This page will be for the old letters I have come across that helped me locate who certain family members were, helped verify dates, told me what their lives were like and many other things. Old letters help us connect with the past. I will be bringing old letters to this site as time permits.
Old letters are a great way to get information for your family research. They have names, addresses, dates,
towns, states and much more information to help you in your searches. Never by pass old letters, cards or
even note pads left in a desk. Sometimes people will start to jot down facts as they get older. I have this
in my grandmother's things, my mother's and my mother-in-law's boxes of memories. They write down dates that
things happen and people's names. You never know just what you might find in old paper work.
Pre
-written postcard from Ben Briggs. Soldiers were supplied postcards that already a message on them,
so they could write home right away. All they had to do was address them home. This one is address to Ben's
mother Lilly (Marti) Briggs.
Address side from Ben Briggs. These postcards did not require stamps. It simply says Soldier Mail
where the stamp goes. Also notice the letter does not have an address, only the name and town.
To
Edith from Ben This is a postcard that was made in France. I was told that the girls there would
make special cards for the soldiers to buy. I am not sure, but, I think the embroidried date, 1919, that I
scanned, with the card, was actually part of this card and was above the part that says "SOUVENIR OF FRANCE".
It was in the box saved with the card. The card is from Ben Briggs to his future wife Edith Knapp telling her
he has a ring for her when he gets home. They were married shortly after he returned home from France.
To
Ben Briggs Card is 3D. This is a Happy Birthday postcard to Ben Briggs from his grandmother Clara
Marti (Clarissa Lestina Barney 1846-1924).
From Clara This is the back of the postcard with Clara note to her grandson Ben on his 21st
Birthday. Ben was 21 on June 19, 1918.
From Frank Knapp 1930 - Page 1 This is a letter from Frank Knapp to his daughter Edith and her
family. He was living in Oregon at that time. According to his obituary he retired in 1925, then moved to Greeley, Colorado, later moving to Washington, Oregon and then California. In 1938 he returned to Nebraska, living one year each with two of his daughters. He was very close with family and wanted to live near each of them for awhile after retirement.
From Frank Knapp 1930 - Page 2
To
Frank D. Knapp 1890-1930 Postcard to Frank D. Knapp after he was injured in WWI. He received the
card while in the hospital in France.
To Ben
Briggs Written in French. I do not know what this card says. If anyone reads French please, let me know
what it says. Thank you.
This letter was folded like many others I have seen that this family wrote. The paper is folded like a card
and then writen on the front as page one, the entire inside as page two and the back of the folded page as
page three. This letter was to Ben and Edith (Knapp) Briggs. Ben was obviously ill in the hospital, possibly
in San Francisco. According to the address Edith was staying with Ben's brother Merle in Oakland, while Ben
was in the hospital. Their son Lee 19 years old and married to Ardeth, stayed home with his sisters Lois and
Jean. This letter is also a great way to see how much things cost at that time. Page
1 Page
2 Page 3
Envelope
