Mailboxes along the roads and old barns set back in fields overgrown with weeds often served as landmarks in rural Montana.  These landmarks told us where we were and how far we had to go.

Sometimes they signaled “home”  and the end of the road.  At other times,  barely visible through swirling snow, they told us we had miles to go.

The things I share here each Sunday simply reference one of the mailboxes of my memory, one of the old barns along a distant road.  Today’s MBOB is a continuation of someone else’s Mailboxes and Old Barns–my parents.   Last month I shared Dad’s  January, 1926 courtship letters.   These are the February letters, written 87 years ago when he was 27 years old.  Their wedding was on April 10 so at the end of March one more round of letters, the last,  will be published.

Feb 11—1926

Dear Bubbles.

Well how are you this bright morning. Hope you feel fine like I do. Have just had my breakfast, so I will write you before I get hungry again.

I got home alright last Monday even if it was rather late. The roads were pretty wet and heavy all the way, but the little Ford kept plugging.

Last night I was to Y.P. meeting at Ole Olsens. There was quite a bunch there; about 25 or 30 I guess. Mrs. Olsen said it was something new to see me in again. In a couple of months I’ll take you with me then they can see the reason for my frequent absence now. You are a pretty good reason anyway.

Say; my finger is Size 11. Did you says yours was 7 or 7 ½? I can’t remember six inches these days, but I think it was 7 ½.

I forgot to ask you what time of the day you are going to have that wedding. You might tell me next time you write. And by the way; will you please write a day or so sooner next week, because it will lose a day.  I am thinking of getting new window shades, at least for the two south rooms, dining and front bedroom. I suppose you want those buff ones, like Vita’s. The ones in there now are nearly new, but they can be moved in the kitchen and other rooms where they are needed. Do you want the front bedroom or the one by the kitchen? Of course, I’ll keep my den.

I had a fine washday Tuesday. Used snow water. Even got the ironing done. Oh, I’m some bachelor. We cleaned wheat yesterday,. Almost done now. Guess I am going up to see Walter & Nina some evening this week.

This about all the news I have this time. I hope you are well and happy, looking forward with joy to April 10, you may be sure I am doing so. Will write you on next Tuesday and tell you what the sheriff done to me.

Your

Immanuel

Feb 16—1926

Dear Sweetheart.

Well here I am all settled down for a week or two.  (Note: he was serving on jury duty)

We’ll probably get out about the 25^th if everything goes on schedule. That’s not so bad.

Albert Jensen and I got a room together, so I have some company.

I hope the roads smooth out a little before the 28th else it will be a slow trip north but I am coming anyway.

The court sessions are held in the Palm room of the Sherman hotel and a swell place it is to be sure. Haven’t been on any cases yet. Was examined for a jury this morning but I knew too much about that case so they couldn’t use me.

I was up by Walter & Nina’s Sunday. Willie’s drove to Sidney last Saturday, coming back next Sunday. I did their chores.

Haven’t got many news this time it seems. Of course, I got your letter Saturday and was glad to hear from you. It’s good you are busy; then the time goes sooner. I’ll have enough to do when I get home again, to prepare for everything for the coming event.

I may write you another letter the last of the week if I get lonesome. It’s a kind of visit with you but not anywhere like the real thing. I surely love my Edith and long for the happy day.

Say, do you want two rods on the double window or one long one to reach clear across. Of course I know you want the double rods in any case.

I’ll be looking for a letter from you pretty soon now.

My heart “or something inside anyway” is so full of love and longing for you that I can’t begin to express it.

It was a happy day that I met you, and know there are many more in store for us.

Greet everybody and excuse my scribbling. Am writing on my suitcase.

Love from your

Immanuel

  

Feb 20–1926

Dear Sweetheart.

I rec’d your welcome letter this morning and certainly was glad to hear from you. Don’t know for sure if I can get off today and go home over Sunday. Court won’t sit until Tuesday morning as Monday is a holiday. Proceedings are going very slowly. Only on the 3^rd jury case yet and there are at least 6 more. We may move faster later on.

(**See Wikipedia link/info below, describing the accident he mentions here) A week ago 2 boys in a Ford disappeared. No search was made for 5 days as their folks, who live south of the river, thought they were visiting their uncle north of town. Then Wednesday evening, the car was located in the river, where there was a hole. It took 24 hours to get the car out, but both bodies were recovered.

I saw them last night. The funeral will be tomorrow “Sun” afternoon at the Presbyterian church. If I don’t go home this P.M. I am going to attend.

It surely is terrible for the parents to lose their boys that way. They were 18 and 21 years, and real fine looking fellows. You might tell your dad that Paul Nielsen is also here these days.

