Browse Items (1533 total)

This letter, from Cousin Annie to Mary, was written in the early years of the Great Depression. The second paragraph depicts how Louisa was the victim of both terrible drought and frosts; the agricultural-based facets of Louisa’s economy suffered…

This form reveals a little bit about the political and economic setting in the Mineral District of Louisa in 1934. J.A. Kent was the Treasurer of Louisa County; he was to receive these tax forms back from the citizens within the Mineral District. …

This receipt, from the Virginia Public Service Company, is dated January 1930; Mrs. L.W. Massie of Louisa, Virginia paid 2.00 for her electrical energy consumption. Calculating for inflation, this would be approximately $26.13 by today’s…

This 1940 Schedule of Farm Income and Expenses, known as Form 1040F by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), was utilized by farmers to calculate their income. The livestock, produce, and services listed – as well as their respective amounts –…

This price comparison sheet from 1931 provides some insight into the value of items of the period. Below is a list of what these items would cost today, calculating for inflation: 100# Sugar $ 71.77 1 Bbl. Flour $ 50.24 10# Meat $ 11.48 1#…

This letter, written in 1936, from the Virginia Compensation Board was copied to Louisa County’s Treasurer, Mr. Russell C. Crank. It outlined the expenses allotted to the office, including Crank’s $3,720 salary, at a total of $5,995. Crank’s…

These instructions, provided to teachers for the 1932-1933 school year, detail important information related to the effective functioning of the schools within the Louisa County Public Schools system. On the third page of this outline, a section…

This hastily-written five-page letter is the first in a series of letters from Alice to Lizzie in December 1937. This particular letter sheds some light on the topics of family and death during the Depression. While little is known about the…

In this follow-up letter, Alice attempts to alleviate some of the tension by explaining how the previous letter's contents were based upon a misunderstanding. It is claimed that Lelia, the "she" referenced in both this letter and the previous one,…

In this final letter from Alice to Lizzie, dated December 17, 1937, the financial issues surrounding the arrangements for Uncle August's expenses have been settled. Just as a reference point, today's equivalent for the $10.00 check given to Alice by…

McGuffey’s Eclectic Readers were written by William Holmes McGuffey and his brother Alexander in the 1830s and 1840s, and were used for decades throughout the US for primary-level students. The Readers emphasized spelling, vocabulary, and formal…

Dick and Jane were the main characters in a series of basic readers written by William S. Gray and Zerna Sharp and published by Scott Foresman, that were used to teach children to read from the 1930s through to the 1970s in the US. This page is from…

In rural parts of Central Virginia in the early 1800s children were home-schooled when there were few alternatives. These pages are from a home made mathematics textbook; the leather cover was home tanned, and the writing was done with a quill pen,…

This letter, written to Louisa County resident Josephine Neal by her mother during the Great Depression. It tells of the unusually warm weather's effect on the family and the many visitors passing through; she also tells of eating melons, family…

This metal sign, posted just a few miles outside of Louisa, was intended to lure tired travelers with the promise of meals and a night's lodging for $2.00 (plus the added attraction of a garage for those who arrived by automobile).

The Louisa…

In spite of the Depression, large scale community events such as parades and fairs were among the most popular entertainments in communities large and small.

The Firemen's Fair was held each July 4th in the Town of Louisa and included…

Long time Town of Louisa resident Marjorie Woolfolk tells 2010 interns Kristin Hicks and Emily Seay her recollections of rationing during World War II.

Mary "E" Wright Mills Richardson narrates how the aircraft warning spotters identified and reported to Richmond any aircraft flying over their assigned sky space. Of course, since most of the spotters were young women, she shares a touch of romance…

In 1866, Lt. Jacob Roth, Assistant Superintendent at the Louisa field office of the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen and Abandoned Land (usually knows simply as The Freedmen's Bureau or B of R.F and AL) sent this report to his superior listing the…

This photograph, taken by Mrs. Virgie Bell, on February 7th 1910, is of the Parrott School in Greene County, its faculty and its students. The school was located on the north side of Amicus Road, opposite what is now the western entrance of the…