ADMIN GENERAL 1927 U-Z part 2 Correspondence External

Pine Mountain Settlement School
Series 04: ADMINISTRATION
Admin General 1927 U-Z part 2
Correspondence External
Alphabetical by Name (Wel-Z)

“P.M. [Pine Mountain] cows being driven back to barn.” [bishop_11_001.jpg]


TAGS: administration general correspondence, 1927, Pine Mountain Settlement School, Harlan County KY, philanthropy, donors, equipment, visitors, educational programs, Appalachian folk life, built environment, inventory


ADMIN GENERAL 1927 U-Z part 2 Correspondence External

This selection is Part 2 of miscellaneous administrative correspondence with external friends, donors, and business associates. The letters reveal the many diverse contacts that Pine Mountain Settlement School maintained. The exchanges provide a good window into the day-to-day operations of the institution.

CORRESPONDENCE LIST Alphabetical By Name

(Wel-Z – Images 040-081)

040 Wellington, Dorothy Stiles [Mrs. Lawrence Wellington] from Evelyn K. Wells. May 20. Wells thanks Stiles for her support and gifts. Mentions D. Gostenhofer [Dorothy Gostenhofer ?] and news.

041 Wellman, Gordon B., and Miss Bushe, Wellesley College Services Fund, Wellesley, Mass. from Evelyn K. Wells. May 30. Acknowledges contribution to PMSS. Sends PMSS literature and notes visit from Miss Kendrick.

042 Wellman, Gordon B., Wellesley College Services Fund, Wellesley, Mass. to Evelyn K. Wells. June 14. Wellman responds to Wells nudge for additional contribution and notes the many demands on the Services Fund. He also notes that “even Yenching, our Sister College expects no set sum from year to year.” Suggests that Wells come before the Committee in autumn “with information, financial statements and the needs.” Wellman then adds he is sending $100 dollars more. (2 pages)

043 Wellman, Gordon B., Wellesley College Services Fund, Wellesley, Mass. from Evelyn K. Wells. June 20. Wells advises Wellman that she is well aware of the contribution sources at Wellesley and is grateful for the additional $100 contribution. She agrees to send supporting information to him and notes that “…we live very close to the soil here, and are suffering from a poor crop season, The last tie our crops failed us, our grocery bill went up $2500: So we are worried about next year …”

044 Wells, Grace, Viper, Kentucky from Katherine Pettit. July 11. A note enclosing her coverlet paper that Wells asked for and Pettit requests another and a report on how Grace is doing.

045 West Park Presbyterian Church (Mr. Backora) from Katherine Pettit. March 17. Pettit thanks the boys and girls of the Church who contributed to PMSS and notes that the $8,25 will be spent wisely. Invites Mr. Backora to visit PMSS, briefly describes the program and sends literature.

046 No item [numbering error]

047 Wheeler, Mrs., Food Department Agricultural Institute, Madison, TN. from Katherine Pettit. April 25. Pettit Invites Mr. and Mrs. Wheeler to visit PMSS and gives instructions for their travel. If coming through Cumberland Gap and on through Pennington Gap, “the people there will tell you whether you can get across Stone Mountain to Harlan Town or not. If you can’t do that then you can go on to Lynch. Leave your car at either place, for fifty cents a day, and then come to Laden on the train. From there you can either walk across the mountain , as I do, or get Wilson Lewis to bring you across on a mule. You would have to write him a few days in advance when to meet you —Mr. Wilson Lewis, Nolensburg, Kentucky — and that of course would be a disadvantage for you might find it hard, motoring, to tell just when you will arrive. You would probably not mind the walk across at all, if you had the right kind of shoes, and then you would not have to worry about notifying Wilson Lewis. The mail wagon would fetch your luggage and the mail boy would point out the road to you.”