I haven’t got any news you would care to hear. Every day is about alike. Lawyer arguments and an awful lot of air being wasted. I always want to live at peace with everything, so there will be no occasion to go to court. A person will surely be made a fool there if he never was one before.

So you thought I had got tired of you? Well I guess not so soon.

It snowed a very little here this morning, but has stopped again. Hope there don’t come any more; also that I get out before the 28^th. Wouldn’t it be awful if there went 4 weeks between our visits.

I forgot to tell you last time that I had a card from Esther, inviting me to Y.P.M.  (Young People’s Meeting) at Hansens, and of course to go around after you. She don’t ask much. I wrote her a note expressing my regrets. I guess she is lonesome for big Sis at times. Say, we will drive to Sidney on your birthday if it is possible and see ‘em all. But then I suppose Esther will be home.

Just read your letter again. Yes, time does fly. Only 7 weeks from today is the happy day. After my next visit I’ll get right down to the final preparations. We must have a good talk about everything so we can get it all straight.

Knute’s springs suits are coming in during March, so I will be able to get the pick of a full stock. Oh happy day soon a-coming. Last night Albert and I were down in the Clerk & Recorder’s office and saw how everything was handled there. He is a former Dane Valley man, and we had quite a visit.

I get paper for nothing today so I am smearing a lot of it up. This is not where I stay, but court is held here and there is such a big nice lobby to sit in, so we hang out here between sessions.

I guess this is all now. Will write the first of the week again, and hope for a speedy wind up.

Your true love

Immanuel

I cannot express on paper everything I want to. May our love always be true to one another, and our God, then the pathway of life will be bordered with roses even if there are thorns among them.

Feb 25, 1926

Dearest Edith:

I just got your last letter this noon, and I’ll drop you a line, hoping you get it on Saturday.

At this time I cannot say for sure if we will get done this week, but things are moving a little faster than last week.

I was on one case yesterday, and was drawn for another today; which we expect to finish about 4 oclock. That may give time to set a jury for the one following.

It surely has been fine weather. It is a little colder today, but then it is winter yet, I guess.

I’m sure you will be happy at 5:00 o’clock April 10, and it will not be alone that you are over the rush, but also that you love your big boy. Please don’t work yourself to a shadow.

I got a letter from Lillie a few days ago. I guess they were to have quite a celebration Feb. 22.

I don’t have any news, as I wrote everything there was last time. Don’t give up hope of seeing me on Sunday until 4 o’clock, but if I don’t come you can blame it on the judge and please don’t cry too much.

Then drop me a line and tell me how we can manage a visit after you are in Westby.

But, I hope and I am fairly sure of coming sometime on Sunday.

From your loving

Immanuel

Shall I send your mail c/o John Johnson next week? if I don’t come Sun.

From Wikipedia:

The decade of the 1920s saw a rapid increase in automobile use and the expansion of the road and highway network. Early work on connecting the communities along the Missouri River by road, including Wolf Point, began in 1919 with the passage of a county bond measure for construction of an east-west through highway.

Until 1915, the only means of crossing the Missouri River was by ferry boat during the ice-free season or by crossing the ice when the river was ice-bound. Efforts to build a permanent all-weather connection between Wolf Point and the increasing homestead population south of the Missouri River began with the construction of a pontoon bridge in the fall of 1915. However, it was prone to damage from debris and ice flows and was damaged and repaired several times between 1915 and the spring of 1917 when the idea was abandoned after the south approach washed away.

**A renewed effort to build a bridge at Wolf Point came after the drowning deaths of two Wolf Point High School students, James and Rolla Cusker, in February 1926….

While the early 1910s were marked by reliable, adequate precipitation which enabled large numbers of homesteaders to establish themselves on land claims made under the Enlarged Homestead Act, the end of the 1910s were marked by successive drought years. These dry years caused an increase in the number of farm failures which took their toll on commerce in Wolf Point and other Eastern Montana communities. Between 1919 and 1925, approximately 11,000 farms, 20 percent of all Montana’s farms were vacated, twenty thousand mortgages were foreclosed and half of Montana’s farmers lost their land.

Bank failures skyrocketed in the early 1920s. In his annual report for the period ending in June 1924, the State Examiner and Superintendent of Banks, wrote:

At the end of the [fiscal] year [June 30, 1923], … we had lost… 27 more banks ….

Sorry as the plight of the banks had been in the two previous years, it being impossible to stay the withering scourge, it was reserved unto the fiscal year 1923-4 to witness the culimination of Montana’s banking tragedy.

— L. Q. Skelton, Report of the Superintendent of Banks

Between June 30, 1920, and June 30, 1924, 110 banks in Montana, thirty-eight percent of all banks, failed.