Unknown Date, 1914

Ontonagon Mich
of White Pine
19, 1914

Rockland Mich

My Dear Sweetheart.

How are you I did get up hear and started to work to day I put my first day in. But it surely is lonesome If I am going to feel so lonsesome all the time like I feel now it will be no use for me to try to stay up hear.

Dear it is so good to come up to see the bunch of boys all right but Dear when I think I got stay hear. I can tell you darling that is what take the heart out of me but the rest of the bunch wanted me to stay bad enough so. But sweetheart I suppose we have to make the best of it I will stay for a while now I am up here and then I will try to get work closeher if I can and I am pretty sure that I can but I was luckie to get a job. It was pretty good that I would start out to work so soon.

Well Dear I will start to tell you about the [shuck?] now their was no room for me to sleep in the mining camp so I am staying with Jim and [Rolof?] and Sately. That just sleeping and take my meals at the mine camp. We have got a kind of nice little camp to sleep in. It is a little small for so many of us to sleep in but we got to make the best of it to. The place is a little different than when I was up here be for. Their are a fue log house up here that wan'entn hear when I was hear befor. Sately is going to start to build a house just a small one that will take up some of our time. I suppose we will have to help him out a little.

Darling excuse poor writing I don't know if you will be able to make it out or not if you do it will take you a long time that will be as good as a long letter when it take long time to read it. Oh. Oh. Oh. An't that right Dear.

Sweetheart their are no move picture show up this way to go to or anything to go to. It is sleep eat and work.

Sweetheart I will close now all my love for you darling and kisses. I remain for ever your Sweetheart Al.

I will write again in a fue of days. Write often won't you Dear. I surely feel lonesome. I don't know how you feel but I am lonesome. When you write darling tell all the new won't you. Good night darling.

It don't take so long to say good night when we are so far away. But I do wish that I could be close dear were I could come and see you often. Do you?

I'm going to close my letter again Darling this is as good as to letter when a fellow close it twice in that night Dear. Well good by my sweetheart remember me darling to all rest. When you write tell all the new.

February 27, 1913

North-Lake
Feb. 27, 1913


Dear Cecil,

Just a fue of lines in answer two your post cards. What I got today and was delighted two get tham. And two here that you are still alive and kicking. I was going two send a fast card but can't get any down here. So I thought I would write a short letter.

Cecil you ask how I got back I can't tell you we were just four hours on the train. We got down here about 9 oclock. Of course I don't care so long as I got down here because I like it so well here like fun.

Don't know if I am coming over for six months or not because it take two long on the road. But I suppose it will be different the next time I come over. I don't suppose it will be so stromy. I hope not any way. Or I might change my mind and work over Saturday night. It if don't storm-

Two day I quit work early I had a job ware I had only two work eight hours so it gave me a little more time. I suppose you will be surpprised two get this letter. But I suppose if some of your other fellow know it will be a greater surpprised two me. Oh. Oh, oh. What do you think about it? An't that right? Like if Jack or that Saroye get a hole of it I suppose there will be something doing. But I don't suppose Jack care so much because it is all in the same family. Maybe that will make a different.

But Cecil don't take notic two ever thing that I said on this letter because I was only joking. Well Cecil I will haft to two come two a close.

With very best withes two you, I remain your friend Al.

The bell is ringing for supper so I had two quit writing. A'nt that two bad.

The Setting for the Story - Ontonagon County Michigan

The general setting for Cecilia and Albert's story is Ontonagon County, in the Upper Peninsula (U.P.) of Michigan. It's located in the upper northwest corner of the U.P., right on Lake Superior.

Basically, one of the primary reasons the U.P. was settled (other than for lumber) was for it's large copper deposits. Ontonagon County was one of the many counties where numerous copper mines were operated. Both Cecilia and Albert's families settled in the U.P. after emigrating from England. (Both families of origin were from the Cornwall section of England, where there was a long history of tin mining activity. But when the tin mines there started to "dry up," many workers came to Michigan in the 1800's to the get the new, but already familiar jobs available at the new copper mines.)

Albert grew up within a mining family and started working in the mines when he was still a child.

While Cecilia's father was not a miner, her grandfather was. Thus, she grew up in Ontonagon County, surrounded by a culture that was completely dependent upon the success of the mines.

Ontonagon County is a beautiful area, but it's rugged and cold, even by today's standards. It's also very sparsely populated; an area that has many "ghost towns" from mining days long gone.