An Attic Archive, a Century in the Making

In 2015, a brown paper grocery bag full of letters, postcards, booklets, and ephemera surfaced during the sale of an estate in Traverse City, Michigan. Most of the letters were written a hundred years ago by a man named William Foote to his wife Grace while William was serving in France with the YMCA during World War One. This blog tells the story of that collection, day by day, a century after it was created.

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February 17-18, 1919

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Excerpts from letters mailed together and dated February 17 and 18, 1919 My Dear Grace – Rec’d your letter this afternoon, some parts of it were just fine, but I see you opened up family matters again, I just wrote you a letter and tore it up so Ill try and keep off of that questions, No I have not received any Xmas box from any one this year, I guess it landed in France all right, as I received a card from [illegible] that there was a box there and also a card from Brest, that there was a box there for me, I filled out my slip and sent them back about Xmas time but, I never received either box… My there have been thousands of horses passing here all day to day, the British are shipping them home I guess… My Dear Grace – This is a nice warm morning just like it is home in May. the birds are all singing and every thing looks quite springey but perhaps in a hour or so, things will look different, I got thro’ work last night before dark which is about six o...
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February 15, 1919

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Excerpts from February 15, 1919 My Dear Grace – Have a few moments to spare, so will write you a few lines… Ten months to-day and starting on the eleventh, and by the time you answer this will be on my last Month, and getting ready to come home, So you had better tell me just what you are going to-do when you answer this, Is Ethel coming with you, she told Ralph that she wasn’t coming to New York, but I guess she was just kinda sore in that letter, she no doubt. will be there with bells on. I would suggest that we go to the Hotel Laytham, the one Ralph and I stopped at when we came over, if we could not get rooms then have it for headquarters untill we found each other, that is if we arrived first we would leave our address with the clerk, or if you arrived first and could not get room leave your address with the clerk. as it will be quite difficult for you to be right there when the boat arrives, and you might now know which, dock we were to dock at so if, I do n...
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September 1, 1918

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With his September 1 letter, will enclosed a copy of a letter subscribing Grace to The Stars and Stripes for six months in which he also submitted an unknown piece of news for potential inclusion in that newspaper. Excerpts from September 1, 1918: My Dear Grace - Sunday the first day of Sept. my time does fly doesn't it, has it seemed long to you dear,? When I think of you, it does seem long, but I have been so busy since I left home that it seems quite short, when I think of all the things I have done It is quite cool here to day, begins to act like fall, think I will put on little heavy underware soon, In fact I haven't been out of the house this afternoon on account of its not begin warm, but Pat and I are going for a walk soon... This division of the Y M C A is growing by leaps and bounds now days we get several new sectors every day, It has been quite nice for Pat and I that we were one of the first ones in this Div. as we can see how it has grown ...
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