048 White, Mrs. Edith, [unknown location] from Katherine Pettit. March 24. Pettit notes she is very angry about a clipping sent to her {unknown source and topic]. Reports on Winfield [Winfield Cornett] and his progress in school at PMSS. Pettit reports on work at Line Fork and the Stapletons [Dr. Ida and Rev. Robert Stapleton].

049 White, Mrs. Edith, Shanghai College, Shanghai, China, from Katherine Pettit. April 27. Pettit thanks White for her letter and the news of China. She notes that her friends in Nanking are having a hard time and that Lilliath Robbins (Bates) who worked at Big Laurel was in Dr. Williams’ home when he was killed. She assures White that Robbins and husband, Searle Bates and baby are now in Japan. Pettit remembers her “Around the World” trip and says, “I really believe my trip means more to me every day, as time goes on. “I am just so grateful for the opportunity I had to see all the things that are being done over there and especially for the contacts I had with such people as you in Shanghai College. Is Dr. Chen still at Yale? Wouldn’t I like to hear his discussion of the whole situation?” Pettit describes the garden at PMSS and hopes to see Roberta [Mrs. Roberta Parke, a teacher] …. and Miss Grosbeck [?] as workers next year.

050 White, Mrs. Charles W. White, Pleasantville, New York. from Katherine Pettit. January 27. Pettit appreciates news of Sallie White, daughter of Mrs. White, who is working at Big Laurel (volunteer). Pettit notes how much she enjoyed seeing Sallie dancing the country dances.

051 Whitmore, Mrs. John, Ridgeway, PA, from Ethel de Long Zande. January 15. An acknowledgment of a package sent to the Zande family with clothes for Ethel’s children. Ethel reports that she has the “grippe” [flu] and has been very sick. She asks that her letter be shared with Virginia Whitmore who was a teacher at PMSS 1918-19. (2 pages)

052 Duplicate of 050

053 Whitney, Elizabeth Fay, New Haven, Connecticut, from Ethel de Long Zande. March 9. Ethel responds to Whitney letter from Italy. She wonders if Elizabeth will get to the Dolomites where Luigi’s family originated. Ethel notes that the school year is a very good one and advises that Elizabeth read “Hardscrabble Hellas” in the February issue of Atlantic. [See: Lucien Price, Hardscrabble Hellas: An Ohio Academe (Hudson, OH: Printed for Western Reserve Academy, 1929). … Atlantic Monthly 139 (Feb1927): 153–66.] * Elizabeth Fay Whitney was the daughter of Eli Whitney a direct descent of the inventor of the cotton gin. Eli was President of the New Haven Water Company and President of City Bank and Chairman of the Union and New Haven Trust Co.]

054 Whitmore, Mrs. John, Ridgeway, PA, from Ethel de Long Zande. March 3. Thanks Mrs. Whitmore for clothes for Little Peter [?]. Asks that Mrs. Hall also be thanked for the clothes. Interesting notes on PMSS policy and activity regarding the adoption of abandoned children. Ethel laments the difficulty of taking children along for her weekly medical check-ups. Notes the death of Denver Creech, Granny Creech’s son from an aspirin overdose. His rheumatic fever led to a weak heart. “He took four tablets for a headache and died in less than twelve hours, said Zande. He had an infant son.

055 Wilcox, Elizabeth, [Mrs. William G.] Berlin, Connecticut, from Ethel de Long Zande. January 15. Thanks for the “hoots and sox” that came with a note from Elizabeth. Zande writes, “You will be interested to know that we have some young people here from Kingdom Come and have not lost those from Hell-fer-Sartin, so that you may say we are running the gamut of human experience quite as much at Pine Mountain as you do in other places!”

056 Wilder, Dorris, (regarding) Jellico Grocery Co., Wholesale Grocers, Harlan, KY, to Ethel de Long Zande. November 21. The company writes for a reference for Mr. Dorris Wilder from PMSS for a position as salesman with the company.

