LEON DESCHAMPS Correspondence

Pine Mountain Settlement School
Series 09: BIOGRAPHY – Staff
Leon Deschamps, Forester and Teacher, 1920s
Correspondence, 1921-1960

Leon Deschamps with two other workers. [X_100_workers_2532.jpg]

TAGS: Leon Deschamps correspondence, Pine Mountain Settlement School, May Ritchie, Ritchie family, WWI, Belgium, forestry, farming, agriculture, silviculture, industrial training, Katherine Pettit, William Browning, Ethel de Long Zande, Luigi Zande, Carol Deschamps, Mr. Manning, Evelyn Wells, Elizabeth Hench, George Peabody College, Bognert Bros., Mrs. John C. Campbell, Perfect Acre, John C. Campbell Folk School, Hubert Hadley, Glyn Morris, reservoir, Darwin D. Martin, (Mary Rockwell) Hook, Mildred Mahoney

LEON DESCHAMPS CORRESPONDENCE
July 11?, 1921 – September 8, 1960

[NOTE: All letters to Deschamps are typewrItten carbon copies for the Office files, therefore usually unsigned. The addressees would have received the signed original letters.]

1921-1923

[001] July 11(?), 1921
[unsigned] “KP” (Katherine Pettit) to Deschamps in Milford, PA: Miss Gaines; Mr. Browning; Golden and Justus; Boone; Mrs. (Ethel de Long) Zande; Leon’s return to PMSS.

[002] May 12, 1922
[unsigned] “E?”, probably Ethel Zande, to Leon, c/o V. Bogart Co., Lexington, KY: Lonesome without you and May; Carol; encloses salary check.

[003] May 31, 1922
[unsigned] to Deschamps in Brussels, Belgium: Mrs. Morton; visited Hindman and Miss Furman, Kelly Day and family; gardens; forestry; Rest Cottage; Mr. Browning; Colon and Golden.

[004] July 22, 1922
[unsigned] “EZ” (Ethel Zande) to Deschamps c/o Balus Ritchie, Viper, KY: Leon back with May and Carol again; please order Farm Forestry book.

[005] Nov 7, 1922
[unsigned] to Leon: Miss Pettit and I agree that PMSS ought not to acquire Leon’s estate in settlement of the notes the School holds against him, but that the School should have a cash return; Mr. Mensell agrees; Mr. Browning; mortgage; insurance papers; Luigi (Zande).

[006] July 10, 1923
[unsigned] “EZ” (Ethel Zande) to Leon and May, c/o V. Bogart Co., in Lexington, KY: New baby to arrive; Carol; Mother and Helen (de Long) miss you; new bridge over creek; church building; swimming pool; mortgage; Physical Geographics from The American Book; Dryers High School Geography; babies; teachers.

[007] July 10, 1923
[unsigned] to Leon Deschamps in Lexington, KY: Cannot find Leon’s papers in the vault; Miss [Bessie V.] Gaunt is away; ask Mr. [Charles N.] Manning.

[008] Aug 29, 1923
[unsigned] “KP” (Pettit) to May (Deschamps) at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Lexington, KY: Greetings to you and new baby; encloses a letter; Carol is well cared for.

1924

[009] March 13, 1924
[unsigned] “EZ” (Ethel Zande) to Rebecca R. Mack in Chicago, IL: Asks for suggestions for young man (Deschamps) who has been teaching French, and science at PMSS and wants to get ahead professionally; describes his credentials; Miss (Evelyn) Wells sorry to miss talking at the Faulkner School in Chicago.

[010, 010a] March 14, 1924
[unsigned] “EZ” (Ethel Zande) to Miss Mina Kerr, Executive Secretary, AAUW, Washington, DC: Asks for suggestions for young man (Deschamps) who has given up forestry and has been teaching French, physics and general science at PMSS; wants to specialize in French, which isn’t needed at PMSS; describes his credentials.

[011] March 14, 1924
[unsigned] “EZ” (Ethel Zande) to Elizabeth Hench in Indianapolis, IN: Same letter as [010].

