Isabel has kept this letter, the oldest one, with many other letters.  This letter, along with all the other ones, represents very important happenings in her life.  Contentious, romantic and uncertain times are what this entire bundle of letters contains over an 8 year period in her life from 1894 to 1904.  She is a woman who has little written about her in Canadian and United States historical documents. No mention of her daughter, Dulcie, or of her husband, York, is made in any articles or books where she and her political affiliations are mentioned.

In 1894, moving to different living arrangements was not easy.  There were no automobiles for putting one’s belongings into.  One had to find a friend or hire someone with a horse drawn carriage to carry their treasures to their destination.  Then, their possessions were packed into large trunks, primarily designed for traveling, to be hoisted into the carriage.  The significance of this is that carrying these letters over the years to several different locations shows the level of importance they held to their owner.

Isabel, it seems, was secretive about certain aspects of her life except to those who were very close to her.  As we read through the 36 letters and combine what they tell us with  historical facts through research, the significance of Isabel retaining each one becomes clear. 

How did they get left behind?  The letters were found  by my grandmother in the late 1940s or early 1950s.  She had purchased a house in Lynn, Massachusetts and this old falling-apart barn was included with her purchase.  The steamer trunk sat inside the barn, seemingly untouched as inside it were the letters I am writing about today. 

Did Isabel one day not have enough room on the carriage and have every intention of returning for them?  Or did she decide to leave the trunk and to start a new life with a clean slate?  Perhaps she lived and died at the home in Lynn and had stored these letters away for safe keeping.  As we journey through these critical pieces of history, some of these questions may be answered and others will remain a mystery.