20th Century

Dear Bessie: To close another long lonesome Sunday, I will drop you just a few lines to tell of its doings. As I wrote you a day or so ago, that I expected to spend a portion of the day at Roy’s, so I did. Went there at 12 noon for Sunday dinner. Had stewed chicken and rice, with tomato soup for a starter. Ended up with apple sauce, cookies and coffee. Mrs. H. does her cooking on a single gas burner. Is a good cook and a pleasant hostess. Dinner over they took me out to see the “Forestry Building” at the old exposition grounds. It is an immense log structure made of Oregon timber, and is the biggest thing of its kind (so said) in the world. From there we came back to the house, and Mrs. H. entertained us by singing a number of her favorite songs. She is quite a vocalist. Roy read me a recent letter he received from Bland, in which Bland “boasts” his new wife. Roy’s wife will leave in a day or so for a visit to her home folks in Cal. I think you would like her. She is very pleasant, sensible and I should think of the unusual kind. Roy seems very fond of her. From what I could gather they seem quite fond of each other, but without any silliness whatever. I enjoyed being with them very much, and upon leaving expressed a desire that the hospitality shown me might at some future time be returned by me in our home. Mrs. H. expressed her pleasure at meeting me, and said they had asked me today to dinner because they wanted me. This seemed genuine, and their treatment certainly bore out the remarks. I am sorry not to have heard from you for several days. Your card of the 2nd is the last word I have had from you. I trust you are not sick and not able to write me. If such should be the case, I should like to know, and if it is necessary for me to be with you. If you are not sick, I do not see why you can’t at least let me have a card from you daily. I have requested you do this so many times. But if you are not sick I suppose you feel you have so much more that is more interesting than writing to your “stick” of a husband, that you just don’t do so. If you don’t soon let me hear from you, I think I will just wait until I do hear from you. Not so much rain today, as usual, but of course some rain. With my dearest love to you, and lots of kisses for the little ones, Lovingly your husband, Geo. W.D.

Meal Description Stewed chicken and rice Tomato soup Applesauce, cookies, coffee 👉 Classic early 1900s middle-class meal 👉 Emphasis on: Simplicity Hospitality Home cooking 🏠 Domestic Technology “single gas burner” 👉 Important detail: Gas cooking was still relatively modern Suggests modest but urban household 🎶 Entertainment Singing in the home Reading letters aloud 👉 Indicates: Pre-radio domestic entertainment Social evenings centered around: Music Conversation Shared reading

Historical Note

🌲 The Forestry Building (Major Historical Reference) Built for the 1905 Lewis & Clark Exposition Famous for: Massive logs All-wood construction Claimed “largest of its kind in the world”