[012] March 14, 1924
[unsigned] “EZ” (Ethel Zande) to Miss Amy Burt at Central Michigan Normal School, Mt. Pleasant, MI: Same letter as [010].

[013] March 15, 1924
[unsigned] “EZ” (Ethel Zande) to “Friends” at Peabody College, Nashville, TN: Asks for information.

[014] n.d.
Description of Deschamps’ character and credentials. Handwritten signature “Katherine Pettit.”

[015] March 20, 1924
“To whom it may concern”: Description of Deschamps’ character and credentials (with handwritten notations). Handwritten signature: “Ethel Zande.”

[016] March 20, 1924
Evelyn Wells, Secretary, Pine Mt. School “to whom it may concern”: Draft letter of recommendation for Deschamps.

[017] March 22, 1924
Mina Kerr, Exec. Secy., American Association of University Women in Washington, DC, to “Ethel” (DeLong Zande): Responding to March 14 letter: Will forward Deschamps’ name to Mr. Fisk, whom she knows well; AAUW information.

[020] March 25, 1924
Everett O. Fisk to Mrs. Zande: Received copy of Zande’s letter from Miss Kerr; will waive Deschamps’ registration fee; cannot give strong encouragement because of his lack of a college degree and that he is “born in a foreign country.”

[021] March 25, 1924
Fisk to Kerr: Informs Kerr of his response to Mrs. Zande.

[018] March 26, 1924
[unsigned] “EZ” (Ethel Zande) to “Mina” (Kerr): Thanks Miss Kerr, provides Deschamps’ name, invites her to visit.

[022] n.d.
[unsigned] “EZ” (Ethel Zande) to “Gurry” (G.E. Huggins, NYC): Introduces Deschamps and asks for information about working in an export house as an interpreter.

[019] April 1, 1924
[unsigned] “EZ” (Ethel Zande) to Mr. Everett O. Fisk, Fisk Teachers’ Agency Boston, MA: Appreciates Fisk’s interest in Deschamps.

[023] May 23, 1924
[unsigned] “EZ” (Ethel Zande) to “Leon” (Deschamps), care Bognert Bros., Lexington, KY: Miss Wells heard from Mr. Holt that export business is doing very poorly.

[024] June 6, 1924
[unsigned] “KP” (Katherine Pettit) to Dr. William J. Hutchins, Berea College, Berea, KY: Recommends Deschamps for a position.

1925-1927

[025] February 17, 1925
[unsigned] “EZ” (Ethel Zande) to “Sirs” at Peabody College, Nashville, TN: Asks about length of time to study for a college degree to teach French.

[026] Februrary 17, 1925
[unsigned] “EZ” (Ethel Zande) to “Sirs” at Univ. of North Carolina at Chapel Hill: Asks for information about courses to study and length of time to get a degree.

[027] June 2, 1925
[unsigned] to Dr. Bruce Ryburn Payne at George Peabody College, Nashville, TN: Mentions mutual friend, Mrs. John C. Campbell; Asks Payne to help Deschamps find a teaching or tutoring job while attending Peabody.

[028] June 5, 1925
[unsigned] to The Registrar, George Peabody College, Nashville, TN: Note introducing Deschamps.

[031, 031a] June 7, 1925
“Leon” (Deschamps) from Peabody College, Nashville, TN, to Zande: Will work for a degree and stay in teaching: Still interested in staying at Pine Mt.

[029] June 8, 1925
Secretary to the President, George Peabody College to Zande: Acknowledging her letter; will be of any assistance possible to Mr. Deschamps.

[030] June 11, 1925
[unsigned, probably Zande] to “Leon” at Peabody College: Informs Deschamps of letter from Peabody College; waiting for answer from candidate for principal’s position.

[032] June 15, 1925
[unsigned] “KP” (Katherine Pettit) to Deschamps: Mentions her memories of Dr. Bruce Payne; PMSS has new preacher.

