“My Own My Ever Loving Arvilla”: Personal Correspondence Brings Life to History (2020)

Ram L. Chugh North Country Research & Public Service Award 2nd Place

The accurate transcription, organization, and annotation of a body of letters was my goal for this independent study. I set about accomplishing this task by completing the transcription of twenty-seven letters from the Lucelia Mills Letter Collection, checking previously transcribed letters, standardizing the letters’ format, researching questions, and annotating the collection. The major finding of this project is that personal correspondence can bring history to life. I examined young–adult life in St. Lawrence County, ca. 1869-1873, through correspondence. I learned that letter–writing reveals much about personal relationships and community ties. Prescriptive rules for letter–writing at the time were followed, to a degree. The correspondence also revealed the importance to North Country people of photographs, as well as modes of transportation and socializing. In this respect, personal letters help historians learn about people’s lived experience.