1892 October 12 . E[lizabeth] L. Norris ALS to Emily [Emilie Todd Helm]; Garden City, Kansas.
8 pages
Box 1
Comments on a family memorial at Frankfort, genealogical work, and family histories. Comments on Emily's children, including Katherine Helm (1857-1937), "among the artists of the day who would become distinguished." Supports Emily's critique of C. H. Kellogg, disappointed with how he treated his family. Discusses her sons, Shepard and Hamer, and their partnership to "edit and publish the Garden City Herald." Shepard had previously moved to Albuquerque before returning east, losing money during a "commercial crisis," and moving to Kansas. Hamer resigned as mayor and moved west to practice law, describing his experiences working with real estate agents in Granada, Colorado. Describes the development of Granada, Hamer's construction of a home where she lived with him, "and surely no one ever enjoyed a life on the plains in the Wild West as I did." Enjoyed the vista and watching "the cow boys and their unrivalled horsemanship" as they travelled along the public road and the Santa Fe railway. NB: Emilie Todd Helm was Mary Todd Lincoln's half-sister and lived at the White House for a period.