Dear Bess: July 1 & 2, 1911
Transcript
Welcome to the Dear Bess/ Dear Harry podcase for July 1, 2022…a service of Harry S Truman National Historic Site, a unit of the National Park Service.
We have a short letter for you today…actually two short letters…written on this date in 1911 by Harry S Truman, writing on the family farm in Grandview, Missouri to Bess Wallace in Independence. Why two letters? Well, they are combined into one mailing to Miss Wallace. They were still within the first few months of their courtship. Evidently, Miss Wallace was still willing to be called “Bessie,” but that would change in relatively short order, when she asked to be called simply “Bess.”
But one of the reasons we wanted to share these letters is to put a little spotlight on Harry Truman’s Uncle Harrison Young. Harrison Young was a brother of Harry Truman’s mother, Martha Ellen Young Truman. In fact, it was for Harrison Young that Harry Truman was named by his parents in 1884…although the future president was named Harry, not Harrison. Harrison Young’s father, Solomon Young, was one of the leading businessmen in Jackson County at the time of his death in 1892. Solomon Young had the family farm, and wagon trains that used the western trail system.
During the Civil War, Federal soldiers reportedly threatened to hang young Harrison Young, who was about 15 when that war started. Solomon and Harriet Young experienced financial loss on their farm near Grandview during the Civil War, and the Solomon Young estate was still trying to seek reimbursement from this going into the 20th century.
Harrison Young never married. His father Solomon died in 1892, and the original Farm Home burned shortly after that. Family tradition holds that the family Bible burned in that fire. By the early 20th century, Mrs. Harriet Young was getting older, and needed help to manage the farm, by then about 600 acres. Thus, John and Martha Truman, their children John Vivian, Mary Jane and, eventually, Harry, returned to the farm to help. It was a business arrangement as much as a family one. Harriet Young died in 1909. Her will caused a family rift that took several years to heal. Harrison Young died in 1916, leaving the entire remainder of the Farm to the Truman family. When Harrison Young died, the funeral was held in the family farm home in Grandview. It is unknown if Harry Truman attended his namesake’s funeral; he had been in Oklahoma that month working at his zinc and lead mine, which was in danger of failing.
One of the many reasons we are grateful that these “Dear Bess” letters survives is that they are the best documentation of Harrison Young’s life and his influence on his namesake. This letter gives us one of our favorite Harrison Young quotes. What do you suppose he said in lieu of the blank?
Here are the letters:
Dear Bessie: Thanks for Keith of the Border. He is the kind of a story I like. I read it straight through without stopping. Haven't got over the headache yet as a result.
I haven't been able to obtain Ashes of a God yet but have sent to the publishers for it. Guess it'll arrive in a few days. Whenever it does I'll send it along or bring it if I am able. I have three of your books now. I am not going to send any of them home until I can bring them myself as you know what luck I once had.
Did you get a letter from me not long ago? Please answer if only to give me fits for being so fresh.
Sincerely, Harry
Grandview, Mo. July 1, 1911
It is so hot the thermometers have stuck out here. When it was so hot last Sunday, Uncle Harrison said "This sure is ___ on the little thermometers." It takes a good big one to do any good now.
Two brief Dear Bess letters for you, from July 1 and 2, 1911. As the second features a fun Harrison Young quote, we thought we'd put the spotlight on Harry Truman's uncle. Harrison Young (1846-1916) must have been a fascinating man...he certainly had a lot of influence on his soon-to-be-famous nephew.
You can see the original letters here: https://www.trumanlibrary.gov/library/truman-papers/correspondence-harry-s-truman-bess-wallace-1910-1919/july-1-1911?documentid=NA&pagenumber=1