Imagine the thrill for a professor of Western history to discover a box of letters dating from 1870-72. As Daniel Tyler cautiously opened the correspondence between 27-year-old Leroy Carpenter and 17-year-old Iowa schoolteacher Martha Bennett, he realized he held the voices of emerging love, as well as articulate social commentary. Shortly after meeting Martha in Iowa, Leroy moved to Greeley, Colorado, as part of the pro-temperance Union Colony Pioneers. As revealed in this collection of 54 letters, their intimacy grew and the sweethearts shared views on everything from religion to the women’s vote. Leroy built a house, began to homestead and, 16 months later, returned to Iowa to marry Martha. In 1922, they celebrated their golden wedding anniversary.
Related Articles
-
One of the most famous journalists of his day, Amos Jay Cummings wrote firsthand accounts…
-
Egad! This is an annoying book; half-good and half-bad. Beck does not exactly coat the…
-
At the turn of the 20th century, cattlemen’s associations voiced opposition to steer roping because…