[033, 033a] Aug 3, 1925
Deschamps to Zande: Updates on his job search; will seek a part-time position in a small college and continue taking courses at Peabody; asks for letters of recommendation.

[034] Aug 7, 1925
[unsigned] “EZ” (Ethel Zande) to “Leon”: Job search results may improve in August; Mrs. Ritchie; Truman; Bessie Mary; election; Boy’s House housemother has arrived.

[035] Oct 15, 1925
[unsigned] “KP” (Katherine Pettit) to “My dear Friends” (Mr. and Mrs. Deschamps): We still miss Aunt Sal, too; Nance Lewis; graveyard; Columbus (Creech); English ivy; visitors (Liliath Robins and husband, Turkish gentleman, Dr. Abell, moving picture makers, three Pittsburgh dentists, Berea people, preacher); Perfect Acre; walnut trees; Limestone Branch; potatoes; Mr. and Mrs. Browning; forest fire danger; fire line; Mr. Zande.

[036] Nov 2, 1925
[unsigned] “KP” (Katherine Pettit) to Deschamps: fossils; ask Mrs. John C. Campbell about work in NC; ask about Community School at Star, NC; write to Miss Furman in FL; shooting at Turkey Fork involved [ ?] Turner and Floyd Smith.

[037] Nov 3, 1925
[unsigned] “EKW” (Evelyn K. Wells) to Deschamps: Received note from President Morgan of Antioch to Mr. Zande asking about Deschamps studying there.

[038, 039] Nov 9, 1925
[unsigned] to “Leon”: article on dialect; workers’ charades.

[040] Dec 9, 1925
[unsigned] “EZ” (Ethel Zande) to “Leon”: Article on dialect; will send box of things for family; Hugh Irvin died; Uncle John & Aunt Louise; carols.1926 & 1927

[041, 041a] Jan 6, 1926
Deschamps to Zande: Applied to 80 private schools; Deschamps’ record of education and experience; mechanical drawing; Carol;

[042] n.d.
Deschamps in Brasstown, NC [no salutation]: community building; Mrs. Campbell; Mr. and Mrs. Lange; John C. Campbell Folk School.

[043] August 27, 1927
[unsigned] “EZ” (Ethel Zande) to “Leon”: Asks Deschamps to pay towards his loan from PMSS; Granny Creech.

[047] Aug 29, 1927
Deschamps in Brasstown, NC, to Zande: Describes his plans to pay on his debt; Luigi’s letter; Zande’s health; [handwritten notations on this letter indicates payments and balances].

[044, 044a] n.d.
Draft of a mortgage statement (with blanks) indicating that Deschamps would sign over his mortgage on a Pine Mt. property to (blank, possibly PMSS) in order to pay his debt, if he doesn’t pay the debt in thirty days.

[045] Feb 22, 1927
[unsigned] “EZ” (Ethel Zande) to “May” (Deschamps) in Brasstown, NC: Granny Creech; Reny; Hattie’s new baby, Denver; Mallie ready to make the puffs when May sends the wool: Carol; Berto.

[046] various dates
Handwritten list of interest payments to 9/1/27 and balance due for year 1928-29.

1928

[048] April 17, 1928
[unsigned] “EKW” (Evelyn K. Wells) to “Mr. Deschamps”: Asks about missing French record for student Vergil Smith which is needed for Berea credit; Kitty; misses Ethel Zande.

[049] July 2, 1928
[unsigned] “KP” (Katherine Pettit) to Deschamps: Asks Deschamps permission to clear underbrush from the Perfect Acre; ironweed, dock, ragweed; Mr. Browning; Kitty; KP’s visit to Brasstown.

[050] July 16, 1928
Deschamps to “The Secretary” at PMSS: Payment of interest on debt.

1930-1932

[051] Dec 12, 1930
Deschamps to “The Secretary” at PMSS: Payment of interest on debt; PMSS refuses offer of his “transit” as part payment.

[052] Dec 18, 1930
[unsigned] “HH” (Hubert Hadley, Director) to Deschamps: Explains why PMSS cannot take Deschamps’ transit.