057 Wilder, Dorris, (regarding) Jellico Grocery Co., Wholesale Grocers, Harlan,KY, to Ethel de Long Zande. November 23. Mrs. Zande replies with a reference for Dorris Wilder and notes that he is slow but reliable and has a good deal of character and initiative … She believes “he would be a satisfactory salesman.”

058 Wilcox, Elizabeth, [Mrs. William G.] Berlin, Connecticut, from Ethel de Long Zande. January 8. Mrs. Zande writes how appreciative Miss [Ruth B.] Gaines was for the mailing. She also relates that a pair of gloves went to Brit Wilder who said ” ...he had never had a good pair in his life.” 

059 Willson, Mrs. C,C, Beaumont Inn, Harrodsburg, KY. from Katherine Pettit. July 14. Miss Pettit anticipates a visit from Mrs. Willson and gives her directions for crossing the mountain. The directions are comprehensive as is a description of living on campus. (2 pages)

060 No item

061 Willson, Mrs. C,C, Beaumont Inn, Harrodsburg, KY. TELEGRAM from PMSS Office for Katherine Pettit. July 22. “Miss Pettit in Lexington care Waller bullock average date of your coming directly With her. E.K. Wells”

062 Willson, Mrs. C,C, Beaumont Inn, Harrodsburg, KY. from Katherine Pettit. August 2. “I am so sorry the plans for your coming this summer didn’t work out…”

063 Wilson, Barbara, APPLICATION BLANK. Pine Mountain Settlement School, Inc., May 12, 1927. Himedale, IL. Miss Wilson requests a position at the School and describes her interest as follows: “I believe that Pine Mountain interests me because of the indirect contact that I have always had with the settlement. My church, as well as my own family, have been supportive of Pine Mountain for a number of years. For two years I spent my summer at Pinewood Camp where I heard much of Mrs. Zande and her work. It seems that Pinewood and Pine Mountain were installed about the same time and so there is a friendly feeling and interest for the Settlement. Mrs, Zande wrote we had a lovely letter which was printed in our yearbook and so I feel that we are the best of friends although we have never see each other. ..” (2 pages)

064 Wilson, Barbara [DUPLICATE of PAGE 1 OF ABOVE]

065 Wilson, Barbara, [regarding] APPLICATION for Pine Mountain Settlement School, Inc., May 12, 1927. Himedale, IL. to Mrs. Gertrude Tuttle. May 12. Requests a referral to Pine Mountain and notes that she will not be returning to Pinewoods next summer. (3 pages)

066 Wilson, Barbara [regarding] Mrs. Gertrude Tuttle, Director, Pinewood Camp, Brutus, MI, to Ethel de Long Zande. May 15. Mrs. Tuttle recommends Miss Wilson for an internship at PMSS. She describes her as a fine person and looks for ways to increase the collaboration of Pinewoods Camp and Pine Mountain.

067 Wilson, Lillie Marie, Bledsoe, KY to Katherine Pettit. January 8. Asks for help from PMSS for the Straight Creek School, that is often left out of gifts coming to PMSS for children in the community. Miss Wilson hopes to hand out gifts on the last day of school.

068 Wolfe, Mrs. Claude T., Louisville, KY from Ethel de Long Zande. May 3. Mrs Zande asks for assistance in finding housing so a student, Mary Anderson, can come for a dental and medical check with Dr. Abell who has assisted other students from the school.

069 Woman’s Club, Paris, KY. (Helen Hutchcraft) to Evelyn K. Wells. August 4. Helen asks Miss Wells to come speak to the Club and bring her dulcimer and sing some ballads for the Women’s Club or D.A.R.. Both clubs are to meet jointly.

070 Woman’s Club, Paris, KY. (Helen Hutchcraft) from Evelyn K. Wells. August 8. Wells advises Hutchcraft that a great deal of planning will be necessary to manage a trip to Paris to speak and play for the group. She suggests February. Wells asks for a speaking fee of $50.

