Volume 11 , Issue 21

Insight Into Grandma

If there are any McClure descendants out there from Illinois related to John C. McClure, I would love to know if he saved the 1904-06 letters that my grandma Constance Warwick of Alva, Oklahoma Territory, wrote to him.

We know John C. McClure's folks had a farm and raised corn around Altona, Knox County, Illinois. It is probably a long shot finding Constance's letters to John, but would love to see if Constance letters of 1904-06 still exist.

This week's insight into Grandma takes us back to August, 1904. John addressed the letter to Constance as: 2231 Franklin Ave, St. Louis, Mo. BUT ... that address was crossed out and "forward Alva, Oklahoma" was written across the envelope with "General Delivery, Aug 31, 1904" stamped on the bottom of the envelope.

So ... Constance had been to the World's Fair in St. Louis, Missouri either in July or the first part of August, 1904.

The Letter begins: "Quincy, Ill., Sunday afternoon, Miss Constance Warwick, St. Louis, Mo. Dear Connie, I will answer your ever welcome letter that I received a week ago yesterday. I suppose you will soon be starting back for the Sunny South.

"I regret very much at not being able to see you. If it had been possible, I would have visited St. Louis on purpose, but don't think I didn't want to see you. I don't expect to go to St. Louis at all, but I am aiming to see every fair that comes in the next hundred years. Don't you want to see them too? I don't know how much longer. I perhaps won't stay much longer than two weeks. I don't know where I will go then.

"I expect everything will be dull when you get back, after being to the world's fair, but you will enjoy the quiet of the country after spending a little time in the roaring city. I think I would enjoy it.

"There is a picnic at one of the parks today. I went to a show last Thurs. eve. It was On the Bridge at Mid Night and was good.

"Where did you go on the excursion? Did you have any boat rides? The Miss. R. (Mississippi River) is very low now. Write me a big long letter when you get home, telling me about the World's fair. Your True Friend, John."
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