Dear Bess: December 31, 1910---The First Letter!
Transcript
Welcome to the Dear Bess, Dear Harry podcast, brought to you by Harry S Truman National Historic Site, a unit of the National Park Service.
We take care of the Truman Home in Independence, Missouri, and the Truman Farm Home in Grandview, Missouri, as well as some other special historic homes on behalf of the American people, and it is our great honor to do so.
Today we would like to share with you a very special Dear Bess letter…the oldest known one…from December 31, 1910.
Harry Truman had met Bess Wallace back at a Sunday School at First Presbyterian Church in Independence back in 1890. He was six, she was five. He fell in love immediately. Miss Wallace? Not really. Now Miss Wallace was the granddaughter of one of Independence’s most notable citizens…George Porterfield Gates, who was a partner in a successful flour mill. In 1890 the Trumans had just moved to Independence.
Harry Truman and Bess Wallace went through school together, graduated in 1901. Their lives diverged after that. But then fate played a hand, and were reunited, possibly in 1910. Family tradition has that Harry Truman’s kin the Nolands had him return a dessert plate across the street from their home to the Gates mansion, where Miss Wallace was living. The rest, they say, is history. Starting with this letter, Truman used his words to convince Miss Wallace that he was worthy of being the one for her.
It was destiny.
As always, thanks for listening. Here is that letter.
Grandview, Mo.
Dec. 31, 1910
My Dear Bessie:-
I am very glad you liked the book. I liked it so well myself I nearly kept it. I saw it advertised in Life and remembered that you were fond of Scott when we went to school.
Nothing would please me better than to come to see you during the holidays or any other time for the matter of that, but Papa broke his leg the other day and I am the chief nurse, next to my mother, besides being farm boss now. So you see I'll be somewhat closely confined for some time to come. I hope you'll let the invitation be a standing one though and I shall avail myself of it at the very first opportunity.
I guess Ethel & Nellie have been busy with their exams is the reason you haven't seen them. I got a letter from Ethel the other day saying she was suffering so from cramming, both mental and physical, and from "epizootic" (whatever that is) that she and Nellie would be unable to come out this week. You know they always spend a few days at Christmas out here. It was just as well, as I would have had to cancel their date anyway after Papa's accident. We haven't quite got over the excitement yet. A horse pulled a big beam over on him in the barn. We were so glad he wasn't killed we didn't know what to do.
If you see fit to let me hear from you sometimes, I shall certainly appreciate it. Farm life as an everyday affair is not generally exciting. Wishing you and all of you the very happiest New Year, I am very sincerely
Harry S. Truman
On December 31, 1910, Harry S Truman, farmer, wrote what may have been his first Dear Bess letter to his sweetheart, Miss Bess Wallace. It would be his most famous campaign. He had loved Miss Wallace for 20 years, since meeting her at a Presbyterian Church Sunday School. Could he win her over?
https://catalog.archives.gov/id/157638902