071 Wood, Miss, …[Letter cropped] Probably from Ethel de Long Zande. January. Letter acknowledges the receipt of gifts to the school

072 Worthington, William A., Rev. , Annville Institute, Annville, KY. to Katherine Pettit. October 4. Asks Pettit if he and his wife might visit Pine Mountain and bring the Secretary of our Board Miss Ruth Rule along. She is the Secretary of the Women’s Board of Domestic Missions and is visiting Kentucky for the first time. He suggests that they may also visit the school at Blackey [……………] and at Leatherwood.

073 Worthington, William A., Rev. , Annville Institute, Annville, KY. from Katherine Pettit. October 10. Pettit is pleased that the Rev. Worthington and guests will visit PMSS and encloses directions for reaching the School. She suggests a stay at Line Fork with Dr. Ida and Rev. Robert Stapleton, as a better alternative than Pine Mountain.

074 Wylie, Thomas, The National Cash Register Company, Dayton, Ohio, to Mrs. Ethel de Long Zande. July 15. He learned of PMSS from friends of his daughter, Miss Mary Ann Smith and Mary Work and became interested in a visit to the School as the couple plan to be in the Pineville area near the 1st of August. They request information.

075 Wylie, Thomas, The National Cash Register Company, Dayton, Ohio, from Mrs. Ethel de Long Zande. July 20. Mrs. Zande writes that a visit would be fine and looks forward to their visit. She sends a folder with information regarding how to get to PMSS and accommodations.

076 Yancey, Jessie O, Los Angeles to Miss Pettit. May 29. Says she is well and gives some thanks to Basil King’s Conquest of Fear. She laments that she did not have PMSS as a nourishing environment and asks Pettit to return to the School as an assistant to Roxy Perkins, the Home Economics teacher and notes she does not require a salary, only board and room. She reminds Pettit that she grew up on a farm and would be interested in working with boys and girls in the Junior Ag. Club. She mentions friends of PMSS and Pettit: Miss Kinkaid, Miss A., Miss Haselette, Miss Akers, Mrs. Morton. 

077 Yancey, Jessie O, Los Angeles from Miss Pettit. June 8. Pettit advises Mrs. Yancey that the work she desires at Pine Mountain is already provided for by Mrs. Browning, wife of the current farmer. Further, she notes there is no room to board at the School and suggests that Jessie come in the summer as a volunteer.

078 Yancey, Jessie O, Louisville, KY, from Miss Pettit. June 17. Pettit responding to a recent letter from Jessie [not provided] says that she believes the plan to take an appointment in Letcher County Emergency work is a good move for Jessie. Pettit notes that Line Fork is fully staffed as is Big Laurel. She mentions the work of Miss Wulf, domestic science teacher at PMSS as continuing to fill the instruction. She provides information on travel to PMSS.

079 Zeigler, Earl F. Rev. The Union Church, Berea, Kentucky, to Ethel de Long Zande. November 16. Rev. Zeigler thanks Mrs. Zande for the hospitality of the School declines to take payment for expenses, and instead, donates to the School to either the Hoy Stock Company (for the Ayrshire herd) or “any other place you care to use it. [$20.00 handwritten at bottom of the letter.]

080 Zeigler, Earl F. Rev. The Union Church, Berea, Kentucky, from Ethel de Long Zande. November 18. Acknowledges the Nov. 16 letter and tells Rev. Zeigler the mountains are covered by snow at the top. Zande encloses $20.00 to cover the cost of Rev. Zeigler’s trip and notes the effectiveness of his talks with students at PMSS, especially his presentation of truths. She asks for recommendations of other speakers.

081 Zimmerman, Louise R. Community Sunday School, Schoharie, New York from Ethel de Long Zande. January 15. Zande thanks Zimmerman for her donation and relay a tale about a bear and Uncle John Shell (who reportedly died at the age of 131 years, — later proved untrue). She tells a tall tale about John Shell and the bear that attacked his dog.


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