspaper will have details. You can always ask the local reference librarian.

https://www.ppls.org/contact/

Debora

 

Awesome! I will try that. My son and grandson are curious. My ex's great-grandfather was an investor in the Boston-Taunton railroad.The family had money back in those days. Long gone by our generation.

 

I wrote and attached a copy of the letter. I looked at Google Maps and 18 Bollingbrook St is a parking lot now. There are historic buildings next to it and across the street, but the hotel is gone. I googled the hotel proprietor, Julius Liebert and found out he was a German immigrant. I found his descendant on Geni so I've written to see if he's interested in the fact that his ancestor ran the Appomattox Hotel in Petersburg in the 1890s.

 

You're being very thorough. Impressed.

Debora

 

Very cool!!