[053] July 27, 1931
Deschamps to “The Director” at PMSS: Asks for statement of his account.

[054] July 30, 1931
PMSS Bookkeeper to Deschamps: Sends statement to Deschamps.

[055, 056] Aug 2, 1931; Sept 10, 1931;
Deschamps to PMSS: Payment of interest on debt; handwritten calculations.

[057] Sept 13, 1931
PMSS Bookkeeper to Deschamps: Sends receipt; handwritten notation.

[058] Oct 22, 1931
[unsigned] “GAM” (Glyn Morris, Director) to Deschamps: Welcomes him to PMSS for a week’s visit; reservoir’s main water line has burst.

[059] Jan 10, 1932
Deschamps in Brasstown, NC, to Darwin D. Martin in Buffalo, NY: Asks Martin to use his influence to remove interest charges from his PMSS debt; Morris has asked Deschamps to visit PMSS for consultation but must credit travel expenses against the debt; visited Mr. Zande in Asheville, NC.

[060] Jan 15, 1932
Martin to Morris: Encloses Deschamps’ Jan. 10 letter; agrees to Deschamps’ request if Mr. Manning concurs.

[061] Feb 20, 1932
Morris to Manning: Asks Manning’s opinion of Martin’s request.

[062] Feb 24, 1932
[unsigned] Director to Deschamps: Mr. Manning of the Security Trust Co., agrees to waive interest on debt if principal is paid in 6 months; School will pay for Deschamps’ visit.

[063] March 10, 1932
Deschamps to Morris: payment on debt; re-negotiates Mr. Manning’s proposal.

[064] March 15, 1932
[unsigned] Director to Deschamps: Waiting to hear from Manning; asked for Deschamps’ plans to visit.

[065] March 22, 1932
Manning to Morris: Re-negotiates Deschamps’ request; handwritten notation indicates forwarding this letter to Deschamps.

[066] March 24, 1932
Morris to Deschamps: Typewritten version of handwritten notation on [065].

[067] April 5, 1932
Deschamps to Morris: Thanks Morris for his efforts concerning the debt; will try to pay monthly; will visit PMSS for consultation if expenses are paid; handwritten note indicates expenses will be deducted from his debt.

[068] April 8, 1932
Morris to Deschamps: Typewritten version of handwritten notation on [067].

[069] May 3, 1932
Deschamps to Morris: payment on debt; cannot say when he will visit.

[070] Dec 6, 1932
Deschamps to Morris: Payment in settlement of his debt.

[071] Dec 17, 1932
Morris to Deschamps: Thanks Deschamps for settling debt and invites him to visit.

[072] Dec 20, 1932
Deschamps to Morris: Received receipt, but also requests the “note” so that he can ‘destroy it.”

1936 & 1940

[073] April 29, 1936
Deschamps to Morris: Visited with Pettit in Lexington; PMSS received gift to rebuild the shop; Frank Smith; Jack Niles.

[074, 074a] April 1, 1940
[unsigned] to Deschamps: Welcomes Deschamps to PMSS to spend the summer to help Mrs. (Mary Rockwell) Hook with stonework and carpentry; asks him to be foreman for the construction of Laurel House and girls’ house on Pole House Hill; states living arrangements and terms.

[075] April 21, 1940
Deschamps to Morris: Advice about buying pine lumber.

[076] April 30, 1940
[unsigned] to Deschamps: Delay in plans; expecting Hook soon; asks Deschamps to help with girls’ house.

[077] May 19, 1940
Deschamps to Morris: Too busy at Campbell Folk School to come to Pine Mountain.

1960

[078] Sept 7, 1960
Deschamps in Swannanoa, NC, to “The Director” at PMSS: Asks for a copy of the PMSS calendar.

[079] Sept 8, 1960
Mildred Mahoney, PMSS Secretary, to Deschamps: Will send 1954 calendar; Burton Rogers is on vacation; invites Deschamps to visit PMSS.